Why did Moses's wife...?

Question

Why did Moses's wife cirumcise her son and throw the foreskin at Moses' feet saying,"you are a bridegroom of blood to me"

Exodus 4:24-26

Was she angry at Moses?

Answer 1

We cannot be clear exactly as to why his wife reacted the way that she did. The story isn't told in depth. There are a few things, however, we can conclude.

Circumcision was given as a commandment to Abraham as a sign of the covenant. It was a sign, kind of like having a driver's license. Having one doesn't make you an American, but you have to have one to drive in the country. Being circumcised didn't make you Jewish, but it was sign that you had committed yourself to the covenant as established by Moses.

Genesis 17:12 says "For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised" and then in verse 14 it says, "Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." Clearly, this was serious.

Moses was born an Israelite, so it is safe to assume that He received circumcision at 8 days old. However, at age forty Moses fled Egypt (Acts 7:23) and went to Midian where He met and married His wife, Zipporah. Obviously, she was not an Israelite. Moses named his first son Gershom saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." (Ex 2:22)

Obviously, as a stranger in a foreign land, Moses respected the customs of the people. In addition, He seemed to have "forgotten" the custom of circumcision. He had not obeyed the commandment of the Lord as set down. In Exodus 4:24, we can see that the Lord was about to kill Moses for not obeying the command.

It is important to note that God could have just cut off the sons from the people of Israel. However, in love God crippled Moses so that His word would remain true and the sons would be saved. God devised a perfect plan. The pressure upon Moses' life would bring immediate action.

The Lord was about to kill Moses, so obviously, he was incapacitated to such an extent that he could not circumcise his sons. Therefore, the task was left to his wife. She then circumcised her sons and returned throwing the foreskin at Moses' feet. In that moment, the Lord let him alone.

I would imagine (and this is all speculation) that she was very angered by this. Probably the whole reason that the sons were not circumcised from the beginning is because she was against it. To her it seemed like a silly custom. Surely Moses would have pressed upon her the importance of it, and she would not let it happen. I can just imagine the arguments that pursued over it much like many couples argue over names and customs of our day.

Finally, at the last moment, God hinders Moses in such a way that she learned the importance of circumcision. As she had to go forth and circumcise each of her sons, she learned the seriousness of the custom. Even still, it angered her. She was not an Israelite. This was not her custom. So, she blamed Moses. She said, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me."

But again, that is all speculation. We don't really know what actually happened as the bible doesn't give the story in detail.

Answer 2

Yes, she was.

If you look in Gen. 17:14, we see that God says that an uncircumcised male has broken God's covenant and his soul shall be cut off from his people.

In Joshua 5: 2-9, we can see that during the Egyptian bondage, this sign of being set apart as God's people had been neglected, so that everyone who hadn't been circumcised during that time had to have it done in the wilderness before they would be allowed to enter the promised land. This is what is meant by them having the "reproach of Egypt". In other words, they were following the ways of the heathen rather than God's covenant (ie conforming to the world).

It seems that Moses' wife knew that the law said that an uncircumcised male would be "cut off" (killed) because of breaking the covenant and, so, was concerned for her son, especially in light of the fact that God was about to kill all of the first born of the Egyptians.

She must have been very angry at Moses who, while being used as a go-between between God and pharoah, had neglected to do what he needed to do to keep God's covenant and thereby keep his own son safe from harm.

Answer 3

Yes, she certainly was. Moses (an Israelite) was commanded by God to circumcise his son, as a symbol of the Abrahamic covenant. Moses' wife knew what blessings the covenant entailed. Her own father, the priest of Midian, was a descendant of Abraham, and a recipient of the covenant. Zipporah was very angry at her husband for not obeying the Lord... She was angry that Moses, through disobedience, would deny her son the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.

Answer 4

No she was not she did so to save Moses's life. as prove'n in scripture.


Exodus 4:24-25
The LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

Deuteronomy 23:1
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Ezekiel 23:20
For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

A bloody husband art thou to me."
God decides to kill Moses because his son had not yet been circumcised. Luckily for Moses, his Egyptian wife Zipporah "took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he [God] let him go."

Answer 5

God met Moses in anger. The Lord threatened him with death or sent sickness upon him, as the punishment of his having neglected to circumcise his son. When God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives, we must give all diligence to amend it speedily. This is the voice of every rod; it calls us to return to Him that smites us. God sent Aaron to meet Moses. The more they saw of God's bringing them together, the more pleasant their interview was.

Answer 6

Moses forgot to take out the trash.

Answer 7

No, she was trying to save Moses as he had not been circumcised himself.

Answer 8

Considering the location of where Moses lived it is highly possible that she was black.

Answer 9

The Bible is full of parables and riddles that will never be figured out. Just know it was Jewish law to be circumcised at birth just like it's Christian law to be baptised. Still is for both.

Answer 10

eeeek. thats gross!