How many Wives did Moses have?

The answer is elusive and largely depends on whether ones wants to make an argument for monogamy or polygamy. And then, of course,e there are those who want to argue about interracial marriage.

The only name we have for Moses’ wife is Zipporah, her name meaning bird.

A Midian

And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. Ex. 2:21

This is the wife we are all familiar with. She was even in “The Ten Commandments.” Because ‘sons’ is in the plural and not the dual in Ex. 4:20 we know they had a least three sons, two of which are named Gershom and Eliezer, in Ex 16.

A Cushite

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; Num. 12:1 

The only other reference to this woman might be in Josephus’ “Antiquities of the Jews” – Book II, Chapter 10. How Moses made war with the Ethiopians, paragraph 2.

Or this is just another reference to Zipporah.

A Kenite

Then in Judges, we find this curious statement.

And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad; and they went and settled with the people. Judg. 1:16 

Jethro/Reuel

Either Moses has a lot of fathers-in-law or the same guy has a lot of names.

Jethro/Jether – meaning wealthy or gift, Ex. 3:1. One time in the Masoretic or Hebrew Text his name is spelled or misspelled as Jether in Ex. 4:18.

Reuel/Ruel –  meaning friend of God [ Ex. 2:15-21]

Habab – meaning beautiful or ornamented [Num. 10:29; Judg. 4:11]

The Text clearly states that Jethro is the priest of Midian. [Ex.3:1] However, it never says that he is in fact a Midianite. Many have suggested that He was in fact a Kenite, making Zipporah the Kenite wife.

Who were the Kenites? The first time they are mentioned is in Gen 15:19, where they are the people whose land God is giving too Abraham in the Vatar Covenant. They continued to be allied with Judah and are last mentioned in Jer. 35 as descendants of Rechab.

Could Zipporah have been also the Cushite wife? Possibly, we are not told where the Kenites came from. They do not appear in the “Table of Nations“ in Gen 9. They could very easily have been Cushites.

Lesson

Though we may be curious about details. The Bible does not provide an explanation to many things that are not pertinent to its goal of the reconciliation of man to God. Its prime message is one of salvation, regeneration, and sanctification.

The Mohar

The Mohar is the bridal present given at the time of betrothal in ancient Jewish customs. Now days, the Jews like the rest of those in Western Civilization give a ring, usually with a stone, usually a diamond. However in ancient times it could be any costly jewelry, often mounted coins.

The haggling between families during the marriage arrangements could go one for weeks even months before the final price of the troth was arrived at. Once all is settle the Mohar is given as a promise that the rest will be delivered. Once the woman excepts the mohar the betrothal is set and the only way out is divorce. [Gen 34:12; I Sam 18:25]

We are the bride of Messiah and our Mohar came at Pentecost/Shavout. Rabbinical tradition says that God gave the Torah to Israel on the very first Pentecost, celebrated in the wilderness [Ex 19-24]. And again He gave the Holy Spirit on  the same holy day of Pentecost/Shavout. [Acts 2] These are our mohar, the Word and the Spirit. We have accepted them so now we wait for the wedding day. Straining to here the trumpet call. For a Jewish bride is called to the wedding tent i.e. chupah with the sound of a shofar i.e. trumpet.

Rahab

FYI: Rahab means a broad open space.

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. Josh. 2:1  

In the Hebrew she is called a woman before she is designated a prostitute. This is the common word for prostitute and not a temple prostitute.

FYI: In Hebrew there are two words for prostitute, zonah which is an ordinary prostitute, or a woman who sells her body for material goods.

Psalms 46, According to the Alamoth

To the choirmaster. 

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.  According to Alamoth.  A Song. 

The Sons of Korah were in charge of what was allowed into the services, and the court of the tabernacle. Many of the Psalms are specifically called to their attention.

Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers’ house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance. 1Chr. 9:19

This is the only psalm specifically written for women. The Alamot or here Alamoth, these are the women who were seeking the coming Messiah. Obviously this was to be sung in the tabernacle by the women. It was only in the temple of the New Testament that we see a separate court of the women. They were not originally kept out.

• FYI: The reason for the separation is that the Rabbis claimed that it would be indiscreet to ask a woman if she was having her menses and therefore ceremonially unclean. Or what if a woman accidentally started her flow while in the temple, the in tire temple would be unclean. So they just barred them from the area. This is the result of the curse in that men will always rule over women.[Gen 3:16] However when Messiah walked the earth such a woman touched Him. He was not made unclean, she was made clean. [Mark 5:24-34]

The Ten Virgins, Matt. 25: 1-13

1    “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;  4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  6 But at midnight there was a cry,  ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.  8 And the foolish said to the wise,  ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  9 But the wise replied,  ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.  11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying,  ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  12 But he replied,  ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.  Matt. 25: 1-13

The constipated Baptist church I grew up in taught that the oil was salvation. However that just doesn’t match with the rest of Bible symbology.

Salvation is represented symbolically by virgins wearing pure white robes. And that is the problem with our Ten Virgins, THEY ARE ALL WEARING WHITE ROBES, THEY ARE ALL VIRGINS.

The Almeh or Alamot in the Harem

Appendix Note A, from the book Song of Songs: Life in the Harem of God

We have been looking at the Song of Songs, but there are other passages throughout the Bible that are the same song, and the same tune.  A wondrous love Song hidden in the Bible.  Only those who are truly His beloved, can perceive and truly appreciate that it is even there.  Even then, sometimes we only catch a whisper of the building crescendo.  Other times it can be so overwhelming, that we are engulfed by its overpowering waves, and swamped in a deluge of emotions, that overflow our senses and engulf our minds.  Often it is hidden like a precious gift, prepared by a loved one and tucked away, a tiny jewel or gem, concealed where only the lover would think to look.  Having found just one, the diligent and attentive lover will search carefully till ALL have been found.  Then they will carefully clutch them close to their hearts as tokens of their Lover’s commitment.

Three Kinds of Wives in The Bible.

Appendix Note 2, from the book, Song of Songs: Life in the Harem of God

To begin an authentic relationship with our Lord we must first discover how we got here.  How did we come to be in the Harem of God?  Many of us have never thought about it, and have no idea.  So lets us look into the mirror of life and discover who we really are to the King.