Lexical Definition
צִפֹּרָה Tsippôrâh (tsip-po-raw') Zipporah N:N-F-P
feminine of צִפּוֹר; bird
Zipporah.
- § Zipporah = "bird"
- Tsipporah, Moses' wife
1) daughter of Reuel or Jethro, wife of Moses, and mother of Gershom and Eliezer
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| צִפֹּרָ֥ה | Zipporah | Exod.2.21 |
| צִפֹּרָ֜ה | Zipporah | Exod.4.25 |
| צִפֹּרָ֖ה | Zipporah | Exod.18.2 |
| Σεπφώραν | Zipporah | LXX.Exod.2.21 • LXX.Exod.18.2 |
Extended Information
- A woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.21
- daughter of: Jethro (יִתְרוֹ)
- sister of: Eliasaph (אֶלְיָסָף) and Hobab (חֹבָב); married to Moses (מֹשֶׁה)
- mother of: Gershom (גֵּרְשֹׁם) and Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
צִפֹּרָה proper name, feminine wife of Moses (bird); — Exod 2:21; Exod 4:25; Exod 18:2 Σεπφωρα (compare LagBN 90 Anm.*).
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 2:21 · 4:25 · 18:2 |
Profile
Female • Sister of Hobab • Wife of Moses, daughter of Jethro
Woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness
Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, was Moses' wife and the mother of his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exo.2.21; 4.25; 18.2).
- A woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.21;
- only referred to as Zipporah צִפֹּרָה;
- daughter of Jethro יִתְרוֹ;
- a sister of Hobab חֹבָב;
- wife of Moses מֹשֶׁה;
- mother of Gershom גֵּרְשֹׁם and Eliezer אֱלִיעֶזֶר.
Zipporah was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro (also known as Reuel), the priest of Midian. She first appears in the biblical narrative when Moses fled from Egypt and settled in Midian (Exodus 2:21). Zipporah and Moses were married and had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. In Exodus 4:24-26, during Moses' return to Egypt, Zipporah circumcised their son and cast the foreskin at Moses' feet, saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" This enigmatic event seems to have resolved a divine threat against Moses' life. Later, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Zipporah and her sons were sent back to Jethro (Exodus 18:2). They were reunited with Moses when Jethro brought them to him in the wilderness (Exodus 18:5-6). As the wife of Moses, Zipporah played a significant role in his personal life and, by extension, in the history of Israel.
All entries for Zipporah: צִפֹּרָה