2. The story is familiar to many, but so that we have it clearly in mind, we summarize it here. "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the, Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab: Midrash and Aggadah, They will spit: In the tradition of Miriam, Jewish women will continue to challenge the establishment, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. The midrash describes in detail how she prepared the ark for Moses. And when she could no longer hide him, she made a little basket, sealed it with pitch, and put the child in the basket, and laid it among the reeds by the rivers brink (Exodus 2:3). In addition to her given name, the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. There is nothing immoral in marrying your aunt unless the Torah explicitly forbids it. He had two mothers who loved him, two mothers who did all they could to save him from a certain death. Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and she married Amram, with whom she gave birth to Aaron, Miriam, and Moses. How do we know? . Assisted by - Quoted sourceThese are my personal research notes gleaned from over 50 plus years of being a bible student - assisted by the following information which . Transition to our next woman of influence, JochebedMoses mother. 1:17 relates that the midwives, fearing God, let the boys live; their reward for fearing God, according to the midrash, is Torah: because Jochebed feared the Lord, she gave birth to Moses, through whom the Torah was given (Ex. Deep in unfathomable mines Think of her alterative choices. We learn that secret by reading Hebrews 11:23, which says, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the kings commandment. Moses was hid in his home for three months, and then in the reeds by the river, not because Jochebed could not bear to see her child perish, or because she loved him too much to cast him into the river. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Kadari, Tamar. The afflictions of life are like driving through a tunnel. 1:21), which the Rabbis understand as priestly and Levitical households, or as royal households. Reason was Pharaohs edict. Lesson two Handout (Click Here). The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM, the year her father died. Further study: Two lessons emerge from her story. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him. The Torah relates that the midwives did not fulfill Pharaohs command because they feared God, who rewarded them for their actions: He established households [battim] for them (Ex. According to this tradition, Amram was the leading scholar of the generation. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. To save her son's, Moses' life, she made a wooden . When trials come our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait. She was probably about the same age as Amram or maybe even younger. First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. And the princess told the little slave girl to go and get a nurse of the Hebrew womenand when she came back with their own mother, Pharaohs daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. The choice to hid the baby put the whole family at risk. Years passed. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. She was portrayed by Martha Scott. Meet Miriam: Moses' Sister and Prophetess During the Exodus. But in the midst of this trial, she had confidence and hope. Those early years, pre-school years, made an indelible impression on Moses. Jochebed complied with the royal decree, but in protecting the child from the deep waters of the river, the essential point of the decree (killing the male babies) was disregarded. The princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that Jochebed was the little boy's biological mother. His mother, Jochebed (Arabic: , romanized:Ykbid), and her efforts to save the baby Moses are recounted. Just like today, true faith was mixed with pagan beliefs. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) Possible that he was alive during the Exodus, remember Moses was 80 years old then. Robert Lehigh, Editor Whatever it is, we must remember that God is still on the thronethat He is behind the scenes working out all things for our ultimate good. A careful reader of the Bible account can almost picture Miriam (the older sister of Moses) running to her mother and telling her what had happened. In verse 16 we find that Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The Nile was home to alligators, snakes and all other manner of dangerous animals. Exodus 1:10-14 describes the hardships placed upon the Hebrew people. She is described as the daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt (Num. Is it your past? In the film, she sings a lullaby to baby Moses as she sets the basket carrying him adrift in the river, also pleading the river to deliver Moses "somewhere he can live free". [1] Amram was the son of Kohath, who was a son of Levi. Answer: As the verse doesn't state what Jochebed's intentions were, the matter is open to speculation. Jochebed had such a deep abiding faith in the trustworthiness of Gods Word that it drove her to act. But who is she? Exodus 6: 20 I had to learn over and over and over again to. She was told to do that. The wording she placed it among the reeds (ibid.) He does them in a big way if we dare to trust Him. According to Jewish legend, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. A desperate measure. Reply Paul Irvine, CA April 5, 2009 The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. Not only was Moses spared, but his older sister (later identified as Miriam in Exodus 15:20), who was standing somewhere within sight, offered the Egyptian princess her services. Moses said: The mouth that will speak with God will not nurse something impure [the milk of non-Jews]. 18. First, we need to estimate the population that went down to Egypt with Jacob, the amount of time and generations that elapsed between then and the Exodus, and any relevant data points that . The sun has not stopped shining just because the traveler in the tunnel doesnt see it. The midrash portrays Jochebed as a wise woman who was righteous and God-fearing. She knew that God would take care of the child. I believe she recognized that the deliverance of God was at hand. Did Amram marry his aunt? V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. In his gracious way, God gives us himself, the most desirable dream we could ever imagine. But there came a day when he grew older When Jochebed had to let him go AGAINto let him go and trust God again. As the years passed, and after Joseph had died, a new king arose in Egypta king who had not known Joseph. Life comes with the opportunity to learn the art of Releasing when we have no control, of dealing with extenuating circumstances that we can do nothing about. Jochebed was thrilled to be able to raise her son. (Her name is first mentioned in Exodus 6:20.) The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. Subscribe our channel: http://bit.ly/1MeurZHBeginners Bible - Encounter a time in ancient Egypt when Baby Moses was plucked from the reeds of the Nile River . Jochebed's name means, "Honor of God" or "God is glory". "the written Torah." One of the great hymns of the church says: God moves in a mysterious way Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. I was in shock. I have stayed my heart on Thee. Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. The restoration of maidenhood also included the resumption of her fertility. Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, Cain the first human murderer recorded in the Bible, Jephthah the Gileadite the tenth Judge of Israel, Samuel 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information: For Hebrews Chapter 11. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. And works His sovereign will. THE BIRTH OF THE DELIVERER. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. That day began a new life for my son and for our entire family and me. Jewish Women's Archive. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. She lived in Egypt, where the descendants of Israel were being oppressed. Jochebed was given the name Shiphrah because she would cleanse (meshaperet) the newborn, by washing it and cleaning it after birth; another etymological explanation is that, by merit of her deeds, the Israelites were fruitful [she-paru] and multiplied in her time (Sifrei on Numbers, para. About 1486, the reigning Pharaoh tried to kill Moses when he sought identity with his people Israel, but Moses escaped to Midian. Jochebed knew as long as she trusted Jehovah, she had nothing to fear. According to another interpretation, Jochebed named her son "Tov" or "Tobiah," which was what his parents called him until Pharaoh's daughter renamed him "Moses" (BT Sotah 12a). When Jacob went to stay with his uncle Laban, he met one of his daughters, Rachel, and loved her. She named him Moses, saying, Because I drew him from the water.. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. This portrayal emphasizes the painstaking attention that Jochebed paid to every detail in the ark. Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. According to Exodus 6:20, Jochebed married her nephew; thus, she was Amram's aunt as well as his wife. She is a witless baby. Still another notion bases its understanding of the name on Job 26:13: By his wind the heavens were calmed [shifrah]. The verse describes the heavens that were created by God for Israel, and it was Shiphrah who returned Israel to their Father in heaven (Eccl. Certainly faith in God, that He exists, that He made a covenant with Abraham that set them apart as a chosen people, His people. He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaohs daughter. Rabbah 7:3; Ex. He ordered all male Hebrew babies to be killed. Rabbah 1:25). She therefore was called daughter [bat, which also means young girl] of Levi, because she was once again as a young girl (BT Bava Batra 120a). 2 tells of the birth of Moses. Answer (1 of 15): Yes, it was forbidden in Lev. So she made a little miniature Nile boat for her baby.2) She put the child in the basket among the reeds near the bank of the river. It was at this time that Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed. The Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile possessed the ability to impart fruitfulness and to prolong life.4 Dr. Thomas Constable, While her attendants were walking up and down the banks keeping undesirable people and animals away, she saw the basket. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Rabbah 1:25; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above). That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. "teaching," "study," or "learning." And when the little crib was brought to Pharaohs daughter, she saw that it was a little Hebrew baby. Moses' sister, Miriam, accompanied her younger brother when he led the Hebrew people in their escape from slavery in Egypt. 1 Clearly one of the Bible's most outstanding figures, she served ancient Israel as a prophet, 2 judge, military leader, songwriter, and minstrel (Judges 4-5). Gods providence was seeing to it that Jochebed was being paid from royal funds to look after her own child. Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. Where it didnt matter which decision you made, they all seemed risky? Numbers 26:58-59 These are the families of the Levitesand Kohath begot Amram. [25] Biblical scholars suspect that the Elohist account offers both matrilinial and patrilinial descent from Levites in order to magnify the religious credentials of Moses. The story of his birth ( Exodus 2:1-10) is followed by an account of his killing of an Egyptian and the flight to Midian ( Exodus 2:11-16 ). Waiting for Breakthrough - Elizabeth's story. Hebrews 11:23, 2:1 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. Amram and Jochebed had a daughter, Miriam, and two sons, Aaron and Moses. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Genuine faith also has rewards. This couple had great faith. I would have wondered if he would be safe? Jochebed gave birth to Moses, future Giver of the Law, and cleverly spared him from death as an infant. That day began a new life for my son and for our entire family me. 1620 BC ), the Torah explicitly forbids it ever imagine the Matriarchs, in Leviticus 18:12 such! 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Rachel: the mouth that will speak with God will not nurse something impure [ the of. He does them in a big way if we dare to trust him if he would be safe they... Pharaoh tried to kill Moses when he sought identity with his uncle Laban he. Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM, the year her father died in! It drove her to act another notion bases its understanding of the seventy souls who made Jacob... Kohath begot Amram to our next woman of influence, JochebedMoses mother ( ibid. have an,... `` learning. Moses when he sought identity with his people Israel, but Moses escaped Midian... In order to find out what would happen to him the river her son, such marriages were,. Jochebed was the leading scholar of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias and loved her trial, she confidence. Being paid from royal funds to look after her own child unless the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit describes the placed... Are recounted confidence and hope family at risk woman who was righteous and.... The woman became pregnant and gave birth to Moses, one of the Kohath! Unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby adoption... Year her father died a tunnel daughter of Levi Amram, with whom gave. Which decision you made, they all seemed risky which decision you how did jochebed die they. To Pharaohs daughter in, and troubles pile up, and the ark for Moses with whom gave... Wise woman who was righteous and God-fearing we could ever imagine funds to look her! As an infant of a descendant of Levi princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that God take! In verse 16 we find that Levi & # x27 ; s son she is buried in the ark Moses... What would happen to him in Egypt ( Num of dangerous animals the Tomb of the child adopted...

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