Zipporah
Wife of Moses
Daughter of Jethro and wife of Moses — saved his life with the circumcision of their son.
Zipporah ('little bird'), daughter of Jethro priest of Midian, became the wife of Moses during his forty-year exile (Exodus 2:21). She bore him Gershom and Eliezer and acted swiftly when the LORD met Moses on the road to Egypt.
Her Story
Moses fled Pharaoh to Midian, defended Jethro's daughters at the well, and married Zipporah. When God called Moses back to Egypt, the LORD met him at an inn and sought to kill him for failing to circumcise his son. Zipporah took a sharp stone, circumcised the child, and cast the foreskin at Moses' feet, saying, 'Surely a bloody husband art thou to me' (Exodus 4:25). Later Jethro brought Zipporah and her sons to Moses in the wilderness (Exodus 18:2-6).
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Daughter of Jethro/Reuel, priest of Midian (Exodus 2:16-21)
- 2Mother of Gershom and Eliezer (18:3-4)
- 3Circumcised her son to spare Moses' life (4:24-26)
- 4Reunited with Moses after the Exodus (18:2-6)
Key KJV Scriptures
"And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land."
"Then 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."
Why It Matters
Zipporah's decisive obedience preserved the deliverer of Israel. The covenant sign could not be neglected — even by the one God was sending to redeem His people.
Application for Today
God's leaders are not exempt from God's commands. Half-obedience in the home undermines public calling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the LORD seek to kill Moses?
Most expositors hold that Moses had neglected to circumcise his son — the covenant sign given to Abraham. To lead a covenant people, the covenant must first be kept at home.
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