[The ancient Near Eastern] understanding
of covenants and tokens may help us understand what Zipporah is saying when she
calls Moses a “bloody husband.” This doesn’t just convey frustration or shock—it
is covenant language. The Hebrew word for “husband here” (ḥǎtan) can also mean
bridegroom or relative by marriage, which should make us pause. Marriage is a
covenant. Circumcision is a covenant. And blood? That’s the sign that seals it.
All throughout scripture,
marriage is used to describe God’s relationship with His people. He is the
bridegroom, and Israel is the bride (see Isaiah 54:5; Revelation 19:7-9;
Doctrine and Covenants 65:3). Covenants come with a sign, a token. In this
moment, Zipporah seems to recognize that this isn’t just about Moses; it’s
about their whole family stepping fully into the covenant. The blood of their
son’s circumcision is more than an emergency fix to save Moses’s life. It is
the market that links them all—Moses, Zipporah, and their children—into God’s
promises. She is literally declaring that Moses, their marriage, their family,
and their future are all tied to and protected by the Lord’s covenant.
Thus, while it’s not completely
clear exactly how Zipporah intended the phrase, it does hint at something
deeper. This wasn’t just about Moses’s survival. It was about covenant
belonging. The act of circumcision, the shedding of blood and the words she
spoke all point to something bigger: a binding, a claiming, a marking of identity
within God’s promises. Whether Zipporah meant it as frustration, recognition,
or something in between, the result is the same. Her family is now fully part
of the covenant. And in that moment, she is the one who ensures it happens. (Lori
L. Denning, “Zipporah: Unexpected Heroine of the Exodus Story,” in Seeing Women
in the Old Testament: What Scriptural Heroines Teach Us About Courage, Faith,
and Action [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2025], 77-78, comment in square
brackets added for clarification)
