"Lest Ye Perish in the Way": Ritual and Kinship in Exodus 4:24-26

This study develops two ideas about God's attack on Moses in Exod 4:24-26 in light of the ancient Near Eastern context and traditional Jewish interpretations. First, Zipporah's act of circumcision may be compared to ancient practices of apotropaic magic and sacrifice, rituals that sought divine protection. Second, her statement, "Surely you are a חַתַן-דָּמִים to me," invokes Yahweh's mercy by claiming her family's relationship to the Divine Kinsman.