Exodus 4:24-26

24 At a lodging place on the way ¹the LORD met him and ²sought to put him to death.

25 Then ³Zipporah took a ⁴flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'^[a] feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!"

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

Exodus 4:24-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 4

This chapter is a continuation of the discourse that passed between God and Moses; and here Moses makes other objections to his mission; one is taken from the unbelief of the people of Israel, which is removed by giving him power to work miracles, by turning the rod in his hand into a serpent, and then into a rod again; and by putting his hand into his bosom at one time, when it became leprous, and again into the same place, when it became sound and whole, and by turning the water of the river into blood, Ex 4:1-9, another objection is formed from his want of eloquence, which is answered with an assurance, that God, that made man's mouth, would be with his mouth, and teach him what to say; and besides, Aaron his brother, who was an eloquent man, should be his spokesman, Ex 4:10-17 upon which he returned to Midian, and having obtained leave of his father-in-law to depart from thence, he took his wife and his sons, and returned to Egypt, Ex 4:18-20 at which time he received some fresh instructions from the Lord what he should do before Pharaoh, and what he should say unto him, Ex 4:21-23 then follows an account of what befell him by the way, because of the circumcision of his son, Ex 4:24-26 and the chapter is closed with an account of the meeting of Moses and Aaron, and of their gathering the elders of Israel together, to whom the commission of Moses was opened, and signs done before them, to which they gave credit, and expressed their joy and thankfulness, Ex 4:27-31.

Exodus 4:24-26 In-Context

22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,

23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"

24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

25 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!"

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

27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.

Cross References

• 1. [Numbers 22:22; 1 Chronicles 21:16]
• 2. [Genesis 17:14]
• 3. Exodus 2:21
• 4. Joshua 5:2, 3

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew his