Norman, I think the idea that circumcision was done before marriage is interesting, but there is another unusual possibility. I didn't want to mention it, but Nir said something like the idea. Maybe Ex. 4:23-26 mentions G-d as Israel's father (Israel is His first born son) and that G-d Himself was after the person He wanted to kill (Moses or his son). If Zipporah married an Israelite, G-d could be her "father-in-law", so she might have circumcised her son and said "because You are a father-in-law of blood to Me" or "because a father in law of blood came to me" (since G-d was there sort of) and the blood referred to the circumcision. I don't like this idea as much as some of the others, but it makes some sense.
Kenneth Greifer _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
