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ZIPPORAH

(Heb. ṣippōrâ)

Wife of Moses and daughter of a Midianite priest, Reuel/Jethro (Exod. 2:16-22). Zipporah gave birth to two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

Zipporah’s most important role comes in the mysterious account of a threat to Moses’ life in Exod. 4:24-26, in which she is responsible for saving Moses from a divine attack on his life. The reason for the attempt to kill Moses is not given, but Zipporah’s quick thinking and acting ward off the divine menace. According to the narrative, she performs a threefold act: cutting off her son’s foreskin, touching his feet (perhaps a euphemism for his genitals), and saying the words, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood (Heb. ḥăṯan dāmîm) to me!” (Exod. 4:25). This has been compared to some kind of a ritual or priestly function, but there several problems of interpretation. To whom does the pronoun “he” refer in the second step, Moses or the son? The narrative leaves it unclear as to whom Zipporah spoke the words in Exod. 4:25. Also, there is considerable debate about the interpretation of ḥăṯan dāmîm. In addition, there is no information about how Zipporah knew what to do to save her husband.

According to the tradition found in Exod. 18:1-9, Zipporah and her sons remained with Jethro during Moses’ involvement in the Exodus. Jethro brought Zipporah and the children with him when he met the Israelites in the wilderness.

Lisa W. Davison

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ZIPPORAH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)