Zipporah
Daughter of Reuel, priest of Midian; wife of Moses; mother of Gershom and Eliezer (Exo 2:21; Exo 4:25; Exo 18:2; Exo 18:6). (See MOSES) The Cushite wife mentioned in Numbers 12 as the object of Miriam's jealousy can hardly have been Zipporah who was then long before married to Moses, but probably a second wife taken after Zipporah's death. Josephus (Ant. 2:10, Section 2.) makes him marry at Meroe one Ethiopian princess.
Zipporah as a Midianitess had delayed the circumcision of her son; her perversity well nigh brought divine vengeance on Moses. With reluctance and anger she circumcised him, exclaiming, "A bloody husband art thou to me because of the circumcision," which binds thee to me afresh. Zipporah recovered her husband's life at the cost of her child's blood. This event at the inn seemingly induced Moses to send her back to her father as one unable to brave the trials of God's people.
Jethro brought her back to Moses in Rephidim during the first year's sojourn in the wilderness, the last time she is mentioned. Miriam's jealousy was in the second year. Zipporah's marriage must have been between the first and the second years. Habakkuk (Hab 3:7) connects Midian and Cushan, so that some think Zipporah is meant by the Cushite wife; but probabilities are on the other side. Only Canaanite wives were forbidden (Exo 34:11-16).
Moses' marriage to a Midianitess and a Cushite successively typifies the extension of God's covenant to the Gentiles (Psa 45:9, etc.; Son 1:4, etc.); Miriam's and Aaron's murmuring answers to that of the Jews at the comprehension of the Gentiles (Luk 15:29-30).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Zipporah
Zipporah 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). ⇒See a list of verses on ZIPPORAH in the Bible. 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. M. G. Kyle ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclope…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Zipporah
One of the daughters of the priest of Midian, Ex 2"- ^ (J), wife of Moses and mother of Gershom. According to 18^ (E) she had another son.* For the part played by her in connexion with the circumcbion of Gershom, i-*"- (J), see art. CIRCUMCISION, vol. i. p. 443*. Zipporah, who was a Midianitess, cannot of course be the ' Cushite woman ' (see vol. iii. p. 442'' notet) of Nu 12'. On the name Zipporah see preceding article.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia