The explanation you suggest is certainly a possibility. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. [10] The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan identifies Jochebed as also having been wife of Elitzaphon Ben Parnach, and the mother of Eldad and Medad;[11] the text is ambiguous as to when this marriage occurred in relation to the marriage(s) to Amram. This is a huge part of the story Jewish Study Bible, The verb could be given a more colloquial translation such as she felt sorry for him. But the verb is stronger than that; it means to have compassion, to pity, to spare. What she felt for the baby was strong enough to prompt her to spare the child from the fate decreed for Hebrew boys. This exegesis teaches of Jochebeds longevity, and that she was still alive when Moses died. [7] In making this identification, the rabbis interpret the houses, with which the Book of Exodus describes God as having compensated the midwives,[8] as having been those of priesthood and of royalty; these houses are interpreted by the Talmudic rabbis as allegorical references to Jochebed's sons Moses and Aaron respectively.[9]. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Exodus 2, which describes the birth of Moses, does not name her, or, for that matter, the father or sister of Moses. There was the risk of him being discovered, or washed away in an errant wave. She had feelings just like you and I have. The story of Jochebed is thought to be described in the Book of Exodus (2:110) although she is not explicitly named here. It was Jochebed's love and devotion to Moses that preserved his life and allowed him to lead the greatest salvation event in Old Testament history. When the child was born, the baby was a boy, and we learn in Exodus 2:10 that he was later named Moses.. When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud discusses this relationship in the context of the incest prohibitions in Lev. What some call fate or luck or it just happened is really Gods providential care. She appears briefly in The Prince of Egypt under the name 'Yocheved', voiced by (and resembling) Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza. [15], Some rabbinic literature attempts to resolve the textual discrepancy in which the Torah lists 34 children of Leah born in Mesopotamia, stating that two were dead, and then immediately states that there were 33 in total,[16] by arguing that the figure referred only to the surviving children, and that Jochebed was the 33rd;[17][18] however, since the Book of Numbers describes Jochebed's birth as occurring in Egypt,[1] this necessitated the further rabbinic argument that Jochebed was born exactly on the border of Egypt, in the gateway of the city. According to the Bible, Jochebed (/ j k b d /; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized: Yee, lit. Meet Miriam: Moses' Sister and Prophetess During the Exodus. And when she could no longer hide him, she made a little basket, sealed it with pitch, and put the child in the basket, and laid it among the reeds by the rivers brink (Exodus 2:3). Jochebed which in Hebrew means: The Honor of Jehovah. Question we have to ask is: What do you do when you cant do anything more? 2:3), lining the inside with bitumen, and coating it on the outside with pitch, so that Moses would not smell the bad odor given off by the latter. Yocheved was a beautiful, kind and motherly woman. She was portrayed by Martha Scott. Who was the mother of kohath? Conservative scholars date the "Exodus," a landmark in Israel's history, at 1446 B.C. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. Answer: According to tradition, Yocheved lived long enough to enter the Holy Land with the Israelites.. In the New Testament, she is praised for her faith in God.[3]. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. The Apocrypha calls her Tharmuth, other names suggested are Merris, or Bityah, perhaps even the well-known Hatshepsut( HAT shep shoot). In the midrashic exegesis, the Egyptians counted the months of her pregnancy only from her return to Amram; they did not know that she was already in the third month (see above), and so Moses could be hidden in his parents home until he had had time to grow and develop. He treasures up His bright designs We face a variety of trials. She was probably about the same age as Amram or maybe even younger. She is identified as Shiphrah, one of the Hebrew midwives who saved the newborn baby boys from Pharaoh. Robert Lehigh, Editor Finally, when they did speak, they concluded that Job was among the worst of sinners, and that he suffered as a result of deep sin in his life (Job 4:7). Here there would be less danger from crocodiles than if she just put him down on the beach. D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. He does them in a big way if we dare to trust Him. I have stayed my heart on Thee. I was in shock. Now if Jochebed was Levi's immediate daughter, than she would have been born sometime during Levi's lifetime. When Jacob went to stay with his uncle Laban, he met one of his daughters, Rachel, and loved her. We learn that secret by reading Hebrews 11:23, which says, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the kings commandment. Moses was hid in his home for three months, and then in the reeds by the river, not because Jochebed could not bear to see her child perish, or because she loved him too much to cast him into the river. What are some areas of your life you need to stop holding on to and start trusting God? The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. All three point to Christ. Would he be treated differently because he was Hebrew? How will you be encouraged by Jochebed to boldly face your fears today? Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165. Surely this was a time of great trial for Jochebed, but instead of manifesting fear and despair, she seemed to have confidence and hope. The second lesson is for heartbroken people who have to turn their dreams over to God. Text says she went to bathe in the Nile. She didnt just let him go, she was a woman of faith, and she let him go and trusted her God. F. Hebrew 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. 26:59): The name of Amrams wife was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. The midrash adds that she was conceived on the way to Egypt, and was born between the walls (at the entrance to Egypt). Mike Huckabee, Devorah Sklar (still trying to get her exact age) has died of COVID. Maybe you need to let go of a dream that is not going to come true; yet, the idea of letting it go seems too painful. Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. While he was still in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, and he hid the body. [Amram lived 137 years]. His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him. Trials are of many kinds and they change from day to dayand vary from person to person. According to another interpretation, Jochebed named her son Tov or Tobiah, which was what his parents called him until Pharaohs daughter renamed him Moses (BT Sotah 12a). Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. Jochebed was thrilled to be able to raise her son. There arc three arks mentioned in Scripture. "teaching," "study," or "learning." Surely the words of Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please God, include the concept of sustaining faith. Act out Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses. He had two mothers who loved him, two mothers who did all they could to save him from a certain death. She was seen crying once she let the basket that held . How do we know? And this is true; consideration must be given to the years that Jochebed, Moses' mother, was upon the earth after Levi died and before Moses was born. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Joshua 24:14 throw away gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt. One of the arguments advanced by Moses was his mothers suffering. The A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash portrays Jochebed as a wise woman who was righteous and God-fearing. Ex. ), and which, consequently, knew not the God of Joseph. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). This portrayal emphasizes the painstaking attention that Jochebed paid to every detail in the ark. They first became unlawful by the positive command recorded in Leviticus 18:12. "teaching," "study," or "learning." 3:31) (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah 29). We will notice several aspects of Jochebeds faith-walk. (We learn later, in Exodus 6:20, that the father and mother of Moses are named Amram and Jochebed.) Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. Only because she trusted the Lord could she abandon her son rather than see him killed. First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? 2:7, BT Sotah 12b). Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Amram married Jochebed for the sake of Heaven. There are several data points we have to nail down in order to properly defend the Bible 's assertion that 600,000 men left Egypt with Moses in the Exodus. 1:21), which the Rabbis understand as priestly and Levitical households, or as royal households. Jochebed did not say, Im going to throw the child into the river; if hes Gods man, God will somehow save him. That is not faith; that is fanaticism. Devorah was as active an anti-vaxxer as you'll see on this site. Devorah and her husband Maurice Sklar ran Maurice Sklar Ministries, founded by Maurice Sklar, which has about 10,000 followers online. (Amram lived to be 137 years old).". Has anything just happened to you recently that you know really was God working for you? 18:1214 (BT Sanhedrin 58b). Thus it was easy for Amram and Jochebed to add up the years of Israels stay in Egypt, and see that the time of deliverance which God had promised had almost come. And rides upon the storm. It was not uncommon for Pharaohs and other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River, as many Indians do today in the Ganges River. Would he forget me? Trials and difficulties and obstacles come to all of us, but for the moment, we want to look at the example found in the life of Jochebed. The Jews had been in Egypt for 400 years. After many hardships, Moses was used by God as his servant to free the Hebrew people from slavery and lead them to the edge of the promised land. Amram married Jochebed who was also from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacobs 12 sons. Also read Numbers 26:58-59. Part of her reward was an extremely long life, living to witness the positions of leadership held by her children, and she was even one of the Israelites who entered the land of Canaan. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. He feared they would join a foreign army against the Egyptians or start a rebellion. His mother, Jochebed (Arabic: , romanized:Ykbid), and her efforts to save the baby Moses are recounted.