Zippor
Pronounced ZIH-por
- Meaning
- "Bird; Sparrow; Little bird"
- Origin
- Hebrew
Zippor means "bird" or "sparrow" in Hebrew. He was the father of King Balak of Moab — the king who hired Balaam to curse Israel. While Zippor himself plays no active role in the narrative, his name connects to one of Scripture's most tender images of divine care. Jesus used the sparrow as a picture of God's intimate awareness: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." The Psalmist also used the sparrow tenderly: "Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God." The sparrow nesting at God's altar is one of the Psalter's most intimate images. Though Zippor's name was ordinary, its meaning connects to Jesus' most comforting teachings about divine providence. If God watches over each sparrow, how much more does He watch over His children?
Spiritual meaning
Zippor — 'sparrow' — connects to Jesus' most tender promise: not one sparrow falls without your Father's knowledge. If God cares for the littlest bird, He surely cares for you.
Related verses (KJV)
"And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites."
Numbers 22:2 (KJV) →"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father... Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Matthew 10:29-31 (KJV) →