When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud discusses this relationship in the context of the incest prohibitions in Lev. This king observed that the Hebrew people were growing in numbers, and fearing that they might soon outnumber the Egyptians themselves, the new Pharaoh began seeking ways of reducing the number of Hebrews and keeping them subject to Egyptian authority. Imagine the emotions, the feelings Jochebed had as she placed him down and backed away. The proving of our faith is planned by God to bring praise and honor and glory to Him in the day when Jesus Christ reveals himself at His Second Coming. 2:2). [17][18] Biblical scholars have instead simply proposed that the discrepancy in the enumeration of Leah's children is due to the list not originally having included Dinah, who was added by a later editor to introduce consistency with the story of the Rape of Dinah. Lesson two study group Questions (Click Here). Yet in the Book of Exodus, it is explicitly mentioned that Jochebed was the sister of Kohath thus making her the aunt of Amram. (NET). Since Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and Moses was her son (as shown above), then to complete the 430 years, Jochebed had to be 48 years or older when she gave birth to Moses. for a little while. [23] According to biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the Levites the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronids;[24] Aaron the eponymous ancestor of the Aaronids couldn't be portrayed as a brother to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as the narrative about the birth of Moses (brother of Aaron), which textual scholars attribute to the earlier Elohist source, mentions only that both his parents were Levites (without identifying their names). When he saw that Pharaoh had decreed that all the boys be cast into the Nile, he proclaimed: Are we laboring in vain? (we give birth to sons who will eventually be killed), and so he divorced his wife. And down through the ages mothers have gone to great measures that required courage to guide and protect their children. THE BIRTH OF THE DELIVERER. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. 26:59). Jochebed hid Moses because he was in danger of being killed since he was a Hebrew boy. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? She didnt just let him go, she was a woman of faith, and she let him go and trusted her God. And after Jochebed did all that she could, she went back homeundoubtedly with a great sense of trust that God would work things out according to His plan. But in the midst of this trial, she had confidence and hope. Gods providence was seeing to it that Jochebed was being paid from royal funds to look after her own child. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. 4 Dr. Thomas Constable, Constables Notes, Lumina, www.bible.org. What would she do if he was snatched out of her arms and taken to certain death? 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. Amram Remarries Jochebed His Name Bringing Heaven Down to Earth Sinless Amram Marries Jochebed Amram married his aunt Jochebed in Egypt. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 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". He treasures up His bright designs Yet another tradition explains that she shiprah her actions before God (i.e., performed good deeds that were pleasing to the Lord). One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. The life of Jochebed as a woman of influence teaches us that there are times in our lives when we have done all we can do, weve said all we can say, there is no more and we have to . Doing nothing would have condemned Moses to death at the hands of the Egyptian death squads. There was the risk of him being discovered, or washed away in an errant wave. Rabbah 1:25; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above). Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. Instead of letting him be murdered, she took a basket and coated the bottom with tar, to make it waterproof. ), and which, consequently, knew not the God of Joseph. The Rabbis identify Jochebed with Shiphrah, one of the two Hebrew midwives (Shiphrah and Puah) who delivered the children of the Israelites during the Egyptian servitude. D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. Possible that he was alive during the Exodus, remember Moses was 80 years old then. Exodus 2, which describes the birth of Moses, does not name her, or, for that matter, the father or sister of Moses. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. Has anything just happened to you recently that you know really was God working for you? The children of Israel were still in Egypt, but they were no longer honoured by the Egyptians as the people of their great deliverer, Joseph. She is only mentioned twice by name in Scripture, but she is the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Amram and Jochebed were the parents of Aaron, the first high priest of the nation of Israel; Moses, who led . He said: Master of the Universe! She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. Whats the Definition of faith? Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. Jacob, too, married two sisters t. Numbers 26: 59 - "Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165 (accessed March 2, 2023). A desperate measure. He wanted her for his wife and was willing to . Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed (whose other children were Aaron and Miriam), hid him for three months and then set him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket daubed with pitch. I think we can see the fond expression on the mothers face as she said with great joy, I knew that God would provide! Jochebeds faith was rewarded by being reunited to her own child. 2:12 state that he married a Levite woman. She did not sit down and brood about the current situation in Egypt, and say, If this child is to be Israels deliverer, God will somehow spare him and deliver him; theres nothing we can do; so well throw him in the river, and if God wants him, He can save him. She knew that God expects us to do our part, and that He will not do for us what we are able to do for ourselves. She was born at the very moment when Jacob and his entire household, Levi and his wife among them, had just entered the gates of Egypt. When Moses was born, Jochebed saw (Ex. Jochebed was a daughter of Levi (Exodus 2:1), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). The mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. Did Amram marry his aunt? [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. Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for the boy, her own son until he grew. Amram and Jochebed still enjoyed a forbidden sexual relationship which produced three famous children, Aaron, Miriam and Moses, Exodus 6:20, 15:20. An additional midrashic explanation of her name is that she smoothed over (shiprah) her daughter Puahs words. There are several data points we have to nail down in order to properly defend the Bible 's assertion that 600,000 men left Egypt with Moses in the Exodus. So we know some of the Jews had compromised. [15], Some rabbinic literature attempts to resolve the textual discrepancy in which the Torah lists 34 children of Leah born in Mesopotamia, stating that two were dead, and then immediately states that there were 33 in total,[16] by arguing that the figure referred only to the surviving children, and that Jochebed was the 33rd;[17][18] however, since the Book of Numbers describes Jochebed's birth as occurring in Egypt,[1] this necessitated the further rabbinic argument that Jochebed was born exactly on the border of Egypt, in the gateway of the city. 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. Perhaps he learned what it means to have faith in God and fearless courage. Someone has said mothers begin saying good-bye to their children from the moment they are born.1 And we dont want to forget there is also a pain that comes from wanting a child and yet not having one, perhaps even having to give up that possibility. She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. After Pharaohs daughter discovered the baby, Jochebed became his nurse. Imagine being her as she left him here alone in the water. 14:1: The wisest of women builds her house is applied to Miriam (Midrash Proverbs 14:1). Certainly faith in God, that He exists, that He made a covenant with Abraham that set them apart as a chosen people, His people. When the child was born, the baby was a boy, and we learn in Exodus 2:10 that he was later named Moses.. The cry of the little child aroused the maternal instinct of Pharaohs daughter, and the baby Moses was spared. After many hardships, Moses was used by God as his servant to free the Hebrew people from slavery and lead them to the edge of the promised land. F. Pharaoh's daughter knew Moses was a Hebrew baby. So Jochebed got her own child back, at least for a while. Deep in unfathomable mines The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses, and their sister Miriam. Every genuine believer in Christ has already demonstrated saving faith, but sustaining faith speaks of the simple trust in God that one needs to exercise daily, in order to live a victorious Christian life and to serve God acceptably. Robert Lehigh, Editor 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. We dont know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. Amram was the Levite man who was Moses father. How will you be encouraged by Jochebed to boldly face your fears today? ), wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Num. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. After three months Jochebed was forced to obey the decree of Pharaoh. One wonders why Pharaohs daughter wanted to bathe herself in the dirty waters of the Nile River. The restoration of maidenhood also included the resumption of her fertility. When she placed little Moses in the Nile River that day, Jochebed could not have known that he would grow up to be one of God's greatest leaders, chosen to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Maybe its something material, a possession you have? It is our Christian duty to walk by faith in this world, until we come to live by sight in the eternal world. Jochebed: Mother of Moses. Have an update or correction? It was not uncommon for Pharaohs and other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River, as many Indians do today in the Ganges River. What some call fate or luck or it just happened is really Gods providential care. Rabbah 1:25). Can you imagine what it would be like to give away your 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him? The midrash apparently understands builds her house in a broad sense, because Jochebeds wisdom in the raising of her own children led to the building and firm establishment of the entire people of Israel. Zavada, Jack. She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. Reason was Pharaohs edict. 11:23 By faith Moses was hidden by, Amram and Jochebed, his parents, for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the kings order. Jochebed the mother of Moses. F. Hebrew 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Why to Trust? Two lessons emerge from her story. Jochebed made a decision, and she made a plan. Transition to our next woman of influence, JochebedMoses mother. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. Jochebed showed great trust in God's faithfulness. Although she is mentioned only twice in the Bible, Jochebed has a lasting place as one of the immortal mothers of Israel. Who was the mother of kohath? (NET). 1 It is doubtful whether the decree of the wicked Pharaoh will be fulfilled, but you are righteous, and your decree will undoubtedly be fulfilled. Amram heeded his daughter, and returned to his wife, whom he remarried in a public celebration with all possible pomp and ceremony: he sat her in a palanquin, Aaron and Miriam danced before her, and the ministering angels proclaimed (Ps. Genuine faith also has rewards. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. JOCHEBED: THE MOTHER OF MOSES. Her name in Hebrew means "bitterness." Miriam was the first woman in the Bible to be given the title prophetess. She named him Moses, saying, Because I drew him from the water.. Thats a significant fact. But among all the poor Hebrew slaves, there was one couple who did not despair. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. [27], Stories of unusual events during the pregnancy of Aminah, mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,[28] are compared with the similar experiences of Jochebed when she was carrying Moses. She saw that he was a beautiful child, and hid him for three months. Jochebed took baby Moses and placed him in an ark of bulrushes. Learn Religions, Sep. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165. [10] The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan identifies Jochebed as also having been wife of Elitzaphon Ben Parnach, and the mother of Eldad and Medad;[11] the text is ambiguous as to when this marriage occurred in relation to the marriage(s) to Amram. . Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. He lived 137 years. Trials and difficulties and obstacles come to all of us, but for the moment, we want to look at the example found in the life of Jochebed. To protect Moses from Pharaohs command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. All her choices were difficult. According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed . We know from history that all the kings in Pharaohs day had bath houses, such as even the wealthiest do not possess in our day. Answering:, "Jochebed couldn't have gone to the Holy land because God killed off the entire generation that left Egypt except for Caleb and Joshua as punishment. Truthfully, there is a certain amount of pain, a loneliness pain, when they leave home to go to college, when they get married, when they start their own life. Conservative scholars date the "Exodus," a landmark in Israel's history, at 1446 B.C. And so Jochebed did what she could. According to another midrash, Moses rejected the breasts of the Egyptian women because he said: God will speak with me. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. Became impossible to how did jochebed die him tar, to make it waterproof the,. 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But she is mentioned only twice in the water for a while Egypt to the. Rabbah 1:25 ; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above ) the Jews had compromised latest... Who did not despair is our Christian duty to walk by faith in God fearless. It and set it among the reeds along the edge of the stimulating!

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