Moses in Exodus 4:24

[Pressing-On]

"And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him." Ex. 4:24

I was reading commentary on this passage, including verse 23 - "And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."

Several commentators say that by saying, "sought to kill him", Moses was stricken with a deadly sickness, not being able to perform the circumcision requirement on his son, his wife stepped in.

Another account says that verse 23 is speaking about Moses' son and not the Egyptian firstborn to occur later.

Anyone studied this passage and thoughts on them?

[Pressing-On]

Esaias!!!!!! Where are you?!!!

[mfblume]

Moses was dying there,

The blood from the circumcision saved his life. SAVED BY BLOOD. And when his wife said she was a bloody husband, that means he was saved by blood and she was rejoicing.

[KeptByTheWord]

It would seem that Moses and Zipporah were reluctant to perform circumcision on their son before entering Egypt and that Moses was stricken as a result of this, and at the point of death, his wife performed the circumcision, thus saving Moses' life.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

It would seem that Moses and Zipporah were reluctant to perform circumcision on their son before entering Egypt and that Moses was stricken as a result of this, and at the point of death, his wife performed the circumcision, thus saving Moses' life.

Yes. You got it.

[Praxeas]

24. a night encampment Hebrew malon may be word play on the stem m-w-l, “to circumcise,” used in verse 26.

encountered him Whereas polytheistic literature would attribute the experience to a demonic being, Israelite monotheism admits of no independent forces other than the one God. Hence, the action is directly ascribed to Him. In order to soften the anthropomorphism, rabbinic sources, as reflected in the Targums and medieval commentaries, introduce an angel as the instrument of affliction.

sought to Rather, “was on the verge of killing him.” This is the force of the Hebrew phrase. The victim was suddenly smitten with a deadly ailment.

kill him It would be wholly inconsistent with the drift of the preceding narrative to assume that Moses was the one stricken. The sequence of verses strongly suggests that it was Moses’ first-born, Gershom, whose life was imperiled.


Sarna, N. M. (1991). Exodus (p. 25). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

[Praxeas]

4:24 Why did the Lord try to kill Moses? To answer this question, it is necessary to examine how Moses’ life was spared; the situation was reversed only when Moses’ wife circumcised his son. Since the days of Abraham God had required His people to circumcise their sons as a sign of their relationship with Him (Gn 17:10–14). As a leader of God’s people, Moses was expected to set the proper example before the Israelites. When he failed to have his son circumcised before returning to Egypt he incurred the Lord’s displeasure. Failure to meet God’s requirement had imperiled both his life and ministry.

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., & Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 92). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

[Praxeas]

77 sn The next section (vv. 24–26) records a rather strange story. God had said that if Pharaoh would not comply he would kill his son—but now God was ready to kill Moses, the representative of Israel, God’s own son. Apparently, one would reconstruct that on the journey Moses fell seriously ill, but his wife, learning the cause of the illness, saved his life by circumcising her son and casting the foreskin at Moses’ feet (indicating that it was symbolically Moses’ foreskin). The point is that this son of Abraham had not complied with the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. No one, according to Exod 12:40–51, would take part in the Passover-exodus who had not complied. So how could the one who was going to lead God’s people not comply? The bold anthropomorphisms and the location at the border invite comparisons with Gen 32, the Angel wrestling with Jacob. In both cases there is a brush with death that could not be forgotten. See also, W. Dumbrell, “Exodus 4:24–25: A Textual Re-examination,” HTR 65 (1972): 285–90; T. C. Butler, “..An Anti-Moses Tradition,” JSOT 12 (1979): 9–15; and L. Kaplan, “And the LORD Sought to Kill Him,” HAR 5 (1981): 65–74.

Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ex 4:24). Biblical Studies Press.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

It would seem that Moses and Zipporah were reluctant to perform circumcision on their son before entering Egypt and that Moses was stricken as a result of this, and at the point of death, his wife performed the circumcision, thus saving Moses' life.

Thanks, yes, I do get that part. I've always wondered why Moses was reluctant to do something he knew he should do. Or is that indicative of a pattern with Moses, which caused him not to go into the Promised Land?

[Pressing-On]

Prax, Thanks for the commentary. So, it is Moses, as God's son (of Israel), who is stricken ill or is it Moses son, Gershom? I still am not clear on that point.