She appears to have returned with her children to her fathers house. She only acts to save moses life, but she is disgusted by their sons circumcision in. Part of a fresco of zipporah and sons in sistine chapel in the vatican. Zipporah and her sons gershom and eliezer later returned to jethro exod 18. On his return to egypt, moses was accompanied by his wife, who saved him from great danger during their journey ib. Although she is a cushite by birthone of the people of the lands to the southzipporah grew up as the beloved daughter of jethro, high priest and sage of the midianites. See all 9 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. After this event, we see moses meeting up with aaron and heading for egypt ex 4. Her father, jethro, is a wise and influential figure this book was much better than sarah, the first book in the canaan trilogy. Name meaninga midian name, zipporah means a little bird, a sparrow. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback. Sinai, zipporah and the boys returned to moses with jethro. A novel i applaud marek halter with his courage to delve into the unknown. Her sons became capable administrators in davids kingdom.
It was only after the parting of the red sea and the israelites miraculous escape from egypt that moses s fatherinlaw jethro brought zipporah and her sons to rejoin moses at the israelite camp in the desert. Shebuel, son of gershom, and rehabiah, son of eliezer 1 chronicles 23. Mar 05, 2014 both views above try to affirm that zipporah was the cushite woman and that moses had only one wife. Their courtship is passionate apparently moses was a sexy thing and moses is accepted into zipporahs family with great trust and love. Moses sends her and the children away before the exodus from egypt. Once again moses had acted in defence of the downtrodden. In the book of exodus, we are introduced to zipporah, the daughter of jethro, wife. The circumcision of one or both of moses sons is one of those events. In the book of chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned. We do not hear about zipporah and the two boys again until ex 18.
Their courtship is passionate apparently moses was a sexy thing and moses is accepted into zipporah s family with great trust and love. Reuel s daughter, who became the wife of moses exodus 2. There is no explanation for this name change, but the title priest of midian accompanies both names, and he is called moses fatherinlaw, so it is safe to assume this was the same man. The father and mother of moses were hebrews, and, like other parents, they loved their child too much to have him injured. When god reveals himself to moses in the burning bush. Its about love of a man and his duty not just to his wife and children, but foremost to yahweh. Goodreads members who liked zipporah, wife of moses. After being instructed by god to return to egypt and free the israelites, in exodus 4.
After this event, it seems that moses sent zipporah and his sons back home to stay with jethro. This has always been a controversial passage and difficult for exegetes. Before his birth, pharaoh, king of egypt, being fearful of their increase, had given orders to have every male infant of the hebrews murdered. In the hebrew bible zipporah was one of the seven daughters of jethro, a kenite shepherd who was a priest of midian. Later, zipporah had another son named eliezer exodus 18. From the internationally bestselling author of sarah comes the riveting story of the remarkable woman who walked beside moses.
Zipporah was a proud woman who knew her destiny with a defiant certainty. One thing led to another, of course, and moses married jethro s daughter zipporah. Nov 20, 20 zipporah told moses that he was a bridegroom of blood to her exodus 4. This is supported by a midrash jewish interpretation in the book of jasher sepir ha yasher 79. And he gave his daughter zipporah to moses to be his wife. Moses named him this because moses was a stranger in a land that was not his own. Her father jethro was the priest of midian, and it was he that gave zipporah to moses to marry. What is significant about zipporahs foreskin cutting. In a spectacular feat of imagination, halter has breathed new life into this littleknown, though influential, old testament figure. Zipporah reluctantly obeyed her husband by circumcising her son, and then apparently touched moses with the bloody foreskin and declared, surely you are a bridegroom of blood exod 4. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant. Fanciful version of the fatal encounter between african princess zipporah and young moses, in a breathy, atmospheric translation. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Later in the book of exodus, there is a strange passage involving zipporah. It said in the book that she at first refused to marry moses until he agreed to go back to egypt and rescue. Zipporah and moses fall in love, but zipporah refuses to marry him, even though they have two children together. And miriam miriam seems to be first named, because she was the first mover of the sedition. Zipporah the woman who wrongly opposed her husband. Shebuel, son of gershom, and rehabiah, son of eliezer. But the color of zipporahs skin sets her apart, making her an outsider to the men of her. Mosess wife, zipporah, saved moses life by circumcising one of her sons to turn gods wrath from moses. Zipporah quickly circumcised gershom with a sharp stone and touched moses legs with it, saying a bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision exodus 4. The ethiopian either, 1st, zipporah, who is here called an ethiopian, in the hebrew, a cushite, because she was a midianite. This was a risky journey, which zipporah courageously joined. Zipporahs quick thinking and awareness of gods presence saved the life of moses. Zipporah was the wife that gave birth to the two sons of moses. Alas, the truth biblically speaking, that is isnt so sinister or exciting.
After the exodus from egypt when the israelites camped near mt. Now jethro, moses fatherinlaw, had taken zipporah, moses wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. At some point before the exodus from egypt, moses sends her and the children away exod 18. Zipporah, moses ethiopian wife offered to begin a black. A foundling adopted by jethro, high priest of midian, zipporah is intelligent, beautiful, and black. Childs says that zipporah did it because moses simply failed to do it. When moses returned to egypt from midian, moses brought zipporah and his sons with him exodus 4. Jan 02, 2020 sometime later, moses was married to zipporah, the daughter of reuel, the priest of midian exodus 2. At some point before moses returned to egypt or before the exodus, moses send zipporah and his sons back to jethro. The exodus passage also refers to the term, bridegroom of blood, in many. Exodus 2, international childrens bible icb the bible app. Why, and when, did moses send his wife and sons back to. When zipporah saw that god was going to kill moses, she defiantly complied. Jethro, the priest of midian, moses fatherinlaw, heard of all that god had done for moses and for his people israel, how the lord had brought israel out of egypt.
The second volume of french novelist halters canaan trilogy sarah. After the jews left egypt, moses sons gershom and eliezer, along with their mother zipporah and grandfather jethro, rejoined their father in the desert. Joseph is the greatest personal type of jesus in the bible. Reuels daughter, who became the wife of moses exodus 2. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered is the title given to an article by beth brophy in the jan. Hobab was also the name of jethro s son as stated in numbers 10. Our last influential woman, named zipporah, has a lot of mystery surrounding her story. The untold story of zipporah, wife of moses what do you think. And she bare him a son, and he called his name gershom. On the way yahweh rebuked moses, either because he had not been circumcised before his.
Wilkinson observes that the feminine termination ah added to the common word zippor, which is also the father of balak, king of moab. Jul 19, 2017 the daughter of a priest of midian, zipporah became moses wife during his fortyyear exile from egypt, eventually accompanying him and the rest of israel into the wilderness. What exactly is happening in the passage about the. The father and mother of moses were hebrews, and,like other. In fact, when the time came to choose a successor for moses, our sages 2 relate that moses requested one of his. Jan 02, 2020 gershoms name was a reminder that moses was a foreigner and living among foreigners. Well, sorry to disappoint, but zipporah just doesnt get that much screen time. Kaiser believes that their son had not been circumcised possibly because of a dispute between zipporah and moses. Moses is the greatest character in the old testament. After the exodus, her father, the priest of midian here called jethro, comes to visit moses, bringing zipporah and her two sons.
One son was named gershom, for moses had said, i have been a foreigner in a. Mosess marriage to jethros daughter, zipporah, and the birth of their first son, gershom, are recorded in exodus 2. Its about love of a man and his duty not just to his wife and children, but. The main plot of zipporahs cryptic story, which contains a few large holes, is this. Zipporah was one of seven midianite sisters that mistook moses for an egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well exodus 2. Adam simon zipporah and me series 3 book set bible.
When moses returned to egypt, zipporah and her sons accompanied him. Moses, a fugitive from egypt, where he killed a man for abusing a hebrew slave, happens upon the seven. It is his divine will that young people come to faith in jesus christ and find salvation through the gospel and the work of the holy spirit to bring them to faith. Zipporah or tzipora is mentioned in the book of exodus as the wife of moses.
Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback barnes. Moses and his wife are traveling to egypt because god had told moses to bring the israelites out of bondage exodus 3. Sometimes in scripture we run across strange events that have no explanation as to what led up to them happening. In midian, the pride of high priest jethro is his lovely and wise adopted daughter, zipporah, a cushite, yet he cant find a husband for her because she is black. And given the lack of homelife information we have on moses, youd think this lady would be a good source of material. The name of the one was gershom for he said, i have been a sojourner in a foreign land, and the name of the other, eliezer for he said, the god of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of pharaoh. Zipporah and moses lessons from exodus childrens bible, bible for kids, sunday school. Miriam harshly criticize moses marriage to a cushite or kushite woman after he returned to egypt to set the children of israel free. I just finished reading a novel, zipporah, wife of moses. Moses was a statesman, lawgiver, poet, songwriter, deliverer and a type of christ. A new novel, zipporah, wife of moses, by marek halter, puts a. Before his birth, pharaoh, king of egypt, being fearful oftheir increase, had given orders to have every male infant of thehebrews murdered.
Jun 10, 2017 zipporah was the wife that gave birth to the two sons of moses. First, she insists, moses must accept his destinyto return to egypt and lead his people out of slavery. A novel canaan trilogy marek halter, howard curtis on. In the book of exodus, we are introduced to zipporah, the daughter of jethro, wife of moses and mother of their two sons, gershom and eliezer. Jethro heard how the lord had led the israelites out of egypt. Moses is told that his fatherinlaw jethro is coming to see you, with your wife and her two sons exod i8. Mosess children are explicitly mentioned only very briefly in the pentateuch.
Moses siblings, miriam and aaron confront their brother hes married a cushite woman, an african, and. While all the commotion is going on in egypt, its unclear where zipporah and mosess kids are. This is the last overt mention of moses sons in the torah. A novel paperback april 25 2006 by marek halter author 4. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading zipporah, wife of moses. The daughter of a priest of midian, zipporah became moses wife during his fortyyear exile from egypt, eventually accompanying him and the rest of israel into the wilderness. Her mother died and jethro raised her as his daughter. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Such a name like dove or lamb would originally be a. In the story moses rescues the daughters of jethro at the well and one, zipporah was adopted by jethro when her boat floated on the sea of reeds with zipporah and her mother. Aug 21, 2007 mosess marriage to jethros daughter, zipporah, and the birth of their first son, gershom, are recorded in exodus 2. What we can say for certain here, i believe, is that whatever else one wants to read into zipporahs actions, she was upset with moses and only performed the circumcision on her sons under the duress of the moment. Zipporah, wife of moses is bestselling novelist marek halters latest portrait of a noteworthy woman of the bible. On the way to egypt, zipporah circumcised their son and thus saved her husbands lifemoses had neglected to obey the lord in this matter, and the lord would have killed moses had not zipporah intervened exodus 4.
The untold story of zipporah, wife of moses what do you. The members of mosess family are not mentioned in the narrative of the ten plagues and the exodus from egypt, and reappear only in the family reunion in ex. Buy zipporah, wife of moses canaan trilogy reprint, translation by halter, marek isbn. Besides, they thought they saw something very promising.
But in numbers 12 we encounter an uncomfortable story. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered politics. Both views above try to affirm that zipporah was the cushite woman and that moses had only one wife. It was only after the parting of the red sea and the israelites miraculous escape from egypt that mosess fatherinlaw jethro brought zipporah and her sons to rejoin moses at the israelite camp in the desert. Zipporah or tzipora is mentioned in the book of exodus as the wife of moses, and the daughter of reueljethro, the priest and prince of midian. In his enjoyable but uneven second installment in the canaan trilogy sarah, halter takes his cue from the biblical story of moses to imagine the life of mosess littleknown wife.
So, clearly, moses had sent her away to jethro at some point. Jan 25, 2008 the main plot of zipporah s cryptic story, which contains a few large holes, is this. Adam simon zipporah and me series 3 book set bible childrens. Moses and the ten plagues printable bible activity book for kids. But, for unknown reasons, moses sent zipporah and his two sons back to midian with jethro exodus 18. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered. The visit of jethro 1 now moses fatherinlaw jethro, the priest of midian, heard about all that god had done for moses and his people israel, and how the lord had brought israel out of egypt. Moses, together with his wife and children, left the comfort of midian to travel. Exodus 18, international childrens bible icb the bible app. This is only the second book ive read by author marek halter and i must say, im extremely impressed. He heard about everything that god had done for moses and his people, the israelites.
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