Exodus 4:26 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּ֖רֶף מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אָ֚ז אָֽמְרָ֔ה חֲתַ֥ן דָּמִ֖ים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ פ
BSASo [the LORD] let him alonerâphâh▸ [the supreme God, Yehovah, released him, spared his life] Whenʼâz she saidʼâmar■ bridegroomchâthân of blooddâm [a husband related by blood, a bloody spouse] she was referring to the circumcisionmûwlâh△ [the ritual of cutting, a sign of covenant]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּ֖רֶף | and he withdrew | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| מִמֶּ֑נּוּ | from him | Preposition, suffix |
| אָ֚ז | then | Adverb |
| אָֽמְרָ֔ה | she said | Verb, Qal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| חֲתַ֥ן | a bridegroom of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| דָּמִ֖ים | blood | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ פ | to the circumcision | Preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) |
| KJV | So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. |
| ASV | So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision. |
| YLT | and He desisteth from him: then she said, 'A bridegroom of blood,' in reference to the circumcision. |
| WEB | So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. |
| BBE | So he let him go. Then she said, You are a husband of blood because of the circumcision. |
Where they part company is וַיִּ֖רֶף — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is straightforward, followed by a subordinate clause that provides context for Zipporah's statement.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָפָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 4:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Circumcision of Moses' Songenerated
Exodus 4:26 describes a pivotal moment when the LORD spared Moses' life after Zipporah performed the circumcision on their son. This act was crucial for Moses, as it fulfilled God's command regarding circumcision as a sign of the covenant. The surrounding verses highlight the urgency of the situation, showing how Zipporah's intervention was necessary for Moses to continue his mission.
Cross References
The Key Word — וַיִּ֖רֶף, vai.Yi.refgenerated
The verb וַיִּ֖רֶף (vai.Yi.ref) is a sequential imperfect form of רָפָה (raphah), meaning 'to slacken' or 'to withdraw.' In this context, it indicates that the LORD released Moses from a deadly situation, emphasizing divine intervention.
The parsing as a third person masculine singular verb shows that it is the LORD who acts upon Moses, highlighting the personal nature of God's involvement in Moses' life.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is וַיִּ֖רֶף (vai.Yi.ref), which governs the rest of the sentence. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating from whom the LORD withdrew and an adverbial clause indicating when this occurred.
The sentence flows logically, with the adverb אָ֚ז ('az) establishing the timing of the action, while the subsequent clause provides the context of Zipporah's declaration.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיִּ֖רֶף as ἀπῆλθεν (apēlthen), meaning 'he went away' or 'he departed.' This choice suggests a broader interpretation of the LORD's action, indicating not just a release but a complete departure from the situation.
This translation highlights the significance of the moment, as it implies a definitive separation from danger, further emphasizing the importance of Zipporah's actions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 4:26 shows how the LORD spared Moses after Zipporah circumcised their son. She referred to Moses as a 'bridegroom of blood' because of this act, which was essential for Moses to fulfill his role in God's plan.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Zipporah's phrase indicates that Moses' life was spared through the act of circumcision, which is a bloody ritual that signifies covenant.
Circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and His people, and it was necessary for Moses to fulfill his mission.
This phrase indicates that the LORD released Moses from a life-threatening situation, allowing him to continue his journey.
This moment underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands, as Moses' life was spared through Zipporah's action, enabling him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance does the act of circumcision hold in my own life and faith?
- How can I recognize moments when God intervenes in my life, as He did for Moses?
- In what ways can I be obedient to God's commands, even when they are difficult?
- How can I support others in their spiritual journeys, as Zipporah supported Moses?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 4:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo he let him go,.... That is, the Lord let Moses go; suffered him to go on his journey without any further interruption; as the Targums, "it", the angel, ceased from him, or left him; or the disease
Read John Gill on Exodus 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. So he let him go.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 4 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSo he let him go; or, he, i.e. God, or the destroying angel sent from God, departed from him, i.e. from Moses, and removed the tokens of God’ s indignation, the sickness or stroke laid upon him. Zipporah both repeats and amplifies her former censure, and reproacheth not only her husband, but also God’ s ordinance; which perverse and obstinate spirit her husband observing in her, and wisely forecasting how much disturbance she might give him in his great and difficult work in Egypt, he thought fit to send her and her children back to her father, as appears from . In the Hebrew it is, because of the circumcisions, to wit, of her two sons, who possibly were both circumcised at this time…
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 4:26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband [thou art], because of the circumcision.Ver. 26. A bloody husband thou art.] This peal she rings oft in his ears, and so taught him patience. “ Coniugium humanae divina Academia vitae.” Certain it is that we are a bloody spouse to Christ: the Church is Aceldama, a field of blood.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 4 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(26) So he let him go.—God let Moses go, i.e., allowed him to recover—accepted Zipporah’s act as sufficient, albeit tardy, reparation, and spared the life of her husband. Then she said.—When Moses was sufficiently recovered, Zipporah explained to him why she had called him “a bloody husband;” it was “on account of the circumcisions,” i.e., the two circumcisions—of Gershom in Midian, many years previously, and now of Eliezer. We learn from Exodus 18:2-3, that Zipporah and her boys were sent back to Jethro by Moses, probably at this time. Moses was in haste, and the child could not have travelled conveniently for some days.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26. let him alone] Heb. relaxed from him: cf. Judges 11:37, Deuteronomy 9:14. Then she said (viz. when she spoke the words given in v. 25b), ‘A blood-bridegroom,’ with regard to circumcisions] The last word is plural in the Heb. ‘Blood-bridegroom’ was apparently a current expression: and the passage seems to attribute to Zipporah the new sense of it explained in the last note but one. It seems that in this narrative an archaic stage in the history of circumcision is referred to, which is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. Circumcision is a rite which has been, and still is, largely practised in the world: among the Hebrews (besides its religious associations) its distinctive feature was…
Read Cambridge on Exodus 4 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleSo he let him go - i. e. God withdrew His visitation from Moses. Moses sent Zipporah and her children back to Jethro before he went to Egypt, Exodus 18:2.
Read Albert Barnes on Exodus 4 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible24-26. It came to pass… in the inn — An incident which transpired at some well-known halting-place on the road (the lodging-place) is so briefly related as to have occasioned much doubt and perplexity to all interpreters.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 4 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)
So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)
So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” referring to the circumcision.)
Tyndale line
So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision.
So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision.
So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
So he departed from him. Then she saide, O bloodie husband (because of the circumcision)
Strictly literal
And he let him go. Then she said, A bloody husband — because of the circumcision.
and He desisteth from him: then she said, 'A bridegroom of blood,' in reference to the circumcision.
and He desists from him. Then she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” in reference to the circumcision.
And then he withdrew from him; when she said, A bloody relative, but only in respect of the circumcision.
So Yahweh let him alone. She said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision.
From the Latin
And he let him go after she had said A bloody spouse art thou to me, because of the circumcision.
Simplified
(Calling him a blood-husband referred to circumcision.) After this the Lord left Moses alone.
So he let him go. Then she said, You are a husband of blood because of the circumcision.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וַיִּ֖רֶף מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אָ֚ז אָֽמְרָ֔ה חֲתַ֥ן דָּמִ֖ים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ פ. The Septuagint matches all seven words but presents them in a different order. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in two words: it uses ממנה (from) instead of ממנו (from him) and מלות (circumcision) instead of למולֹת (to the circumcision).
וַיִּ֖רֶף מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אָ֚ז אָֽמְרָ֔ה חֲתַ֥ן דָּמִ֖ים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ פ
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וירף ממנה אז אמרה חתן דמים למלות
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: ממנה (from), מלות (circumcision)
[וירף] ממ׳נו אז אמרה [חתן] [דמים] [למולת]
3 words on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 4:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָפָה (raphah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to slacken or relax. It encompasses a range of actions including sinking down, abating, and withdrawing. The word can be used in various forms, such as causing something to drop or refraining from action. It appears in different contexts, indicating both literal and figurative meanings.
רָפָה vb. sink, relax
Qal
sink down
sink, drop
sink, relax, abate
relax, withdraw
Niph. idle
Pi. causat.: let wings drop
Hiph. causat.
let drop
let go
refrain
Hithp. hast shewn thyself slack
base
H7503 רָפָה sink, relax .. sink down
. sink, drop
. sink, relax, abate
. relax, withdraw
. idle
. causat.: let wings drop
. causat. . let drop
. let go
. refrain
. hast shewn thyself slack
7503 raphah raw-faw'
a primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal
or figurative):--abate, cease, consume, draw (toward
evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle,
leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be
slothful, (be) weak(-en). See 7495.
see HEBREW for 07495
רָפָה (ra.phah) — to slacken.
1) to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sink down
1a2) to sink, drop
1a3) to sink, relax, abate
1a4) to relax, withdraw
1b) (Niphal) idle (participle)
1c) (Piel) to let drop
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake
1d2) to let go
1d3) to refrain, let alone
1d4) to be quiet
1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself slack
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.
מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal
from, against
מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
of position, off, on the side of, on
Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
Partitively
Of time—
as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
towards, to
(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
In comparisons, beyond, above
מן is prefixed to an infin.:
with causal force, from, on account of, through
after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
with a temporal force, since, after
Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
In compounds:
base
H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against
. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from
. of position, off, on the side of, on
. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex
. Partitively
. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since
. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after
. towards, to
. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to
. In comparisons, beyond, above
. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through
. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.
. with a temporal force, since, after
. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that
4480 min min
or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)
{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;
hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as
follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason
of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,
since, X then, through, X whether, with.
see HEBREW for 04482
מִן־ (min) — from.
prep
1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than
1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of
1b) out of
1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)
1b2) (of material from which something is made)
1b3) (of source or origin)
1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)
1d) from, since, after (of time)
1e) than, more than (in comparison)
1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or
1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)
1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)
conj
2) that
Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)
מֵן (men) — portion.
n.m.
portion
HRd/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3ms
אָז (az) is a demonstrative adverb meaning 'at that time' or 'then,' used for both temporal and logical expressions. It can refer to past events or indicate a condition for future actions. The related form מֵאָז (me.az) means 'from that time' or 'since.' The entries highlight its use in various contexts without significant disagreement.
אָז adv. at that time, then whether expressing duration, or inception (= thereupon).
strictly temporal
expressing logical sequence strictly
base
מֵאָז lit. from that time
base
H227a אָז at that time, then H227b מֵאָז, once
227 'az awz
a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a
conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now,
of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.
אָז (az) — then.
1) then, at that time
1a) temporal expressions
1a1) then (past)
1a2) then, if...then (future)
1a3) earlier
1b) logical expressions
1b1) in that case
1b2) that (being so)
מֵאָז (me.az) — the past.
1) in time past, of old
2)from time of, since
Adv — AdverbHD
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singularHVqp3fs
חָתָן (chathan) refers to a daughter's husband, bridegroom, or husband. It is derived from a root meaning a relative by marriage, particularly through the bride. The term encompasses both familial and marital relationships, with a figurative sense relating to religious espousal.
חָתָן n.m. daughter's husband, bridegroom
in relation to a father, daughter’s husband, or bridegroom
in relation to the bride, bridegroom
base
H2860 חָתָן daughter's husband, bridegroom
2860 chathan khaw-thawn'
from 2859; a relative by marriage (especially through the
bride); figuratively, a circumcised child (as a species of
religious espousal):--bridegroom, husband, son in law.
see HEBREW for 02859
חָתָן (cha.tan) — son-in-law.
son-in-law, daughter's husband, bridegroom, husband
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.
דָּם 300 n.m. blood
blood of man or animal
usually blood become visible
blood used with religious significance
fig. of wine
base
H1818 דָּם blood
1818 dam dawm
from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed
causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of
the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed
(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +
innocent.
see HEBREW for 01826
see HEBREW for 0119
דָּם (dam) — blood.
1) blood
1a) of wine (fig.)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
blud (dam, probably from 'adham "to be red"; haima): Used in the Old Testament to designate the life principle in either animal or vegetable, as the blood of man or the juice of the grape (Le 17:11, et al.); in the New Testament for the blood of an animal, the atoning blood of Christ, and in both Old Testament and New Testament in a figurative sense for bloodshed or murder (Ge 37:26; Ho 4:2; Re 16:6).
1. Primitive Ideas:
Although the real function of the blood in the human system was not fully known until the fact of its circulation was established by William Harvey in 1615, nevertheless from the earliest times a singular mystery has been attached to it by all peoples. Blood…
Blood
(1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use of animal food is first allowed. Comp. Deut. 12:23; Lev. 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14. The injunction to abstain from blood is renewed in the decree of the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:29). It has been held by some, and we think correctly, that this law of prohibition was only ceremonial and temporary; while others regard it as still binding on all. Blood was eaten by the Israelites after the battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 14:32-34).
(2.) The blood of sacrifices was caught by the priest in a basin, and then sprinkled seven times on the altar; that of the passover on the…
To blood is ascribed in Scripture the mysterious sacredness which belongs to life, and God reserved it to himself when allowing man the dominion over and the use of the lower animals for food. Thus reserved, it acquires a double power: (1) that of sacrificial atonement; and (2) that of becoming a curse when wantonly shed, unless duly expiated. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; 17:11-13)
The life of all animals was regarded as especially in the blood, which was a sacred and essential part of the sacrifices offered to God, Heb 9:22. It was solemnly sprinkled upon the altar and the mercy seat, "for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," Le 17:1-16 the life of the victim for the life of the sinner. It was therefore most sacredly associated with the blood of the Lamb of God which "cleanseth us from all sin," Eph 1:7 1Jo 1:7. Hence the strict prohibition renewed in Ac 15:29. In direct opposition to this are the heathen customs of drinking the blood of animals and even of men- of eating raw flesh, with the blood, and even fresh cut from the living…
מוּלָה (mūlāh) refers specifically to circumcision and is only found in the plural form. It is derived from the root word for circumcise, מָלָה (mālah). The term appears in the Old Testament in Exodus 4:26.
[מוּלָה] n.f. only pl. circumcision: Ex 4:26 (J)
ref
H4139 [מוּלָה] only pl. circumcision
4139 muwlah moo-law'
from 4135; circumcision:--circumcision.
see HEBREW for 04135
מוּלָה (mu.lah) — circumcision.
circumcision
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHRd/Ncfpa
sur-kum-sizh'-un (mul, muloth; peritome): The removal of the foreskin is a custom that has prevailed, and prevails, among many races in different parts of the world--in America, Africa and Australia. It was in vogue among the western Semites--Hebrews, Arabians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Egyptians, but was unknown among the Semites of the Euphrates. In Canaan the Philistines were an exception, for the term "uncircumcised" is constantly used in connection with them. Generally speaking, the rite of circumcision was a precondition of the enjoyment of certain political and religious privileges (Ex 12:48; Eze 44:9); and in view of the fact that in the ancient world religion played such an important role in life, it may be assumed that circumcision, like many other strange customs…
Circumcision
Cutting around. This rite, practised before, as some think, by divers races, was appointed by God to be the special badge of his chosen people, an abiding sign of their consecration to him. It was established as a national ordinance (Gen. 17:10, 11). In compliance with the divine command, Abraham, though ninety-nine years of age, was circumcised on the same day with Ishmael, who was thirteen years old (17:24-27). Slaves, whether home-born or purchased, were circumcised (17:12, 13); and all foreigners must have their males circumcised before they could enjoy the privileges of Jewish citizenship (Ex. 12:48). During the journey through the wilderness, the practice of circumcision fell into disuse, but was resumed by the command of Joshua before they entered the Promised…
was peculiarly, though not exclusively, a Jewish rite. It was enjoined upon Abraham, the father of the nation, by God, at the institution and as the token of the covenant, which assured to him and his descendants the promise of the Messiah. Gen. 17. It was thus made a necessary condition of Jewish nationality. Every male child was to be circumcised when eight days old, (Leviticus 12:3) on pain of death. The biblical notice of the rite describes it as distinctively Jewish; so that in the New Testament "the circumcision" and "the uncircumcision" are frequently used as synonyms for the Jews and the Gentiles. The rite has been found to prevail extensively in both ancient and modern times. Though Mohammed did not enjoin circumcision in the Koran, he was circumcised himself, according to the custom of his country; and circumcision is now…
A cutting around, because in this rite the foreskin was cut away. God commanded Abraham to use circumcision, as a sign of his covenant; and in obedience to this order, the patriarch, at ninety-nine years of age, was circumcised, as also his son Ishmael, and all the male of his household, Ge 17:10-12. God repeated the precept to Moses, and ordered that all who intended to partake of the paschal sacrifice should receive circumcision; and that this rite should be performed on children on the eighth day after their birth, Ex 12:44 Le 12:3 Joh 7:22. The Jews have always been very exact in observing this ceremony, and it appears that they did not neglect it when in Egypt,