Bridegroom of Blood. Wait, what?

(18) Moses went back to his father-in-law Jether I.e., Jethro. and said to him, “Let me go back to my kinsfolk in Egypt and see how they are faring.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” (19) יהוה said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who sought to kill you are dead.” (20) So Moses took his wife and sons, mounted them on an ass, and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God with him. (21) And יהוה said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the marvels that I have put within your power. I, however, will stiffen his heart so that he will not let the people go. (22) Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says יהוה: Israel is My first-born son. (23) I have said to you, “Let My son go, that he may worship Me,” yet you refuse to let him go. Now I will slay your first-born son.’” (24) At a night encampment on the way, יהוה encountered him and sought to kill him. (25) foreskin, and touched his legs with it, saying, “You are truly a bridegroom of blood to me!” (26) And when [God] let him alone, she added, “A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.”

(2) When the Torah wrote of the angel: “he wanted to kill him,” the reference must be to the infant Eliezer. The angel assumed the shape of a snake devouring the upper half of the baby’s body down to the area where the circumcision should have occurred. The snake then spit out the baby and started to devour him from his feet upwards stopping at the same area as previously. At that point, Tziporah, realizing what the problem was, seized a sharp piece of flint and performed the act of circumcision. She had understood that the whole phenomenon was a punishment for not circumcising this infant on the eighth day after its birth.

(15) When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh. He arrived*arrived Lit. “sat” or “settled.” in the land of Midian, and sat down beside a well. (16) Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock; (17) but shepherds came and drove them off. Moses rose to their defense, and he watered their flock. (18) When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?” (19) They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” (20) He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to break bread.” (21) Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife.

(1) Jethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, God’s people, how יהוה had brought Israel out from Egypt. (2) So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent home, (3) and her two sons—of whom one was named Gershom, that is to say, “I have been a stranger*stranger Heb. ger. in a foreign land”; (4) and the other was named Eliezer,*Eliezer Lit. “(My) God is help.” meaning, “The God of my father’s [house] was my help, delivering me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (5) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. (6) He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.” (7) Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed low and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent. (8) Moses then recounted to his father-in-law everything that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and how יהוה had delivered them.

(2) So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent home, (3) and her two sons—of whom one was named Gershom, that is to say, “I have been a stranger*stranger Heb. ger. in a foreign land”; (4) and the other was named Eliezer,*Eliezer Lit. “(My) God is help.” meaning, “The God of my father’s [house] was my help, delivering me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (5) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. (6) He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.” (7) Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed low and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent. (8) Moses then recounted to his father-in-law everything that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and how יהוה had delivered them.

He had been guilty of not circumcising Eliezer on the eighth day of his life as G-d had commanded that it be done. He should have done so and left him with his mother in Midian. This would have enabled him to carry out the mission entrusted to him by G-d without delay and without hold ups due to consideration of the needs of his family. Instead he had walked slowly while his family was riding.

הלא גם בנו HAS HE NOT ALSO [SPOKEN] WITH US, and we have not separated from our spouses!

(2) ותדבר מרים ואהרן AND MIRIAM AND AARON SPAKE — She opened the conversation, therefore Scripture mentions her first. And whence did Miriam know that Moses had separated himself from his wife (for this was the statement she made; cf. Rashi below)? R. Nathan answered: “Miriam was beside Zipporah When it was told to Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp’ (Numbers 11:27). When Zipporah heard this, she exclaimed, Woe to the wives of these if they have anything to do with prophecy, for they will separate from their wives just has my husband has separated from me!” It was from this that Miriam knew about it, and she told it to Aaron.