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Who did the Lord meet and why did He sought to put this person to death?
Exodus 4:24
ESV - 24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.
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Asked May 15 2013
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Thomas Somers
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For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Sandra Atueyi
I believe that The Lord meet to Moses but I don't think The Lord sought to put this person to death.
Danny Hickman
I seriously doubt this episode means that God was deliberating on killing Moses. The narrative is one of many in the Bible that is poorly constructed; it lacks clarity. But what is clear, is Exo 4:19: God tells Moses, "All the men who sought to kill you are dead." Are we to believe that 5 verses later we're being told that God himself is threatening to kill Moses? No! (there are bible translations that say it's speaking of Moses. KJV don't make that leap).
Moses is married to a Midianite. Out of a clear blue sky, he is called into service by Jehovah to GO BACK to a place from which he fled as a fugitive who had killed an Egyptian. (that would be like being wanted today for killing a policeman in Texas and fleeing to Mexico). I don't think Zipporah was fully on board with this new ministry. I also don't think she approved of the Jewish custom of circumcision.
It came to pass on the way... that the Lord met him and sought to kill him (Exo 4:24). "met him"?
Who 'him'? "I will kill your son, your firstborn."
The last 'him' spoken of in verse '23 is Pharoah's firstborn son who Moses is to tell Pharoah, 'God will kill if he doesn't let Israel go.' "On the way," God threatens to kill "him." WHO and why?
THEN Moses and Zipporah circumcise their son, and vs '26 says, "And He (God) let him go."
Let who go?
God was not threatening to kill Moses!
Moses' son's circumcision saved Moses from God killing him? C'mon!
God's judgment was stayed concerning someone's firstborn.
Danny Hickman
Continuing,
But whose firstborn was spared because of the circumcision of Moses' firstborn son? Did Zipporah save her son? her husband? She didn't save herself! Moses didn't do the cutting, his wife did. Hmm...
Maybe this narrative is murky and "poorly constructed" on purpose; like all the rest.
Surely, not many want to believe that a woman can circumcise her son, (perform a ceremonial rite) and it saves her husband's or her son's life. But it's clear, God was threatening someone's life, and He 'let that person go' AFTER Zipporah circumcised Gershom, her and Moses' firstborn.
I now believe this is a picture of the threat of death of the firstborn of Egypt. I think it was a prophetic reference to Pharoah's son's death.
Chapter 11• Moses went to Pharoah and threatened that all the firstborn of Egypt, even his son, would die if he didn't heed God's voice. He "met" with Pharoah. Pharoah refused and told Moses if he saw his face again he would be killed.
Chapter 12• the passover was instituted. (the passover is a blood covenant that God used to identify the people; circumcision was too).
Recap ~ firstborn threatened ~ God's salvation (commandment) refused ~ firstborn of Egypt dies.
Israel's firstborn threatened ~ passover instituted ~ firstborn consecrated. (Chpt 13)
Zipporah circumcising her son is a picture of a temporary substitute for Pharoah's son, who is the focus of the threat of being killed by God.
I think this one flew over the heads of some scholars.
Jennifer Rothnie
While an interesting theory, the Hebrew grammar supports that it was Moses who the Lord (or an angel of the Lord, manuscript dependent) sought to kill. "Met him" would refer to the one journeying (Moses) who God was just speaking to (Moses.) Likewise, the grammar supports it being Moses' feet at which she tossed the foreskin.
That aside, it's not too strange to say God sought to kill Moses. (Although traditionally this has been taken more as Moses fell sick and they realized it was a judgement of God, not that God literally wanted Him dead.) Remember, God also told Moses He was going to wipe the Israelites out (Ex 32:7-14) as His wrath burned against them for the corruption in the camp. (Which Moses didn't know was the golden calf incident - when Moses finally found out, his anger burned too!)
Tim Maas
See the discussion at https://www.gotquestions.org/kill-Moses.html
Danny Hickman
Then (according to your theory) Zipporah saved Moses' life by circumcising their son. Because that's the way the narrative reads. That after she circumcised the boy, "[God] let him go." Meaning Moses...
Okay... I don't buy that, but okay.
Jennifer Rothnie
It might seem strange, but the text wouldn't make grammatical sense to be about killing the boy and letting the boy go. Plus, since he wasn't Moses' firstborn son, and it was never in the law to kill boys whose parent's refused to circumcise them, how would that even make sense? Why would God be angry at an innocent party?
It seems a little like the situation in Jonah with the storm on the ship. Jonah's life and the life of all aboard is in danger, but God's real goal is to get Jonah to Nineveh. When Jonah asks to be thrown overboard, God stops targeting the ship and lets them go.
In this case, it seems there was some conflict between the customs of Israel and the Midianites. Zipporah seems to act like circumcision is a barbaric practice, but also seems to know God requires it. Their eldest son was presumably already circumcised. Moses has at this point been called to be the leader of God's people. Perhaps that is why it was so serious that he wasn't following the covenant rules.