The narrative of her pregnancy with Moses is amusingly incorporated in an exegesis relating to the time of the Rabbis. Numbers 26: 59 - "Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. During the few years, Jochebed was permitted to nurse her son, she would have had a profound influence upon him. Have you ever worked in the baby bed nursery at church? Answer (1 of 23): Re your query: According to Exodus 2, Moses' mother gave him back to Pharoah's daughter. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. But this couple worshipped Jehovah God. Keep him quiet? God always honors such faith as theirs. He had a string tied to the boat and was holding the string in his handbut the string slipped from his fingers, and a breeze carried the boat beyond his reach. All must work for good to me. Would he forget our family? The wording she placed it among the reeds (ibid.) Ex. She appears briefly in The Prince of Egypt under the name 'Yocheved', voiced by (and resembling) Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza. Jochebed and her husband served God and all though we know not a lot about them, their son Moses saved the Israelis from the Egyptians. 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. Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Hebrew: MSH Mosheh (M. T.), Greek: Mouses, Moses. God blessed Jochebed's obedience by making her Moses' nursemaid. His three friends sat for seven days and simply shook their heads in despair without saying a word (Job 2:13). Ex. To protect Moses from Pharaoh's command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. The question of Jochebeds kinship to Amram arises from the statement in Ex. In all three explanations, Jochebed immediately comprehended that her son was meant for greatness and she discerned that he possessed unique spiritual qualities. Rabbah [ed. 2:7, BT Sotah 12b). I want to be sure to add, even if this sounds like heresy in our health, wealth, prosperity theology culture: When you let go and trust God not all babies in baskets are rescued, not all illnesses are healed, not all jobs are restored, not all relationships are mended but this is True: when you let go and trust Him God is glorified and He will work it out for ultimate good. A number of miracles were performed for Jochebed in connection with the birth of Moses: she bore him at the age of one hundred and thirty, and God restored her youth and her beauty. [23] According to biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the Levites the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronids;[24] Aaron the eponymous ancestor of the Aaronids couldn't be portrayed as a brother to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as the narrative about the birth of Moses (brother of Aaron), which textual scholars attribute to the earlier Elohist source, mentions only that both his parents were Levites (without identifying their names). She was probably about the same age as Amram or maybe even younger. Robert Lehigh, Editor She is described as the daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt (Num. This is a clear example of how God gives, provides, and answers more abundantly than we can even ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. According to Jewish legend, Jochebed is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. On what was this confidence and hope based? The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . My mother Jochebeds teeth were blunted by [the death of] two of her children in her lifetime; will more of her teeth be blunted by my death? But this argument, too, was of no avail (Deut. It is doubtful whether the decree of the wicked Pharaoh will be fulfilled, but you are righteous, and your decree will undoubtedly be fulfilled. Amram heeded his daughter, and returned to his wife, whom he remarried in a public celebration with all possible pomp and ceremony: he sat her in a palanquin, Aaron and Miriam danced before her, and the ministering angels proclaimed (Ps. Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible - Jochebed. Learn Religions, Sep. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165. In 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings, she was portrayed by British Actress Anna Savva. The Pharaoh's daughter agreed and so Miriam called her mother, who was appointed to take care of him. The sage, who wanted to awaken them, said: A single woman in Egypt gave birth to sixty myriads from a single stomach. There was a pupil there named R. Ishmael son of R. Yose, who asked him: Was this really so? He [Rabbi] replied: This is Jochebed, who bore Moses, who is deemed the equivalent of sixty myriads of Israel (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:15:3). By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. She didnt just let him go, she was a woman of faith, and she let him go and trusted her God. He turned to his three friends, and said in essence, Although I dont know why I am called upon to face this trial, I do know the joy of fellowship with God, and though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him (Job 13:15). Jesus says to us, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32). The Rabbis resolve this abbreviated chronology by stating that Jochebed and Amram divorced, and Ex. This brings us to the influence one mother had on history - not only the history of her family, but the entire history of the children of Israel. Accordingly, Prov. = Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Amram Remarries Jochebed His Name Bringing Heaven Down to Earth Sinless Amram Marries Jochebed Amram married his aunt Jochebed in Egypt. 1:17 relates that the midwives, fearing God, let the boys live; their reward for fearing God, according to the midrash, is Torah: because Jochebed feared the Lord, she gave birth to Moses, through whom the Torah was given (Ex. Is it your past? I imagine he learned about the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the Great Covenantal promises made to the Hebrews. Even today, I cant tell you how hard it is at times not to want somehow control his diabetes: to make sure hes eating good food, exercising, taking care of himself, but he has a wife and two daughtersI really have to Let it go and trust Godand I do Trust and pray . He ordered all male Hebrew babies to be killed. Jochebed was aware, when she was expecting a new arrival in the family, that if the child should be a boythe decree was that the male baby would have to perish in the Nile Riverand if the parents disobeyed, they too were subject to death. The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses, and their sister Miriam. We dont know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. Have you ever been there? Exodus 2:10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, and he became her son. I learned to give injections, to plan meals, to test blood, to watch for highs and lows, and I learned to trust God in a new, powerful way. The Torah relates that the midwives did not fulfill Pharaohs command because they feared God, who rewarded them for their actions: He established households [battim] for them (Ex. The midrash describes in detail how she prepared the ark for Moses. The name Jochebed is the earliest known compounded with Jah, or Jehovah. Hold on to things and people with open hands, like Jochebed they know when to release and. Pharaoh decreed only for this world, but you decreed both for this world and the next [a baby that was born and died as a result of Pharaohs decree would merit the World to Come, but an unborn child would not attain this]. she took pity on the baby. Happy Womens History Month! (NET). Maybe youve not given a child up for adoption, but Im sure that most everyone here has some experience with giving up something precious to you. She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. ), wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Num. Jochebed herself was from the tribe of Levi, and her two sons Aaron and Moses attained the High Priesthood and the scepter of royalty (BT Suspected adulteressSotah 11b). Miriam, who was six years old at the time, said: Father, father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh. When you let go, when you released that person or that thing, did you feel like part of you was breaking; now there was some new emptiness in your life? She is noted among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. She had to walk away. The midrash apparently understands builds her house in a broad sense, because Jochebeds wisdom in the raising of her own children led to the building and firm establishment of the entire people of Israel. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. Jochebed just happened to be available and able to nurse? And the woman took the child, and nursed it (Exodus 2:9). Josephus and the Fathers assign the Coptic mo (water) and uses (saved) as the constituent parts of the name. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. First, some background. (Isaiah 18:2 writes that the Egyptians made their boats, skiffs out of this material. When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud discusses this relationship in the context of the incest prohibitions in Lev. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. 2:1), and thus was Amram's paternal aunt (Ex. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. To protect Moses from Pharaohs command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and she married Amram, with whom she gave birth to Aaron, Miriam, and Moses. Jochebeds name means, Honor of God or God is glory. Who was the mother of kohath? Moses was a prophet during biblical times. Deep in unfathomable mines But soon he noticed that the stones were going beyond the boat and forming huge circular waves in the waterand those waves were bringing his boat toward the shore. A careful reader of the Bible account can almost picture Miriam (the older sister of Moses) running to her mother and telling her what had happened. Now if Jochebed was Levi's immediate daughter, than she would have been born sometime during Levi's lifetime. This word conveys the possibility that Jochebed sensed something was special about her new baby boy. Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. The next day the Egyptian women would say that I nursed the one who speaks with the Shekhinah [the Divine Presence] (Ex. Surely Jochebed would have told little Moses stories of the faithfulness of the God of Israel. He said: Master of the Universe! Jochebed complied with the royal decree, but in protecting the child from the deep waters of the river, the essential point of the decree (killing the male babies) was disregarded. 78). After all she did have a husband and two other children to consider and take care of. Thats a significant fact. For others, a family member rebels against the Gospel plan of salvation. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. 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). She was portrayed by Martha Scott. Answer: As the verse doesn't state what Jochebed's intentions were, the matter is open to speculation. The latter had spoken impudently to Pharaoh, who sought to kill her in his anger. Also read Numbers 26:58-59. 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. We go through many trials in our life, but Jochebed, a woman who feared God, had the one of the worst nightmares of any mother. The Rabbis deduced from this that righteous women are not subject to the decree passed on Eve (that is, the curse of in pain shall you bear children [Gen. 3:16] does not apply to them) (BT Sotah 12a). She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. She looks like and is voiced by the late Ofra Haza. I wonder. Exodus 2:1-2 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi. God, who is the great Architect of our destinies, allows nothing to come into our lives except that which is for our ultimate good and blessing (Romans 8:28). Can you see the Providence of God in this story? Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. Hebrews 11:23, 2:1 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. [Amram lived 137 years]. This would make Jochebed the aunt of Amram, her husband. Joseph, Jacob's son, was a ruler in Egypt at that time and the children of Jacob (Israel) were treated kindly. 2:12 state that he married a Levite woman. A resolute faith and holy background were the foundation for her remarkable strength and trust in the promises of God. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. Here is part of the irony of the passage: What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness compassion for a baby is a strong enough emotion to prompt the (this) woman to defy the orders of Pharaoh. She found herself in a terrible. According to the Bible, Jochebed (/jkbd/; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized:Yee, lit. Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. Soon, Moses got word that Pharaoh knew what he had done and was going to kill him, so he fled from Egypt to the land of Midian to avoid prosecution. But Exodus 2:5 says that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. The Torah seemingly chose to concentrate on the birth of Israels deliverer, and therefore did not mention his two elder siblings. Gods purpose in redeeming Israel depended at that very moment on the pitiful cry of a little baby. He said, for example, I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. Likewise, we have nothing to fear when we learn to rely on God. It means "the glory of Jehovah." He does them in a big way if we dare to trust Him. Cain the first human murderer recorded in the Bible, Jephthah the Gileadite the tenth Judge of Israel, Samuel 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information: For Hebrews Chapter 11. When she no longer could keep him, she gave him away to save his life. The Rabbis say that when the daughter of Pharaoh asked of Jochebed: Take [helikhi] this child and nurse it for me (Ex. Rather, this verse teaches that Jochebeds pregnancy was without suffering, just as she gave birth without pain. Each was a prophet, and each served Israel (provided them physical succor): by merit of Moses, the Israelites were given the manna; by merit of Aaron, clouds of glory surrounded the Israelites and protected them during their journeying in the wilderness; and by merit of Miriam, the well accompanied them wherever they went. For others, health deteriorates, death takes a loved one, and plans for the future are shattered. 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