אז אמרה. מהו אז אמרה מתחלה כשראתה המלאך בולעו עד המילה לא הית' יודעת אם בשביל איחור מילת בנו אם בשביל מילת עצמו שהיה בא עליה ואינה הוגנת לו. ומ"מ כרתה ערלת בנה ותגע לרגליו ואמרה כי חתן דמים שמא בשבילו אתה נענש וירף ממנו אז אמרה חתן דמים למולות יודעת אני עתה בבירור שאתה אינך נענש כי אם בשביל איחור מילת בנך מה"ר אליהו כהן ז"ל: אז אמרה, “then she said, etc.” what is the reason for the introductory word: אז, “then,” at this point? At first Tzipporah was not sure when she saw that the angel stopped at the part of the body that is subject to circumcision whether it was on account of the delay in circumcising the infant, or whether it was on account of her attitude to circumcision altogether. It had become clear to her now that the problem was the delay in circumcising the infant. When she had performed the circumcision and the angel had desisted, and she had thrown the foreskin at his feet (either Moses, or the baby’s), she realised that the problem had been the delay in performing this commandment. She told her husband then that he was about to be punished for the delay, she had been given back to her husband (or her son) for having performed the commandment in his place. (Attributed to Rabbi Eliyahu Cohen)