Exodus 4:25

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it. She said, 'Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַתִּקַּ֨ח צִפֹּרָ֜ה צֹ֗ר וַתִּכְרֹת֙ אֶת־עָרְלַ֣ת בְּנָ֔הּ וַתַּגַּ֖ע לְרַגְלָ֑יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֧י חֲתַן־דָּמִ֛ים אַתָּ֖ה לִֽי׃

Transliteration

And tiqqaḥ Ṣippōrâh ṣōr and tikrōt ʾet-ʿorlat bĕnāh and taggaʿ to-raglāyw and tōʾmer that ḥătan-dāmîm ʾattâh to-me.

Grammar Details

• *tiqqaḥ*: qal imperfect, 3rd feminine singular with waw conversive - she took
• *Ṣippōrâh*: proper noun, feminine singular - Zipporah
• *ṣōr*: noun, masculine singular - flint
• *tikrōt*: qal imperfect, 3rd feminine singular with waw conversive - she cut off
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *ʿorlat*: noun, feminine singular construct - foreskin of
• *bĕnāh*: noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd feminine singular suffix - her son
• *tagga*ʿ: hiphil imperfect, 3rd feminine singular with waw conversive - she touched
• *raglāyw*: noun, feminine dual construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his feet
• *tōʾmer*: qal imperfect, 3rd feminine singular with waw conversive - she said
• *ḥătan*: noun, masculine singular construct - bridegroom of
• *dāmîm*: noun, masculine plural - blood
• *ʾattâh*: pronoun, 2nd masculine singular - you

Word Meanings

• *ṣōr*: flint/sharp stone
• *raglāyw*: his feet/his legs/possibly euphemism for genitals
• *ḥătan-dāmîm*: bridegroom of blood/bloody husband/blood-relative

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband are you to me.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Than Zepora toke a stone ad circumcised hyr sonne and fell at hys fette, and sayde: a bloudy husband art thou vnto me.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then toke Zipora a stone, and circumcyded the foreskynne of hir sonne, and touched his fete, and sayde: A bloudy brydegrome art thou vnto me.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife, and cut away the foreskinne of her sonne, and cast it at his feete, and said, Thou art indeede a bloody husband vnto me.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Sephora toke a stone, and cut away the foreskin of her sonne, and cast it at his feete, and sayd: a blooddy husbande art thou vnto me.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast [it] at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband [art] thou to me.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and Zipporah taketh a flint, and cutteth off the foreskin of her son, and causeth `it' to touch his feet, and saith, `Surely a bridegroom of blood `art' thou to me;'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cutting off the skin of her son's private parts, and touching his feet with it, she said, Truly you are a husband of blood to me.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses’ feet, and said,“Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

Referenced Verses

• Josh 5:2-3 : 2 At that time, the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.
• Gen 17:14 : 14 But any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.
• 2 Sam 16:7 : 7 As he cursed, Shimei shouted, "Get out! Get out, you man of bloodshed, you worthless man!