So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband you are, because of the circumcision.
no reference
(When she said, “bridegroom of blood,”
The term "bridegroom of blood" is unique and has been the subject of much interpretation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, blood was often associated with life, covenant, and purification. Zipporah's use of this phrase may reflect a cultural understanding of the life-giving and covenantal nature of blood. The act of circumcision, which involves the shedding of blood, was a physical sign of the covenant between God and His people. By calling Moses a "bridegroom of blood," Zipporah may be acknowledging the life-saving and covenant-affirming role that this act of obedience played. This phrase can also be seen as a typological foreshadowing of Christ, who is the ultimate "bridegroom" of the Church, and whose blood establishes the new covenant (Luke 22:20).
she was referring to the circumcision.)
Circumcision was a critical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants. It was a physical mark that set the Israelites apart from other nations and was a constant reminder of their unique relationship with God. In the historical and cultural context of the Israelites, circumcision was not merely a ritual but a profound act of obedience and identity. The reference to circumcision here highlights its importance in maintaining the covenant relationship with God. In the New Testament, circumcision becomes a metaphor for spiritual purity and dedication to God, as seen in passages like Romans 2:29, where Paul speaks of a "circumcision of the heart." This transformation from a physical act to a spiritual reality is fulfilled in Christ, who brings the ultimate covenant relationship through His sacrifice.
• The subject of the action is the covenant God who had just appeared in judgment (Exodus 4:24: “the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him”).
• His character is consistent: holy, just, yet merciful when the required obedience is met (cf. Psalm 103:8; Exodus 34:6–7).
• The phrase signals a decisive shift from impending wrath to withheld judgment, paralleling moments like Genesis 22:12 where God stays Abraham’s hand once obedience is shown.
• “Him” points to Moses, the chosen deliverer. God’s mission for Moses (Exodus 3:10) could not proceed while Moses neglected the sign of the covenant (Genesis 17:10–14).
• Divine forbearance comes only after the necessary covenant sign is fulfilled. Compare Joshua 5:2–9, where Israel could not advance into promise without circumcision.
• Practical takeaway: God’s servants cannot bypass even “small” commands; obedience maintains fellowship and fitness for service (John 14:15).
• Zipporah’s voice is recorded to highlight both her pivotal action and her emotional response. Her words echo in Exodus 4:25 yet are purposely repeated here for clarity.
• The repetition shows that personal involvement in covenant matters affects the whole household (cf. Genesis 18:19 and 1 Corinthians 7:14).
• A near-term, literal expression of Zipporah’s shock at circumcision’s blood and pain, yet also a recognition that blood had spared Moses.
• Blood-based covenant ties the family to God, foreshadowing the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:13) and ultimately Christ’s redemptive blood (1 Peter 1:18–19).
• The marital term “bridegroom” underscores relational covenant: Moses is bound to Zipporah through marriage and to God through blood, prefiguring the church’s union with Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27).
• Scripture itself clarifies the meaning; no symbolic stretch is left to speculation.
• Circumcision stands as the outward mark of belonging to the people of promise (Genesis 17:13; Acts 7:8).
• By performing it on their son and touching Moses, Zipporah identified the whole family with God’s covenant, satisfying divine justice.
• The New Testament reveals the spiritual fulfillment in the “circumcision of Christ,” a heart change accomplished at salvation (Colossians 2:11), but the physical act here was still mandatory under the Abrahamic covenant.
Exodus 4:26 records the moment God suspended imminent judgment once covenant obedience—circumcision—was completed. The LORD’s wrath gave way to mercy, preserving Moses for his mission. Zipporah’s phrase “bridegroom of blood” captures both the costliness and the protective power of covenant blood, linking Moses, his family, and ultimately all God’s people to the promise first given to Abraham. The verse reminds believers that God’s holy demands are non-negotiable, yet His mercy swiftly follows genuine obedience, pointing forward to the greater blood of Christ that secures everlasting deliverance.
(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.
Verse 26. - So he let him go. i.e. "God let Moses go" - allowed him to escape death, accepted Zipporah's tardy act as a removal of the cause of offence, and gave her husband back to her. Then she said, etc. This is not a second address of Zipporah to Moses, conceived in the same terms, but an explanation of her previous address. She called him "a bloody husband because of the circumcision." Literally, "of the circumcisions." The two circumcisions, of Gershom in Midian, and of Eliezer on the way to Egypt, are especially in the writer's mind. CHAPTER 4:27, 28
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