Jochebed
Mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
Levite mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam — hid her son and gave him to the river by faith.
Jochebed (Exodus 6:20) was a daughter of Levi, wife of Amram, and mother of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses. Hebrews 11:23 honors the faith of Moses' parents who hid him from Pharaoh's edict.
Her Story
Pharaoh decreed every male Hebrew child cast into the river. Jochebed hid Moses three months. When she could no longer hide him she made an ark of bulrushes daubed with slime and pitch, laid him in the flags by the river's brink, and set Miriam to watch. Pharaoh's daughter found and pitied him; Miriam ran and fetched Jochebed herself to nurse him for wages. The mother of Moses was paid by Pharaoh's household to raise the deliverer of Israel.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Daughter of Levi, wife of Amram (Exodus 6:20)
- 2Mother of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses
- 3Hid Moses three months; made the ark of bulrushes (Exodus 2:2-3)
- 4Nursed her own son in Pharaoh's house (2:7-9)
- 5Commended for faith in Hebrews 11:23
Key KJV Scriptures
"And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months."
"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."
Why It Matters
Faith hid the deliverer in a river of death. The mother who could not keep her son entrusted him to God and received him back from Pharaoh's own table.
Application for Today
Give to God what you cannot protect. He returns it nursed in His providence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Jochebed' mean?
'The LORD is glory.' Hers is the first name in Scripture compounded with the divine name Yah — a Levite household that called God by His covenant name.
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