Zipporah
Zipporah, the wife of Moses and daughter of the Midianite priest Jethro, played a pivotal role during Moses' return journey to Egypt. In a mysterious incident recounted in Exodus, God confronted Moses at a lodging place and sought to kill him, likely due to the uncircumcised state of their son in violation of the Abrahamic covenant. Zipporah quickly circumcised the boy with a flint stone and declared Moses a "bridegroom of blood," after which the threat was averted. This event underscores the critical importance of covenant obedience in Scripture and highlights Zipporah's decisive intervention at a moment crucial to the Exodus narrative.
Biography
- Occupation
- Wife of Moses
- Father
- Jethro
- Era
- Exodus
- Nationality
- Midianite
Family
Did You Know?
Zipporah's decisive circumcision of her son in Exodus 4:24-26, using a flint knife and declaring Moses a 'bridegroom of blood,' represents the Bible's sole account of a woman performing this rite and may reflect an ancient Midianite apotropaic ritual to ward off divine attack on an uncircumcised household.
Her father, the Midianite priest variously named Reuel, Jethro, or Hobab, likely trained Zipporah in ritual practices that informed her intervention, highlighting cultural exchange between Hebrew and Midianite traditions during the Late Bronze Age.
After being sent back to her father during the plagues, Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, were restored to Moses at Mount Sinai in Exodus 18, underscoring her role in bridging the Midianite priesthood with emerging Israelite leadership.
The Hebrew meaning of her name, 'bird,' may allude to protective or swift qualities in folklore, while some scholars connect her to the 'Cushite woman' criticized by Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12 as evidence of resistance to foreign wives in Moses' family.
Zipporah's actions in the 'bridegroom of blood' episode possibly addressed Moses' failure to circumcise their son due to his Egyptian upbringing, illustrating tensions between patriarchal covenant requirements and maternal agency in Exodus narratives.
Key Passages
Zipporah Circumcises Her Son
Exodus 4:24-26
This passage shows how swiftly honoring God's covenant can protect a family and preserve His greater purposes.
24nd it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.