Who Was Zipporah and What Can We Learn from Her Life?
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Zipporah may be one of the most intriguing figures in the early books of the Bible. Daughter to a priest, wife of the emancipator of the Israelites from captivity and bondage in Egypt, her unique status invites many questions.
Who was she? How did she fit in with Moses’ life after God called him to lead the Hebrew people? What can her life and her decisions tell believers today about the human condition?
There are many lessons to learn from the marriage of Moses and Zipporah about leadership, communication, and how there can be unintended consequences to zealous obedience.
Who Was Zipporah in the Bible?
Zipporah first appeared in the Book of Exodus after Moses fled Egypt. After being taken in by the family of the Pharaoh, Moses grew up among the upper class in the culture, but he did become aware of his Hebrew lineage. Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him, was aware of his heritage when she found him the basket, but raised him anyway.
At the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he saw abusing a Hebrew. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds.
In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. The Bible records, “She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a sojourner in a foreign land’” (Exodus 2:22).
The details of the quality of their marriage over time are difficult to discern, as she spent time with Moses in Egypt, came into conflict with him and his family, and did eventually take their son back to Midian.
What Did Zipporah Do?
There are several interesting passages about interactions between Zipporah, her husband, and her in-laws. In each one, she seems to come into conflict with the culture of her husband, as well as being stuck between Moses the man, and Moses the prophet.
Much of the tension in their marriage is documented only after Moses began to step into his role as the liberator of the Hebrews.
The first sign of trouble came when Moses set off to Egypt after forty years of exile.
And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. Exodus 4:21-26
This passage can be difficult to understand, and different thinkers and theologians have various interpretations of what happened here. What can be understood is that Moses had not had his son circumcised eight days after his birth, neglecting his covenant responsibility as a descendent of Abraham. He knew God wanted his son circumcised, and Zipporah felt forced to take action.
The next documented moment in Zipporah’s life came after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt.
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it... When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have d15one foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. Exodus 12:1-3, Exodus 12:10-15
Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam turned against their brother because he married someone who was not from the race or culture. They believed Zipporah’s ethnicity disqualified him from being God’s sole mouthpiece. God did not agree, punishing Miriam with leprosy to make an example of their bigotry and pride.
The last mention of Zipporah came while the Hebrews were camped in the wilderness near Mount Sinai.
Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. Exodus 18:2-5
This passage reveals that sometime after the exit from Egypt, Zipporah gave birth to another son named Eliezer, and was either sent back, or returned to Midian to be with her father.
Once the Israelites were closer to his own land, he came to visit and brought Zipporah and the two boys with him. This passage mostly focuses on Jethro aiding Moses in getting help judging the conflicts among the tribes. It is unclear whether she remained with Moses or returned to Midian.
What Can We Learn from Zipporah's Life?
Zipporah lived a fascinating life, getting to travel great distances, and being in an inter-cultural relationship. Because of the lack of context surrounding her actions, it can be easy to ignore the lessons her life provides, but there is quite a bit to be gleaned.
Marriage takes hard work and clear communication from both sides: Zipporah and Moses did not always understand one another, and sometimes Moses got so caught up dealing with his responsibilities to the Hebrew people he forgot about his duties at home. Zipporah did not seem to always let Moses know what she needed. God hates divorce, and wants strong marriages, and communication is part of that.
Parents share responsibility for raising their children: The incident at the inn where Zipporah circumcised their son is difficult to understand, especially in a modern context. It does show that both parents bore responsibility for raising their child up in alignment with God’s ordinances. Regardless of which parent failed to have their son circumcised, both had to confront this choice later in life, and Gershom paid a price for that.
In-laws have an impact in a relationship: Moses’ siblings did not like Zipporah and spoke badly about their brother because of it. Jethro helped his son-in-law by encouraging him to delegate some of his responsibilities. In a marriage, spouses should support one another and help navigate the relationship with their respective relations. Part of why God cursed Miriam with leprosy was because Moses would not stand up to her.
Intercultural/interracial marriages can work and are Biblical: Zipporah and Moses came from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Zipporah was called a Cushite, meaning at least part if not all of her heritage was from Africa. Despite the difficulties in their relationship, Moses and Zipporah did have two children and were married for decades before he went back to Egypt. God blessed them with children.
Being married to a person with a passion or calling can be hard: Zipporah’s husband confronted the most powerful ruler in the world at the time, saw God so much he was physically changed, and led people through the wilderness for forty years. They had several rough patches in their marriage in part because of Moses’ devotion to his responsibilities. While this devotion is not a bad thing, it requires extra work to make the relationship work.
There are some people in the Bible whose lives we only see in bits and pieces, and Zipporah is one of those figures. Her mysterious life leaves us with more questions than answers, but it does not mean her life was not worth studying. God used her to be a mother, a partner, and preserved her memory in His Word.
Sources
Lockyer, Herbert. All the Women of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1967.
Lutzer, Erwin. Getting Closer to God Lessons from the Life of Moses. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011.
Patterson, Dorothy. Touched by Greatness Women in the Life of Moses. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2011.
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Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.