Êxodo 2

Êxodo 2

Cole on Zipporah - “We might translate as ‘warbler’ or, less kindly, ‘twitterer’; it is the name of a small bird.” Mattoon adds "Her name means "sparrow or bird" and may possibly indicate a small, nervous person. Moses married Lady Bird." Keil - The pride and self-will with which he had offered himself in Egypt as the deliverer and judge of his oppressed brethren, had been broken down by the feeling of exile. Question: "Who was Zipporah in the Bible?" Answer: Zipporah in the Bible was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. When Moses fled from Egypt to the land of Midian, he met Jethro’s seven daughters, who were having some trouble getting enough water for their flocks (Exodus 2). In that area, the troughs for watering flocks were being monopolized by some shepherds who denied Jethro’s daughters access to the troughs. Moses assisted the women by driving the shepherds away so their flocks could be watered. Zipporah was among the sisters helped by Moses. Zipporah and her sisters brought Moses back to their tent to meet their father, the priest of Midian, who liked Moses. Moses was content to stay there in Midian (Exodus 2:21). Moses later married Zipporah and began a new life. Zipporah gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom, a name that sounds like the Hebrew word meaning “a foreigner there.” Gershom’s name was a reminder that Moses was a foreigner and living among foreigners. Later, Zipporah had another son named Eliezer (Exodus 18:4). Later in the book of Exodus, there is a strange passage involving Zipporah. Moses and his wife are traveling to Egypt because God had told Moses to bring the Israelites out of bondage (Exodus 3). On the way, Moses and Zipporah stop at an inn, and the Lord meets Moses there, seeking to kill him. Perceiving that Moses was in mortal danger, Zipporah takes a sharp stone and circumcises her son. She takes her son’s foreskin and, touching Moses’ feet with it, she utters the enigmatic statement, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” (Exodus 4:25). Her action worked. After Zipporah’s intervention, the Lord left Moses alone. The Bible does not explicitly explain why the Lord desired to kill Moses, but it was probably because Moses had not performed the rite of circumcision. Circumcision was an important symbol of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the lack of circumcision would mark a person as cut off from God’s people (Genesis 17:9–14). For Moses to neglect to circumcise his son was an affront to God, as if he were saying that he and his family did not truly belong to God. How could Moses be an effective leader of God’s people if he were in violation of God’s clear command? Zipporah’s words to Moses are puzzling, but the text explains that “she said ‘bridegroom of blood,’ referring to circumcision” (Exodus 4:26). It seems that Zipporah was angry at having to perform the rite, which should have been completed by Moses. Sometime after this incident, Moses sent Zipporah and his two sons back to Midian to stay with Zipporah’s father (see Exodus 18:2–3). (Gotquestions) Exodus 2:22 Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." Gershom - i.e. a stranger here, 1Ch 23:14-17 for he said - Ex 2:10 18:3 22:21 1Ch 16:20 29:15 Ps 39:12 119:19 Ac 7:29 Heb 11:13,14 Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." - Gershom's name means "banishment," "expulsion," "stranger," "resident alien there," "sojourner there.” The birth of Gershom seemed to be a sign for Moses that he had done the right thing by fleeing from Egypt. On the other hand the name that Moses gave his son may indicate how he feels at this time of his life. He may have a sense of loneliness. Guzik suggest that the name Gershom "meaning “stranger”—was evidence of some loneliness, living apart from either the Egyptians or the Hebrews." "Gershom was born to Levi before Jacob and his family moved to Goshen in Egypt (Gen. 46:11). Since Levi was to become the head of the priestly line in Israel, the OT contains many genealogical references to him which include his son, Gershon (e.g. Exo. 6:16f; Num. 3:18f; 4:22, 38, 41, 26:57; 1 Chr. 6:1; 23:7 etc.)" (Gilbrant) NET Note on he named him Gershom (NOTICE MOSES GAVE THIS NAME NOT ZIPPORAH) - He chose the name because its sounds reflected his sentiment at that time. But to what was Moses referring? In view of naming customs among the Semites, he was most likely referring to Midian as the foreign land. If Egypt had been the strange land, and he had now found his place, he would not have given the lad such a name. Personal names reflect the present or recent experiences, or the hope for the future. So this naming is a clear expression by Moses that he knows he is not where he is supposed to be. That this is what he meant is supported in the NT by Stephen ("alien" in Acts 7:29+). So the choice of the name Gershom, the explanation of it, and the wordplay before it, all serve to stress the point that Moses had been driven away from his proper place of service.