The law earlier given to Abraham regarding circumcision stated: “An uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.” (Gen. 17:14) It being, not Moses, but his son who was uncircumcised, the boy’s life was evidently the one threatened by Jehovah’s angel.

It was the angel of Jehovah that had the power from God to kill Moses’ son for not being in accord with the covenant of circumcision.