This research paper by Nathaniel Vroom, submitted to Dr. Richard Belcher for OT506 – Hebrew Exegesis at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, explores one of Scripture’s most enigmatic passages—Exodus 4:19–26. Vroom argues that the episode of Zipporah’s circumcision and her declaration, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me,” is not a fragmentary tradition or mythic insertion but a deliberate theological narrative. He contends that the text reveals God’s holiness and covenantal demands, where disobedience to the command of circumcision provokes divine wrath and calls for atoning blood.
Through extensive textual analysis, Vroom evaluates ancient and modern interpretations of the passage, addressing questions about its context, pronoun ambiguities, and Zipporah’s unusual role. Drawing on commentators such as Cassuto, Currid, and Jordan, he examines how this encounter mirrors the themes of firstborn substitution and divine judgment found later in the Exodus story. Vroom concludes that Moses himself was under threat of death for failing to circumcise his son, and that Zipporah’s quick action, shedding covenant blood, appeased God’s wrath and restored order in Moses’ household.
Vroom further argues that this episode serves as a typological prelude to the Passover and, ultimately, to the atoning work of Christ. The “bridegroom of blood” motif anticipates the redemptive pattern in which the wrath of God is turned aside through sacrificial blood. By connecting circumcision, covenant, and substitution, Vroom portrays Jesus as the true Bridegroom of Blood—the Lamb whose sacrifice fulfills the sign and secures eternal deliverance for God’s people.
Course and semester: OT506 Hebrew Exegesis — Spring 2019
