BRIDEGROOM OF BLOOD
Many of us find certain Bible passages to be hard to understand. In fact, without researching in depth, they are impossible to understand and can not be interpreted correctly. One such group of passages is found in Shemoth (Exodus 4: 22-26) selectively known as “The Bridegroom of Blood or The Bloody Bridegroom” passages.
In verses 22-23, YHVH is speaking to Mosheh (Moses), “And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus said YHVH, “Yisrael is My son, My firstborn, so I say to you, let My son go to serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, see, I am killing your son, your firstborn.”
And it came to be on the way (to Mitzrayim/Egypt), in the lodging place, that YHVH met him (Mosheh) and sought to kill him (verse 24).
And Tsipporah/Zipporah) took a sharp stone (flint) and cut off the foreskin of her son and threw it at Mosheh’s feet, and said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me!” (verse 25).
So He (YHVH) let him (Mosheh) go. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision (verse 26). Shemoth 4:22-26 taken from “The Scriptures” Bible.
Such odd circumstances happened to Mosheh that night. Well, without Tsipporah’s quick thinking, Mosheh would not have survived the night and would not have been used by YHVH to lead His people out of slavery. Why is this?
Under the Avrahamic Covenant in Bereshith/Genesis 17:10-12, all the male descendants of Avraham had to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.
“This is My Covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed (descendants) after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between me and you. And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generation, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed”(Bereshith 17:10-12).
Oddly enough Mosheh, a circumcised Hebrew himself, had failed to circumcise his son at eight days old. By not circumcising his own son, Mosheh was preventing his son from being able to serve (worship) YHVH. Also by neglecting to do so, Mosheh was unintentionally being like Pharaoh to his own son. Quickly Tsipporah came to Mosheh’s rescue by circumcising their son.
Then a most usual and very often misinterpreted event happened. Tsipporah took the foreskin from their son’s circumcision and threw it at Mosheh. This act is usually translated as landing on or at Mosheh’s feet, or that the foreskin touched Mosheh’s feet, and she called Mosheh “the bridegroom of blood..”
A Hebrew euphemism for “feet” is the word “genitals.” Very few Bible translators have chosen to use the word “genitals” in their Bibles, thereby, misleading this group of scripture to sound like it had something to do with marriage, coming up with the “bridegroom of blood” scenario. The Revised English Bible has translated it to mean :genitals.” Therefore, Tsipporah cast the foreskin or touched Mosheh’s genitals with the bloody skin. Just why did she do this?
The Hebrew for “bridegroom of blood” written as “hatan dimim,” is derived from a Semitic root verb which means “perform marriage.” In the Arabic language this phrase is linked to the Hebrew but means “perform circumcision.” Yet, if we go further back into the ancient Akkadian language that is distantly related to Arabic and Aramaic/Hebrew, we find that this phrase means “to protect.”
Tsipporah was a Midian woman. Midian is present day Saudi Arabia where Arabic is spoken. However, in Tsipporah‘s day, Akkadian was spoken. In the ancient Akkadian language, throwing the foreskin on Mosheh meant “to protect.”
Tsipporah was not saying to Mosheh, “You are a “bridegroom of blood,” but, “This blood will protect you.” Therefore, YHVH would not kill Mosheh for the neglect done to his son after all.
Tsipporah is a real heroine in this selection of passages. She was quick to act, and knew that blood would satisfy YHVH so that Mosheh would not be killed. At a later time, as the Death Angel would pass over the Hebrew homes before their exodus from Mitsrayim, because they had applied the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and lintels, so would YHVH spare her husband and son during their fateful night before the exodus.
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