The mention of moses wife zipporah in the bible is actually so few i think it. An outcast like herself, his name was moses and he was a fugitive from egypt. Although she is a cushite by birthone of the people of the lands to the south zipporah grew up as the beloved daughter of jethro, high priest and sage of the midianites. Mosess wife, zipporah, saved moses life by circumcising one of her sons to turn gods wrath from moses. Of course, the you are my garden, my myrrh and honey, my nightly tonic, my black dove. In the book of chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned. From the internationally bestselling author of sarah comes the riveting story of the remarkable woman who walked beside moses. Gershoms name was a reminder that moses was a foreigner and living among foreigners. At the well with her lightskinned stepsisters, zipporah is intrigued by the.
Girls night inget your mates round for an evening of film, music or fun various plagues rain down on cruel ramses. Nine years later, moses is settled in midian with a wife zipporah and son gershom. Name meaninga midian name, zipporah means a little bird, a sparrow. There he sought the family of jethro, the ethiopian priest of midian, in whose sight, after a short residence, he found favor, and married his daughter zipporah. Zipporah, was a shepherdess and priestess, as all priests were shepherds. Zipporah, like the others mentioned above, protected moses, and even saved him from death.
Is it possible for a man to be locked up for 10 years and survive without food. So instead of forcing the issue, moses backed off and compromised his position with god and allowed zipporah to have her way. On the way yahweh rebuked moses, either because he had not been circumcised before his. Moses said, i have become an alien in a foreign land. Today lydia leigh shares some reflections on the story of zipporah and moses and what it can teach us about the gender debate. Zipporah or tzipora is mentioned in the book of exodus as the wife of moses, and the daughter. Moses, fleeing from egypt, arrived in midian and sat down by a well. I had no idea that moses even had a wife, let alone a cushite black woman who he. Zipporah, wife of moses in the bible, a determined woman. Nov 15, 2015 the bible tells us that after moses fled from egypt, he fled into midian, a kingdom of ethiopia. In a spectacular feat of imagination, halter has breathed new life into this littleknown, though influential, old testament figure. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered is the title given to an article by beth brophy in the jan.
Later, zipporah had another son named eliezer exodus 18. This has always been a controversial passage and difficult for exegetes. The bible tells us that after moses fled from egypt, he fled into midian, a kingdom of ethiopia. Zipporah the woman who wrongly opposed her husband. Moses two sons are black and work among the levi priestly order. You cant lay there and sleep all day you gotta go to church. Saint catherine monastery, mount sinai october 9, 2009 wikimediaovedc saint catherine monastery, mount sinai october 9, 2009 wikimediaovedc. Her mother died and jethro raised her as his daughter. When god reveals himself to moses in a burning bush, his words echo zipporahs, and moses returns to egypt with his passionate and generous wife by his side. The name of the one was gershom for he said, i have been an alien 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. Moses, a fugitive who has run away from egypt only to return to help free the. The mention of moses wife zipporah in the bible is actually so few i think it can be counted on one hand. Zipporah, moses ethiopian wife offered to begin a black skin tribe of jews. Fun for kids to print and learn more about moses, zipporah, jethro, and the land of midian.
What we can say for certain here, i believe, is that whatever else one wants to read into zipporah s actions, she was upset with moses and only performed the circumcision on her sons under the duress of the moment. Moses took with him his wife and his sonsfor a second son was now born into the familyand moses was now eighty years of age. Shebuel, son of gershom, and rehabiah, son of eliezer 1 chronicles 23. But in numbers 12 we encounter an uncomfortable story. Bible study online god tries to kill moses reality. 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. Oh zipporah, you are my love and the words that save me. Sometimes in scripture we run across strange events that have no explanation as to what led up to them happening.
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. The second volume of french novelist halters canaan trilogy sarah, 2004 shows zipporah, the daughter of midian high priest jethro, meeting the fugitive moses on his flight out of egypt. The circumcision of one or both of moses sons is one of those events. Part of a fresco of zipporah and sons in sistine chapel in the vatican. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant. Zipporah s quick thinking and awareness of gods presence saved the life of moses. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback barnes. A few years later, after god speaks to moses through a burning bush, moses sets out with his family to return to egypt to free his people from. Some time later, he was given zipporah as his wife. Jan 25, 2008 a new novel, zipporah, wife of moses, by marek halter, puts a fictionalized spin on zipporah by making her the cushite or ethiopian wife of moses. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered. Jethro hadnt known of his daughters kindness to moses, so he was quite shocked.
Then jethro, moses father in law, took zipporah, moses wife, after he had sent her back. The rabbis explain that moses never wanted to part from zipporah and sent her to her fathers house in midian only for fear that the egyptian. I just finished reading a novel, zipporah, wife of moses. Jul 06, 2010 but one day, as she was drawing water at a well, zipporah met a man like no other shed met before. When moses returned to egypt, zipporah and her sons accompanied him. My position is that without doubt womens stories not only. A novel canaan trilogy marek halter, howard curtis on. And judging by her actions, zipporah didnt believe that it was necessary to do all that moses was asking. Black woman in scripture zipporrah wife of the writer of the first five books of the bible and miriam and aaron spake against moses because of the ethiopian woman he had married. This time is necessary for searching and sorting links. Examples include the films the ten commandments 1956, the prince of egypt 1998 and exodus.
This is a hardcover book and includes the dust jacket. Moses saw zipporah s act of selfmutilation as a remnant of his wife s idolatrous upbringing, and a demonstration that gods displeasure at her presence was indeed wellfounded. 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. Simply rightclick the image, save to your computer and print. Moses saw zipporahs act of selfmutilation as a remnant of his wifes idolatrous upbringing, and a demonstration that gods displeasure at her presence was indeed wellfounded. Fanciful version of the fatal encounter between african princess zipporah and young moses, in a breathy, atmospheric translation. Zipporah article about zipporah by the free dictionary. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading zipporah, wife of moses.
Zipporahs quick thinking and awareness of gods presence saved the life of moses. 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. For instance, moses married zipporah, a midianite, but. After moses kills an egyptian, he flees from the pharaoh and settles among the midianites, an arab people who occupied desert areas in southern transjordan, northern arabia, and the sinai. Jun 10, 2017 zipporah was the wife that gave birth to the two sons of moses. 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 may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered the woman who stood up to god by beth brophy january 25, 2008 bizarre is typical of how biblical scholars describe the tale of zipporah and her husband, moses, especially the section in which god attacks moses, and zipporah uses a blood ritual to successfully defend her husband and son. Zipporah took the initiative and appeased gods anger, even though she found it all very distasteful. Our last influential woman, named zipporah, has a lot of mystery surrounding her story. Zipporah, wife of moses ebook by marek halter rakuten kobo.
When he communicated to jethro the message of his god, jethro made no difficulty, but said to moses. Zipporah is the cushite wife until some credible evidence is shown as to why it should be considered unclear, im keeping that speculative comment out. The untold story of zipporah, wife of moses what do you think. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. After moses had sent away his wife zipporah, his fatherinlaw jethro took her back, along with her two sons. She lay on her bed without moving, without closing her eyes, without even daring to. Also, it encompasses the well of moses, where it is said to be the place he met his future wife, zipporah. 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. Moses and his wife are traveling to egypt because god had told moses to bring the israelites out of bondage exodus 3. Moses was aware of zipporahs qualities and therefore took her for a wife.
While he was resting, reuels daughters came to water their fathers flocks. Zipporah, wife of moses is bestselling novelist marek halters latest portrait of a noteworthy woman of the bible. Her sons became capable administrators in davids kingdom. Without her, the hebrews would never have left egypt and settled in canaan. A new novel, zipporah, wife of moses, by marek halter, puts a fictionalized spin on zipporah by making her the cushite or ethiopian wife of moses.
Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, howard curtis. Wilkinson observes that the feminine termination ah added to the common word zippor, which is also the father of balak, king of moab. Bible study online god tries to kill moses reality check. Zipporah was the wife that gave birth to the two sons of moses. Moses two sons are black and work among the levi priestly. A woman ahead of her time, zipporah leaps from the pages of this remarkable novel. One button 15 links for downloading the book zipporah, wife of moses in all ebook formats. On his return to egypt, moses was accompanied by his wife, who saved him from great danger during their journey ib.
This was a runnerup entry in our recent blog contest, in the category of women in the bibleold testament one of the things i love about the bible is that it has so much to say about the ability and calling of both women and men. Therefore, moses sent zipporah and their two sons back to her family in midian. She appears to have returned with her children to her fathers house. Such a name like dove or lamb would originally be a. Moses siblings, miriam and aaron confront their brother hes married a cushite woman, an african, and.
Nov 15, 2014 moses wife zipporah astutely recognised the cause of gods wrath. She refuses to marry him until he returns to egypt to free his people. Zipporah, the wife of moses, was one of the seven daughters of reuel, a midianite priest, who was also called jethro exodus 3. Didnt i tell you to get your tail up out of that bed and get ready to go to church. She is the main character in marek halters novel zipporah, wife of moses 2005. 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. Zipporah may be obscure, but the wife of moses mattered politics. Books image by abrenzi du wife of moses, books, zipporah. When zipporah and her sisters reported these exciting events to their father, he invited moses into his home. The bible does not say when zipporah and her sons rejoined reueljethro, only that after.
Press button get download links and wait 20 seconds. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback. A passionate lover and a generous wife, zipporah the black, the stranger, the nonjew, was to share moses destiny.
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