Did Moses have 1 wife or 2......?

[tribeofjudah]

I've often thought that Moses has 2 wives....but I think this is not correct. We know about his wife Zipporah the Midianite, descended from Ishmael through Abraham.

But who is the Ethiopian woman?

Num 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.

1. is this (Ethiopian) a loose translation of dark skinned people?

2. is this really a 2nd wife of Moses?

3. prior to this event, Mariam and Aaron have NOT yet met Zipporah...

4. was she a dark skinned woman of the desert?

Come on Bible scholars and students of history...help me out here.

[John317]

Num 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.

1. is this (Ethiopian) a loose translation of dark skinned people?

2. is this really a 2nd wife of Moses?

3. prior to this event, Mariam and Aaron have NOT yet met Zipporah...

4. was she a dark skinned woman of the desert?

The Hebrew word in Number 12: 1 is Strongs#3571, koo-sheeth. It means a Cushite woman. Cushan [Heb. koo-shwn] (Strongs#3572) is a region of Arabia.

Ethiopia was settled by descendants of Cush, and therefore the people may be referred to as both Ethiopian or as Cushites.

Habbakuk 3: 7 shows that "Cushan" and "Midian" are either interchangeable or that Midian is the place where these people lived.

Exodus 2: 21, 22 records the point at which Moses married and had a child, Gershom, by Zipporah, the daughter of priest of Midian, Ruel, or Jethro.

Zipporah is most likely the Ethiopian woman referred to in Numbers 12: 1. But it is also possible that about the time of Numbers 12: 1, Moses' first wife Zipporah had died, and Moses then married an Ethiopian woman.

[Haldog]

As Moses is a type for Jesus Christ, so is Zipporah for the church. Moses married a gentile just as Jesus is married to the "gentile" church. Notice that Zipporah is NOT with Moses when he leads the COI out of Egypt (the world) just as the church won't be there when the Jews finally recognize Jesus as their Saviour at the end of the Tribulation.

Joseph also was a type of Christ, and again, he married a gentile bride. Boaz also and the list goes on.

[tribeofjudah]

That's a great point Haldog. We are called to help all other Gentiles come to Christ as WE are all Gentiles (if we're not Jews).

I don't want someone to read into this as an endorsement to "marrying" outside of the Faith....lest we cause much more sorrow and trouble for being "unevenly yoked".....

1 wife is the best way.....as God intended in the Garden.

[Kevin H]

When I've heard it in class, sermons and reading in commentaries, the view that this was a second wife and not Zipporah. John explained some things pretty good. One aspect is why were they not conserned over Moses' wife's color at earlier parts of the story, why did it suddenly become an issue when it did? And thus the evidence that Moses had just married again and his brother and sister became upset at her color and Miriam turned all white.

[tribeofjudah]

1 wife as God intended but Yes, if the spouse dies...then you are free to marry again.

The reason why I started this thread was because the 10 Commandments was on TV the other night. Partly Biblical and partly Hollywood....that's for sure. I kept telling my wife which parts were from the Bible and which parts were made up.

It was cool to see Heston and Yul Brenner again.

[Gail]

Just an aside-

Someone else mentioned that the 10 Commandments were on and how the glare from the oil on Hestons' body was so bright...

Yep- there's a lot of Hollywood in it, for sure. Who knew that the story of Moses was actually a romance? LOL But it's delightful for its stars like Yul Brynner, Heston, John Derek, Vincent Price and Edward G. Robinson.

[Musicman1228]

I don't honestly care how many wives or concubines he had. Clearly God in the Old Testament is a lot less concerned with the number of wives except as it related to the quality of the service able to be given to the Kingdom of Heaven by the husband or the wives. At the point where the service suffers that is the point at which the marriage (or contract for service) becomes one to many.

David had at least 3 wives that we know of. God was not the least bit upset at his having the first two. It only became a problem when David felt he had to resort to murder to get the 3rd.

It is said Solomon, who was the wisest man on earth at his time had more than 300 wives and 600 concubines. Most were for political use in solidifying his empire; on the other hand he had conjugal rights to all of them. Think of how the last girl in line must have felt, not to mention the primary wife who had to wait her turn at the till.

This being said I still and will always maintain that the best formula for a family is one husband, one wife, and children. This relationship most closely represents the Family of God in Heaven (God the Father-Almighty, God the Mother-Holy Spirit, and God the Son-Jesus Christ). If this works for them then by God it should be able to work for us.

[Tallmark]

This being said I still and will always maintain that the best formula for a family is one husband, one wife, and children. This relationship most closely represents the Family of God in Heaven (God the Father-Almighty, God the Mother-Holy Spirit, and God the Son-Jesus Christ). If this works for them then by God it should be able to work for us.

Right on! Right on!

[Tobiwan]

The truth and reality are we really do not know the original plan, or formula that God had in mind for this world. We pick up the story and are only able to view the account as recorded thousands of years after the fact. We can guess and speculate, and for sure we can observe what works (for the most part) now. I mean we really are doing very well, because divorce is only 50% or so.

[tribeofjudah]

what? sarcasm....?

[epaminondas]

"As Moses is a type for Jesus Christ, so is Zipporah for the church." Where's that in the Bible? This everything points to something else is the cause of the numerous Christian (I've read more than 2000) denominations. If one does not stay as close to the raw data - Moses married an Ethiopian woman in this case - as possible, one can turn nearly anything into something else. Moses married Zipporah before he returned to Egypt. His father in law brought her and Moses's sons to him while they were underway. Why did Miriam and Aaron wait this long before airing their gripes? And if Moses had two wifes, so what? Many people in those days had more than one wife. This one man, one woman thing is only hinted at in the Bible. It is nowhere expressed as strongly as the feminist liberation movement would have us believe. Personally I believe only a true masochist will have more than one wife. Jacob's wifes sold his services between the two of them and Samuel's father's two wifes fought amongst each other causing unpleasantness for him. Samson, the strongest man the world ever knew, was nearly driven to suicide by the nagging of one woman. Judges 16:16. Pity the poor sucker with two wifes. That's punishment enough. And stick to what's written in the Bible. Don't turn anything into something else, or you'll have Paul preaching against blood transfusions, among other things.

[miz3]

epaminondas,

I agree with you. It appears to me that Moses, as many of God's believers who are charted in the Bible did, had more than one wife.

SDA and their roots in American Culture is why they cling to monogamy as the only way. SDA woman (as well as all American woman) would never agree to the polygamous lifestyle.

Monogamy is not a Biblical Principle. God neither endorses polygamy nor makes polygamy a sin. In fact in the Bathsheba affair, God told David that if he wanted more wives God would be happy to have given him more. What displeased God was that David stole what did not belong to David. (Adultery).

I also agree with you that a man is crazy to have more than one woman. If a man has more than one wife according to Biblical Principle the man is to act in a responsible way to all his wives. Wives are not toys or trophies. Thus, the more wives you have, the more responsibility you have with it.

[whbae]

Many men want to have sex with more than one female legally, thus the another wife and another wife are added to his desire.

[miz3]

whbae,

The Biblical responsibilities of being a husband regardless of how many wives you have include more than having a wife "just for sex". Women were not created by God just to be "sex slaves" or "sex machines".

Pagan views on the issue are completely different. This is why despite all the "yelling and screaming" of the American Socialist Feminist movement American women have always had it better than woman anywhere else on the planet generally speaking.

[Gordon1]

Monogamy is the principle taught from the Garden of Eden.

Eve was created to be Adam's helpmeet.

They were intended to work in unison, a picture of Christ & the Church.

This could never work with multiple wives. History justifies God's original plan.

[miz3]

Gordon1,

I beg to differ. Many do point to the Garden of Eden as the model of monogamy. However, the fact that Adam has one wife is not in and of itself stated anywhere in Scripture that this relationship was to be a model (in terms of number of wives) for everyone either in the "sinless" state or the "sinful" state.

It is PURE PRESUMPTION to "infer" this model when such an important institution as marriage would certainly have more Biblical support. I know about the deacons and elders from Paul. However, this a very "SPECIFIC" case for that particular moment. Paul did not then go on and state that "everyone" should follow this model.

As to the Church model that you cite, again you misapply the principle. The Church is not some physical entity that Jesus Christ is tied to. The Church is actually each individual themselves. In other words Gordon1 is a wife of Christ, I am a bride of Christ, and every other true believer whether or not they belong to organized religion or not.

Jesus Christ is NOT married to a group!

Jesus Christ is married to each and every believing INDIVIDUAL! He is a personal God not a corporate God.

Thus, Jesus Christ has many wives (polygamy).

SDA and other Church organizations like to increase their importance as an entity. The Jews did the same thing. This why they did not accept Jesus Christ.

GOD IS NOT MARRIED TO A SINGULAR ORGANIZATION! No monogamy here!

[tribeofjudah]

^^^^^

I understand your points...

Neither are we GOD so we cannot think to practice such things. We are made a "little lower than the angels".

Wow...I simply wanted to know about Moses. I don't desire to have 2 or more wives. ONE is enough....hahaha

[Gordon1]

Christ has one Bride. Rome by contrast is the mother of harlots.

"Christ is the head of the church" Ephesians 5:23. The church - ekklesia1577 means 'a called out group' ...ex + kaleo - to call.

Called out: "Come out of her my people" Revelation 18:4.

The Eden model was given as an example of God's order, even the animals were monogamous.

The deacons and bishops (not elders if you quote Paul) are to demonstrate this same order.

Polygamy divides the sacred attentions that monogamy seeks to preserve and sows confusion in the family, the children and society.

The entire gospel plan is to call men out of confusion (Babylon) that they may return to God's original rest and order. This requires a clear demarcation between good and evil.

[tribeofjudah]

Furthermore, you'd be hard pressed to find Scripture that shows that polygamy is the way to go. Neither Jesus, disciples, or the prophets teach that having many wives is God's way.

If you find it....please share... I doubt you'll find one.

One man, one woman...the 2 shall become ONE.

[Gordon1]

John 10:16 - "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring,

and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

[miz3]

To all,

I hope you read my earlier post where I stated that God neither endorses polygamy nor does God ever state that polygamy is a sin. The same is true for monogamy.

Have you read about David?

"Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."

2 Samuel 12:7-10

Imagine that! God gave David Saul's wives. And then God adds, "if this had been too little" God would have given David more!

Does this sound like a "monogamous" only God? NO!

As to the "Church", it is unfortunate that like the Catholic Church far and away too many SDA in leadership and in the pew view SDA as "The Church".

The Church is not singular. God does not save the Church (group).

GOD SAVES INDIVIDUALS!

God is not about groups. Such theology is a perversion. Socialistic (in the political sense) theology believes in "group salvation". If the group is not saved it does not matter what you as an individual do you belong to that group and thus are not saved. You are sounding mighty close to this dribble.

Such group stuff is unBiblical and hogwash.

Salvation is a personal thing! It is a very deeply personal thing! Just like marriage is a personal thing between the Bridegroom(Jesus Christ) and His Bride (you and I as individuals). Yes, you and I are collectively called the Church but God is our husband on an individual basis.

"I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him."

2Corinthians 11:2.

Paul is telling the individual Corinthians that he, Paul has promised each of them to Jesus Christ. Each of them being the bride and Jesus Christ being the ONE HUSBAND!

Paul ONLY singles out the Deacons and Elders. If Paul who is quite thorough in his writings wanted everyone to be included in this "monogamous standard" he, Paul, would have explicitly said so. Paul did include those who were not Deacons or Elders in the monogamy requirement. If you say other wise you are adding to the Word of God things that are not therein stated or even implied (in spite of your attempts to imply).

[miz3]

Gordon1,

I hate to break this to you but a few animals are monogamous.

Most animals are polygamous.

Bad model!

[Gordon1]

Yes most humans also have multiple partners over their lives. This is a product of sin.

However this was not the Eden model.

You may underestimate the fall of man in the Garden miz3, still it's unnecessary for you to hate.

[miz3]

Gordon1,

Are you asserting in Eden the animals were monogamous?

Also, where do you get the idea that I hate?

Are you reading ALL that I wrote or are you just glossing over the words and picking things out of context?