According to Dr. Peter Ruckman, "The problem here is that Moses had become bitter toward God because of Exodus 2:12-15 and refused to circumcise his own firstborn. He had not obeyed the Abramic covenant in circumcising the child on the eighth day after he was born".
Hello Neville. Many months ago I had shared my understanding of this Scripture ( Exodus 4:24-26) to someone else, so I replicate that answer for you here:
"Yes, this is a difficult verse to place, given the context of the other verses around it. It is understood that God is now dealing with Moses on another issue. The first matter was about Moses giving excuses as to why he could not approach Pharaoh & speak God's Word to him. Moses eventually agreed to do it, given that Aaron would be his mouthpiece.
Then in verse 24, we find that God had some reason for taking Moses' life. It wasn't about the former matter but about Moses' neglect in circumcising his son. It may be because of his marriage to the Midianitish woman, Zipporah, & some issue of circumcision had come up that caused him to overlook or refuse to do this act. There could have been other (negative) dealings by God on this family as well, which then compelled Zipporah to take matter into her own hands (so to speak) & do the circumcising herself. Whatever it was, God seemed appeased by Zipporah's actions, that which Moses had failed to perform."
Him in this passage is Moses. Bring an Israelite, Moses would have been circumcised as an infant. When his own son was born when he was between 40 and 80, Moses did not circumcise his son in all those years.
24And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
25Then 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.
26So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
"the LORD met him, and sought to kill him."
Who is "him"? and why this attempt?
"Yes, this is a difficult verse to place, given the context of the other verses around it. It is understood that God is now dealing with Moses on another issue. The first matter was about Moses giving excuses as to why he could not approach Pharaoh & speak God's Word to him. Moses eventually agreed to do it, given that Aaron would be his mouthpiece.
Then in verse 24, we find that God had some reason for taking Moses' life. It wasn't about the former matter but about Moses' neglect in circumcising his son. It may be because of his marriage to the Midianitish woman, Zipporah, & some issue of circumcision had come up that caused him to overlook or refuse to do this act. There could have been other (negative) dealings by God on this family as well, which then compelled Zipporah to take matter into her own hands (so to speak) & do the circumcising herself. Whatever it was, God seemed appeased by Zipporah's actions, that which Moses had failed to perform."
Him in this passage is Moses. Bring an Israelite, Moses would have been circumcised as an infant. When his own son was born when he was between 40 and 80, Moses did not circumcise his son in all those years.
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