Bible Dictionary
Zipporah
The Midianite wife of Moses and mother of Gershom and Eliezer. She circumcised her son during the journey toward Egypt.
Definition
Zipporah was the Midianite wife of Moses, daughter of Reuel or Jethro, and mother of Gershom and Eliezer. During the journey toward Egypt, she circumcised her son in the incident recorded in Exodus 4:24-26.
Biblical Usage
Zipporah appears in the account of Moses’ marriage, the circumcision of her son, and her later return with her sons to Moses. The supplied material also discusses, without certainty, whether she was the Cushite woman mentioned in Numbers 12:1.
Historical Background
Zipporah belonged to the family of the priest of Midian. After being sent back to her Midianite relatives, she and her sons later rejoined Moses.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A female bird. Reuel’s daughter, who became the wife of Moses (Ex. 2:21). In consequence of the event recorded in Ex. 4:24-26, she and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when so far on the way with Moses toward Egypt, were sent back by him to her own kinsfolk, the Midianites, with whom they sojourned till Moses afterwards joined them (18:2-6).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>zi-po'-ra, zip'-o-ra (tsipporah; Sepphora): The Midianite wife of Moses, daughter of Jethro, also called Hobab, and probably grand-daughter of Reuel, a priest of Midian at the time Moses fled from Egypt, later succeeded at his death by Jethro, or Hobab (Ex 2:21,22; 4:25,26; 18:2-6).</p><p>Whether or not Zipporah was the "Cushite woman" (Nu 12:1) is a much-mooted question. There is little ground for anything more than speculation on the subject. The use of the words, "Cushite woman" in the mouth of Aaron and Miriam may have been merely a description of Zipporah and intended to be opprobrious, or they may have been ethnic in character and intended to denote another woman whom Moses had married, as suggested by Ewald (Gesch. des Volkes Israel, II, 252). The former view seems the more probable. The association of Midian and Cushan by Habakkuk (3:7) more than 700 years afterward may hardly be adduced to prove like close relationship between these peoples in the days of Moses.</p><p>M. G. Kyle</p>