Who Was Zipporah in the Bible — Meaning Explained

Zipporah, whose name means 'bird' or 'sparrow,' was the daughter of Jethro (Reuel), priest of Midian, and the wife of Moses. Moses met her when he fled Egypt after killing the Egyptian taskmaster. He defended Zipporah and her sisters at a well, and Jethro gave her to Moses in marriage. She bore Moses two sons: Gershom, meaning 'a stranger there,' reflecting Moses' foreign status; and Eliezer, meaning 'God is my help,' commemorating God's deliverance. Zipporah's most dramatic appearance is in Exodus 4:24-26. As Moses was returning to Egypt with his family, 'the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.' The reason is not stated explicitly, but the context suggests that Moses had failed to circumcise his son, as required by the Abrahamic covenant. Zipporah 'took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me: so he let him go.' The phrase 'a bloody husband' reflects her shock and perhaps anger at the situation. Her quick action saved Moses' life and preserved the mission. After the exodus, Jethro brought Zipporah and the boys to meet Moses in the wilderness. Curiously, Exodus 18:2 says that Moses had 'sent her away' — some understand this as a separation or divorce, while others suggest he sent her home for safety during the plagues and journey. In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses because of the 'Ethiopian woman whom he had married.' Some scholars identify this Ethiopian (Cushite) woman with Zipporah, though she was Midianite. Others suggest Moses married a second woman after Zipporah's death. The matter is debated. Zipporah's story is brief but significant. She was a foreign woman who married Israel's greatest leader, saved his life, and bore sons who would be part of Israel's story. Yet she also represents the tensions of leadership and family in God's service.