Meaning
Zipporah is a Hebrew feminine proper name meaning “bird.”
Biblical Usage
In Scripture, Zipporah was the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, and the wife of Moses.
She bore Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
When Moses was returning to Egypt, the LORD met him and sought to kill him. Zipporah then took a sharp stone, circumcised their son, and touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin, saying, “Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.”
After this, the LORD let him go.
The account connects the circumcision of their son with the LORD’s judgment against Moses.
Key References
- Exodus 2:16-22
- Exodus 4:24-26
- Exodus 18:1-6
- Numbers 12:1
Related Terms
- Moses
- Jethro
- Gershom
- Eliezer
- Midian