Exodus 4:24-26
At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This passage isn't just about God suddenly turning on Moses; it reveals a subtle, critical detail about divine covenant. The encounter signifies God's fierce protection of His covenant, specifically highlighting that Moses' neglect of his son's circumcision—a required sign of belonging to God's people—had placed both Moses and his child in direct jeopardy of God's judgment. This dramatic intervention underscores that covenant isn't a mere formality but a living, demanding relationship that requires active participation.
As Moses journeys back to Egypt with his family to confront Pharaoh, God suddenly appears to him with lethal intent. This terrifying encounter, likely triggered by Moses's neglect of circumcising his son Gershom, forces his wife Zipporah to quickly perform the rite. Immediately after this crisis is averted, God sends Aaron to meet Moses, and together they gather the elders of Israel to begin the mission of liberation.
Imagine you're on a crucial mission, divinely appointed, only to have God Himself suddenly stand in your way, seeking your life. That's the shocking reality Moses faces here.
This verse throws us into a moment of intense crisis. Moses, on his way to confront Pharaoh and lead Israel out of Egypt, is intercepted by God Himself.
A Hostile Meeting
The Hebrew word for "met him" here implies a confrontation, not a friendly reunion. It's as if God has placed a formidable obstacle directly in Moses's path.
The Gravity of the Threat
"Sought to put him to death" is unambiguous. This isn't a minor scolding; it's a life-threatening encounter. Moses is in mortal danger from the very God who called him. This starkly contrasts with the divine conversation he had with God at the burning bush just before this. It highlights that God's presence can be both life-giving and life-ending, depending on our obedience.
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What could possibly provoke such a severe reaction from God? The answer lies not in doubt or delay, but in a seemingly small act of omission related to God's covenant.
The commentators overwhelmingly point to one specific failure as the catalyst for God's wrath: the neglect of circumcising Moses's son, Gershom (or Eliezer).
The Significance of Circumcision
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants. It marked individuals as belonging to God's chosen people and as recipients of His promises.
Moses's Oversight
Moses, having married Zipporah from Midian, had apparently failed to circumcise his son. This wasn't just a cultural oversight; it was a failure to uphold a vital spiritual requirement of the covenant. This neglect, perhaps influenced by Zipporah's potential aversion to the painful rite and Moses's desire to keep peace within his household, put his son outside the covenant community and, by extension, showed a disregard for God's command.
A Lawgiver's Responsibility
As the one chosen to be Israel's future lawgiver, Moses's adherence to God's laws, especially foundational ones like circumcision, was paramount. His lapse in obedience set a dangerous precedent and undermined his authority before he even began his mission.
In the face of imminent death, a desperate act of obedience, though flawed, averts disaster. This reveals a profound truth about God's response to genuine, albeit imperfect, repentance.
The crisis is resolved not by Moses himself, but by his wife, Zipporah, who takes swift, albeit forceful, action.
A Wife's Intervention
Zipporah, understanding the gravity of the situation (likely through divine revelation or Moses's own distress), circumcises their son. The text notes she used a "sharp stone," indicating a hasty, perhaps even reluctant, execution of the rite.
God's Propitiation
Immediately following the circumcision, God's anger ceases. This demonstrates that while the covenant sign was neglected, its proper execution—even under duress and performed by Zipporah—served to appease God's wrath and restore Moses's life.
Imperfect Obedience's Place
This isn't an endorsement of sloppy obedience. However, it shows that God, in His mercy, can respond to a timely, corrective action born out of crisis. Zipporah's act, while potentially filled with indignation (as indicated by her words in v. 25), was ultimately obedience that turned God's judgment aside. It highlights that God desires our obedience, and even a faltering step towards it in a moment of desperate need can demonstrate a yielding to His authority.
Understand the original words
ʿorlâ · Hebrew Noun
The sign of the covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham, representing the separation of the people unto God and the removal of the corruption of the flesh.
millah · Hebrew Noun
In the context of the covenantal sign of the Abrahamic covenant, circumcision represents the cutting off of the flesh, signifying separation from the world and dedication to God. It is a physical mark of one's participation in the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
This event highlights the critical importance of covenant signs like circumcision. Even the great lawgiver Moses was confronted by God for neglecting this sacred duty, showing that obedience to God's commands is paramount for all, regardless of their position.
c. 1446 BC
Moses called by God at the burning bush
God speaks to Moses from a burning bush in the Sinai wilderness, commissioning him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Moses expresses reluctance and fear, citing his inadequacy.
c. 1446 BC
Moses returns to Egypt with Aaron
After a period of exile in Midian, Moses, accompanied by his brother Aaron, returns to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites. The book of Exodus implies some time passes before the confrontation.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Travels toward Egypt after meeting God
While traveling towards Egypt to fulfill his mission, Moses stops for the night at a lodging place. Here, God confronts Moses in a way that threatens his life, prompting immediate action.
c. 1446 BC
Son Gershom circumcised
Zipporah, Moses' wife, circumcises their son Gershom (or possibly Eliezer) using a sharp stone. This act appeases God's anger, and the threat to Moses' life ceases.
c. 1446 BC
Moses and Aaron address the elders
Following the incident, Moses and Aaron gather the elders of Israel, conveying God's message and performing signs. The people believe God has visited them in their affliction.
This passage establishes circumcision as the covenant sign required for inclusion in God's people, directly illuminating the sin Moses was rebuked for neglecting.
Numbers 22:31This narrative describes God sending an angel to confront Balaam with a drawn sword when he strayed from God's path, providing a parallel to God's sudden, threatening appearance to Moses.
1 Samuel 17:36David recounts how God delivered him from both the lion and the bear, suggesting a divine hand at work in protecting and also in confronting His servants when they err.
2 Samuel 24:10After David sins by taking a census, he acknowledges his guilt and the severe consequences he faces, similar to Moses' situation where divine judgment was meted out for disobedience.
Acts 5:1-11The story of Ananias and Sapphira shows a swift, fatal divine judgment for deception within the early church, highlighting that God takes serious sin within His people extremely seriously.
calvinExodus 4:24-31: "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him."
And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
Dixit autem Jehova ad Aharon, Vade in occursum Mosi in desertum. Profectus est igitur, et occurrit ei in monte Dei, et osculatus est eum.
And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.…
clarkeExodus 4:24: "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him."
By the way in the inn - See Clarke's note on Genesis 42:27 . The account in this and the following verse is very obscure. Some suppose that the Exodus 4:23 is not a part of the message to Pharaoh, but was spoken by the Lord to Moses; and that the whole may be thus paraphrased: "And I have said unto thee, (Moses), Send forth שלח shallach, my son, (Gershom, by circumcising him), that he may s…
This passage isn't just about God suddenly turning on Moses; it reveals a subtle, critical detail about divine covenant. The encounter signifies God's fierce protection of His covenant, specifically highlighting that Moses' neglect of his son's circumcision—a required sign of belonging to God's people—had placed both Moses and his child in direct jeopardy of God's judgment. This dramatic intervention underscores that covenant isn't a mere formality but a living, demanding relationship that requires active participation.
As Moses journeys back to Egypt with his family to confront Pharaoh, God suddenly appears to him with lethal intent. This terrifying encounter, likely triggered by Moses's neglect of circumcising his son Gershom, forces his wife Zipporah to quickly perform the rite. Immediately after this crisis is averted, God sends Aaron to meet Moses, and together they gather the elders of Israel to begin the mission of liberation.
As Moses journeys back to Egypt with his family to confront Pharaoh, God suddenly appears to him with lethal intent. This terrifying encounter, likely triggered by Moses's neglect of circumcising his son Gershom, forces his wife Zipporah to quickly perform the rite. Immediately after this crisis is averted, God sends Aaron to meet Moses, and together they gather the elders of Israel to begin the mission of liberation.
"At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him…" — This passage isn't just about God suddenly turning on Moses; it reveals a subtle, critical detail about divine covenant. The encounter signifies God's fierce protection of His covenant, specifically…
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