Who Was Jochebed in the Bible — In Biblical Context
Jochebed was the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, whose courageous faith saved baby Moses from Pharaoh's decree to kill Hebrew boys.
Jochebed was the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, whose courageous faith saved baby Moses from Pharaoh's decree to kill Hebrew boys.
"And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein." — Exodus 2:2-3 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Jochebed is one of the Bible's great mothers of faith. When Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew male infants killed, she hid Moses for three months, then placed him in a waterproof basket on the Nile (Exodus 2:2-3). Her faith is commended in Hebrews 11:23. Through God's providence, Pharaoh's daughter found Moses and unknowingly hired Jochebed herself to nurse her own son. Jochebed raised three children who became Israel's greatest leaders: Moses the lawgiver, Aaron the high priest, and Miriam the prophetess. Her story demonstrates how a mother's faith and courage can shape the destiny of nations.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Exodus 2:2-3, sits inside Exodus 2. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein."
Supporting Passages
"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."
"And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses."
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