Jochebed

Jochebed was a daughter of Levi and the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. When Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew baby boys to be drowned in the Nile, she hid Moses for three months and then placed him in a waterproof basket among the reeds. Her faith and ingenuity saved Moses' life and she was even hired by Pharaoh's daughter to nurse her own son.

Etymology & Roots

Jochebed (יוֹכֶבֶד, Yokheved) is a theophoric compound uniquely significant as one of the earliest names in Scripture to incorporate the divine name YHWH. It joins יוֹ (Yo-), the contracted form of YHWH, with כָּבֵד (kaved), from the root כָּבַד (kavad), meaning "to be heavy," "to be honored," or "to be glorious." The name thus declares "Yahweh is glory" or "Yahweh is honored."

Remarkably, Jochebed is identified in Exodus 6:20 as a daughter of Levi, meaning she bore this YHWH-name before the divine name was formally revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14–15), which has generated considerable scholarly discussion about the antiquity of the divine name's use in Israel.

Biblical Bearers

Only one Jochebed is named in Scripture, but her significance is immeasurable. She was the daughter of Levi, wife of Amram, and the mother of three towering figures: Miriam, Aaron, and Moses (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). Her courageous faith in defying Pharaoh's infanticide decree — hiding Moses for three months and then placing him in a sealed basket among the Nile's reeds — is celebrated in Hebrews 11:23 as an act of faith.

Through divine providence she was hired by Pharaoh's own daughter to nurse her son, ensuring that Moses was raised knowing his Hebrew identity even in the palace.

Theological Significance

Jochebed's name — "Yahweh is glory" — prophesied the life's work of the son she saved. The glory of Yahweh would rest on Mount Sinai, fill the tabernacle, and be mediated to Israel through Moses. Before Moses ever encountered the burning bush, his mother's name had declared the glory of the God he would serve. Her defiance of Pharaoh was an act of faith in that glory — the conviction that YHWH's purposes could not be drowned in the Nile.

Hebrews 11:23 numbers her faith alongside the great heroes of Scripture, and rightly so: without Jochebed's courage, the Exodus would never have had its human instrument. She is the hidden root beneath Israel's liberation.

Discover the meanings and origins of 409 biblical names.