Miriam in the book of exodus

The account of the journey of the people of israel from egypt to canaan contains many valuable lessons for the church of god in the present dispensation. The miriam s cup at the seder is a way to give the participants an opportunity to include those stories. The untold story of zipporah, wife of moses what do you. It was written to record the events of israels deliverance from slavery in egypt. It is clear that her greatness is not merely due to her illustrious relatives, rather her own achievements are noteworthy in and of themselves and are worthy of examination. You wouldnt expect the five book of moses to promote womens leadership but a patriarchal society led by elders. She is the first woman whom the bible honours with the title of. Mar 25, 2021 the custom was intended to honor the prophetess miriam as well as the contributions of women to the exodus and to jewish life. Miriam first appears in the biblical book of exodus not long after pharaoh decrees that all newborn hebrew boys will be drowned in the nile river. Miriam s song by jill eileen smith miriam, was moses and aarons sister, she is first mentioned in the book of exodus verse 2. Miriam is probably one of the most unique takes on the familiar bible epic ive seen in awhile. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.

Then miriam the prophetess, aarons sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all. It is in the recording of this incident that moses, the author of the book of exodus, identified his older sister as a prophetess, the first recorded in the bible. If you have never read the first 15 chapters of exodus, miriam provides a story to set the scene. The book of exodus tells us about moses and miriam, brother and sister, who raise a hymn of praise to god on the shores of the red sea, together with the community that god has freed from egypt. The marriage took place, and two children, miriam and aaron, were born some years before the infanticidal edict. It takes the story of the israelites from their presence in and oppression by egypt up to the reception of the divine law that occupies the entire book of leviticus and much of numbers. Jul 27, 2017 20 miriam the prophetess, aarons sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. Aug 24, 2011 miriam later became a prophetess and she was recognised as a leader alongside her brothers moses and aaron exod. Took a timbrel by a timbrel our translators meant what is now called a tambourine. Their mother had hidden moses in a basket on the river bank to protect him from pharaohs decree to throw all hebrew baby boys into the river exodus 1. If you have read these chapters a hundred times, miriam fills in the blanks so that you can consider what might have been. In the book of exodus in the book of exodus, the israelitesthe descendants of jacobs sonsare living in the land of goshen under a new pharaoh who oppresses the hebrews. Book of exodus bible stories for kids 2 kindle edition by malaty, fr.

Miriam is the sister who watches over her baby brother moses among the bulrushes on the banks of the nile. Therefore, not many people know she was a prophetess i didnt know that and ive read the bible several times. The older sister of moses and israels first prophetess. What are the latest ideas about miriam in the bible. One of the most important characters in the book of exodus is undoubtedly miriam, the elder sister of moses and aharon. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The main ones include moses, who was the main character of the book of exodus. Exodus, the second book of the bible, tells the story of moses, the baby who grew up within the pharaohs palace walls and later led the israelites out of slavery. The song of the sea was reputedly sung by the israelites after their crossing the red sea in safety, and celebrates the destruction of the egyptian army during the crossing, and looks forward to the future conquest of canaan. The torah refers to her as miriam the prophetess and the talmud names her as one of the seven major female prophets of. The song of the sea was reputedly sung by the israelites after their crossing the red. The leading lady of the exodus selected scriptures. Miriam first appears in the biblical book of exodus not long after pharaoh decrees that all newborn hebrew boys will be. She is called a prophet and the sister of aaron but not moses.

Later, after the exodus and the splitting of the red sea, miriam led all the women and girls in song and dance. She first appears by name, however, in the crossing of the red sea exod 15. The book of exodus begins more than four hundred years after joseph, his brothers, and the pharaoh he once served have all died. Feb 06, 2020 the placement of miriam s song after the full version associated with moses may seem to cede unwarranted credit to the male leader, but at the same time it forms the literary function of enveloping the first major section of the book of exodus exodus 115. For details about this sermon and for related resources, click here.

Willing women, skilled in weaving and sewing and embroidery worked on all the coverings and the curtains. Many of the heroes early in the book of exodus are women, yet their stories are not part of the seder. In the biblical narrative of the exodus, miriam is described as a prophetess when she leads the israelites in the song of the sea after pharaohs army is. He is my god, and i will praise him, my fathers god, and i will exalt him. At the beginning of the book of exodus, when the pharaoh decrees that all male israelite babies are to be drowned, mosess mother saves him by placing him on. The chaikinmikolaycak collaboration is a superb blend of text and illustration, yielding a book well worthy of the subject matter. Yolens freeverse text describes the setting and miriam s emotions in detail.

Miriam as a child miriam first appears in the biblical book of exodus not long after pharaoh decrees that all newborn hebrew boys will be drowned in the nile river. Book of exodus story, themes and key verses wikireligions. Miriam is the first of six prophetesses mentioned in the bible. If so, she was considerably older than either moses or aaron. Since the uk is now no longer a member of the eu, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. At first reading it appears that she leads only the women in a fragment of the song that moses led the people in worship exodus 15. Mar 21, 2018 there are so many nameless women in the bible, and yet the two midwives in the exodus story who stood up to pharaoh and saved the israelite babies get two names each in ancient rabbinic literature. Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. This book would make a good companion to warwick huttons moses in the bulrushes macmillan, 1986. Although miriam is named a prophet, nowhere in scripture does she function in the traditional prophetic role of speaking forth the word of god. Exodus 15 niv the song of moses and miriam then bible. However, a careful reading of miriam s actions during the hebrews exodus from egypt might lead you to a dramatically different conclusion.

In the book of exodus, we are introduced to miriam, the older sister of moses and aaron, all of whom are descended from the levites. He had ordered that all boy babies be drowned in the nile, and her mother was pregnant. B the prophetess, c the sister of aaron, d took the timbrel in her hand. The song of moses and miriam then moses and the israelites sang this song to the lord.

For example, there are two versions of the crossing of the red sea in the book of exodus one having moses as the protagonist, the other celebrating miriam. No mention is made of moses being their brother, and the story does not read well as a dispute among siblings. Miriams childhood in the slave quarters of egypt was one of fear and uncertainty. Just as the cloud of gods presence departed from above the tabernacle when he had spoken to aaron and miriam vv. Aaron is described in the book of exodus of the hebrew scriptures old. Yocheved moses mother and later wetnurse, miriam, shifrah and puah and the other midwives, serach bat asher, and moses wife tziporah. Miriam appears in the book of exodus, which chronicles the time of jewish slavery in egypt.

So the future leader of the hebrew people, moses, owed his life to five women. When we research the lineage of zipporah moses wife we see that it goes back to the midianites. Departure from egypt is the founding myth of the israelites. Exodus is the second book in the hebrew scriptures which gives an account of the period of israelite slavery in egypt their resistance, escape, wanderings in. Jochebed his mother, who wove the basket so that she could save her baby. Jan 17, 2021 and miriam s story shaped her as well, as.

Mar 10, 1992 it seems that at some point in biblical history the centrality of miriam s role in the text was excised, leaving only telltale fragments. The new leadership in egyptfeeling threatened by jacobs descendants, who have increased greatly in sizeembarks on a campaign to subdue the israelites, forcing them into slavery and eventually decreeing that all hebrew boys must be killed at birth. Who is miriam in the book of exodus black history in the. These are all strong forces within the story of shemot. Initially, i wanted my project to focus more broadly on the five prophetesses within the ot miriam, deborah, huldah, noadiah, and isaiahs wife, but this proved to be overwhelming. Miriams mother, yocheved, has been hiding miriams infant brother, moses, for three months. They sing their joy because in those waters god saved them from an enemy who sought to destroy them. Together with his sister, miriam, aaron spoke against moses because he had married. We find israels deliverance from egypt in the book of exodus, while the book of. Apart from him, aaron and miriam were also the main part of the book.

It tells a story of israelite enslavement and departure from egypt, revelations at biblical mount sinai, wanderings in the wilderness up to the borders of canaan, and conquest of the canaanites. His wife, zipporah, is not from israel, but from the midianites of the region of sinai e. Exodus 2 commentary commentary critical and explanatory on. At this point in the exodus account, our heroine enters the scene miriam.

Family connections miriam was the eldest child of amram and jochebed, and the sister of aaron and moses. Moses sister, miriam, accompanied her younger brother when he led the hebrew people in their escape from slavery in egypt. We too are a pilgrim people but we are on our way to a better, that is, a heavenly country. Miriam is generally regarded as the sister of moses mentioned in exodus 2. She and her threeyearold brother, aaron, had godly parents who trusted the god of israelbut the king of egypt hated her people. Book of exodus, session 1 introduction yale divinity school. While she is often overlooked, miriam was the only person right by moses side from birth to death.

Each person has a calling from god, and matters to god. He forces them to work long hours without breaks and issues a decree to kill their newborn males in order to reduce their numbers due to concerns about their growing. Sarah, deborah, hannah, abigail, and esther and huldah. Who is miriam in the book of exodus black history in the bible. Aaron pleads for mercy from moses, confessing his and miriam s sins. This makes zipporah his second wife, as moses would have met the cushite woman before arriving to jethros house in midian. The book of exodus consists mainly of two genres, narrative history and laws. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sweet stories told by the prophetess miriam to her.

Miriam s life can teach us that even when you and i do not see it, the lord is always there, working for the good of gods beloved. She is the daughter of slaves, amram and jochebed, and she is certainly an unlikely heroine, yet she plays a vital role in the life of her baby brother at a very crucial time as the story unfolds. God also said to moses, say to the israelites, the lord, the god of your fathersthe god of abraham, the god of isaac and the god of jacobhas sent me to you. Mar 08, 2018 according to the hebrew bible, miriam was the older sister of moses and aaron. The glory of the lord has left the people of israel and it will only return at the beginning of the kingdom of peace ezek. Miriam and aaron spoke against moses regarding the cushite woman he had married, for he had married a cushite woman. The first we see of miriam is in her role as a protective sister. Amram was the husband and jochebed the wife compare exodus 6. The song of miriam then miriam the prophetess, the sister of aaron, took the timbrel in her hand. Introduction to the book of exodus learn religions.

Miriam was the sister of moses and aaron and was a prophetess from a very young age. She was a prophetess and first appears in the book of exodus. According to tradition, the woman in question was none other than zipporah. The torah continues to say that they were actually not talking about her, but rather about their brother moses. Miriam is only mentioned by name in 14 verses in the bible, but she is one of the most important people found in the pages of scripture. The untold story of the hebrew midwives and the exodus. In this mystifying passage of scripture, we read that god was about to kill moses. Book of exodus, session 1 introduction the book of exodus is the second book of the torah or pentateuch, the first five books of the old testament. Many characters are mentioned in the second book of the bible. Its message is that the israelites were delivered from slavery by. This is the land that moses dwelt in when he took refuge from pharaoh. Sweet stories told by the prophetess miriam to her young. It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a much shorter song sung by miriam and the other women. Nov 20, 2018 it took a great deal of confidence for miriam to approach moses rescuer.

Miriam is referenced in the old testament of the bible as a prophetess and originally emerges in the book of exodus. Exodus 2 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. Start studying bible test for the books of exodus and leviticus. It also suggests that miriam has the gift of prophecy, foreshadowing the splitting of the red sea and other famous events in the exodus from egypt. May 20, 2017 for my senior synthesis, i devoted my paper solely to the prophetess miriam, who is found within the books of exodus and numbers. Then miriam the prophet, aarons sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. The arresting illustrations match the poetic tone of the book, making fantastic use of swirling reds and blues. Given her role early in exodus, and her status as a prophetess in exodus 15, miriam may well feel that she is being excluded from her rightful place in gods confidences. Ba 19 when pharaohs horses, chariots and horsemen e went into the sea, bb the lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

She was described as a prophetess, and, in fact, is one of the seven major female prophets in the bible. Her story is told in the books of exodus and numbers in the hebrew bible. Jan 19, 2020 moses married an african woman in his younger days, specifically between fleeing egypt and arriving in midian sometime during the second chapter of the book of exodus. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the uk. The horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.

Only from the talmud do we learn that miriam and puah are one and the same. Jul 12, 2007 miriams childhood in the slave quarters of egypt was one of fear and uncertainty. Sweet stories told by the prophetess miriam to her young grandchildren. The key personalities include moses, miriam, pharaoh, pharaohs daughter, aaron, and joshua. Two genealogies listing moses, aaron, and miriam as the sole children of amram support the identification num 26. In order to understand the implications of the feminine drama within this book of the bible.

Shiprah and puah, the midwives who disobeyed pharaohs edict to kill all male babies. Her claim appears to be allowed both in the present passage, and in numbers 12. This meant that god spoke to his people through her, although he did not speak directly to her. She plays an important role in several episodes of moses life and in the exodus of israel from egypt. Moses first wife zipporah astutely recognised the cause of god. Mosesin numbers 12, miriam and aaron complain about moses.