Taken from:
MOSES MARRIED AN ETHIOPIAN (Cushite) WOMAN
As I listen to various Bible documentaries and some other teachings, the point is made that Moses married an Ethiopian woman. Although I don't see how this is a large issue, in the interest of clarifying whom Moses' wife was I have gathered several Bible verses, necessary Strong's definitions and some comments from The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger to make the point that even though Zipporah was Ethiopian, this was only by residence just as you are called the the location name of your residential location. You will see enough evidence here to show that Zipporah was of Abraham. Even though Moses' father in law was called a Kenite (son of Cain) this title also was because he lived in a provence of the Kenites. Jethro/Reuel was of Abraham, not of the line of Cain (Kenites). | |||
Genesis 25:1-6
25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and
Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak,
and Shuah.
3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim,
and Letushim, and Leummim.4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. Median - A descendant of Abraham. (Bullinger)
Exodus 2:15-22
15 Now when Pharaoh heard
this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh,
and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said,
How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the
hand of the shepherds, and also
drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. "priest of Midian": Priest : or chieftain exercising priestly functions, as Job and Melchizedec. Jethro (3. 1) is called Reuel (v. 18) Bullinger Obviously not a pagan priest. Numbers 12:1 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Introduced here because Jethro, though he lived among the Amalekites, yet was not under their curse (17: 14-16) (Bullinger) Exodus 18:1-6 18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt; 2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, 3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: 5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. Exodus 17:14-16 14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: 16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Jethro's counsel was given, and taken, when Israel was ready to depart from Sinai (Deut. 1. 7-14). (Bullinger) Deuteronomy 1:7-14 7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. 9 And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: 10 The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. 11(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!) 12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? 13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. 14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. Jethro. Cp. 3. 1. Probably a descendant of Abraham by Keturah, and not, therefore, an idolater. Cp. v. 12 and context. (Bullinger)Exodus 3:1 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Exodus 18:12 12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God. |
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