Exodus 4:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.

NIV: So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.)

NASB: So He left him alone. At that time she said, 'You are a groom of blood'— because of the circumcision.

CSB: So he let him alone. At that time she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," referring to the circumcision.

NLT: (When she said 'a bridegroom of blood,' she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

KJV: So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

NKJV: So He let him go. Then she said, “ You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

God had threatened Moses' life as he made his way back to Egypt (Exodus 4:19–20, 24). Moses' wife, Zipporah (Exodus 2:21), responds by circumcising (Exodus 4:25) one of their sons (Exodus 2:22; 18:4). According to this verse, that eased God's wrath and saved Moses' life.

Scripture offers little detail about this odd event. The exact nature of the threat is not given. Nor does the Bible specify which son was circumcised. The text never mentions exactly why this happened, or why Zipporah's actions affected the situation. It's not even clear whether Zipporah did this with a grudge or as an act of newfound faith. Her comment about blood, repeated in this verse (Exodus 4:25), could be sarcastic, bitter, sincere, or some combination of those.

Circumcision was a crucial sign given to the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 17:10–12). Moses is meant to be the Lord's spokesman (Exodus 3:10; 4:12). Failure to follow such a basic command would have made him seem like a hypocrite in the eyes of Israel. It's possible that one or both of the sons were not yet circumcised, and this was God's way of correcting the issue. At this time, the sons are almost certainly adults; Moses came to Midian at age forty (Acts 7:23, 29) and he is now eighty (Exodus 7:7).

Exodus 4:18–26 includes a bizarre incident in the life of Moses. He plans to return to Egypt , to perform the signs given by God, and to challenge Egypt's Pharaoh to release Israel. On the way, Moses seems to fall deathly ill, at God's hand. Moses' wife circumcises one of their sons and transfers some meaning of the ceremony to Moses by touching his feet. This removes the danger, and Moses continues on towards Egypt.

While speaking with God in the form of a supernaturally burning bush, Moses expresses a lack of confidence. God gives Moses several miraculous signs so he can prove the source of his message. Moses is still unsure because of his poor speech. Though irritated, God appoints Moses' brother, Aaron, to be the spokesman while Moses relays the words of God. Moses returns to Egypt. Along the way, he nearly dies due to God's anger over some issue related to circumci-sion. After meeting his brother, Moses convinces the elders of Israel that his mission is genuine.

Moses, born an Israelite (Exodus 2:1) but raised by an Egyptian princess (Exodus 2:10) fled into exile after killing an abu-sive Egyptian taskmaster (Exodus 2:14–15). Later, Moses meets God (Exodus 3:6) and receives the initial command to challenge Pharaoh for the freedom of the Israelites (Exodus 3:18–20). In this chapter, Moses makes excuses about his public speaking and nearly dies because of an uncircumcised son. Israel's elders believe Moses' story. But in the next chapter, Moses' early confrontation with Pharaoh goes poorly; the people are worked even hard-er (Exodus 5:5–9) and they begin to turn against Moses (Exodus 5:20–21).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.