Zipporah

ZIPPORAH, or Sephora, Daughter of Jethro, and Wife of Moses, and Mother of Eliezer and Gershom. When Moses was forced to fly out of Egypt,¹ he withdrew into the Country of Midian; and there having stood up in the defence of the Daughters of Jethro, the Priest or Prince of the City of Midian, against the Shepherds who would have hinder’d them from watering their Flocks; Jethro took him into his House, and gave him his Daughter Zipporah in Marriage, by whom he had two Sons, Eliezer and Gershom.

Several Years after,² when Moses, in obedience to the Commands of the Lord, set out to return into Egypt, with Zipporah and his two Sons, when they were in a publick Inn, the Angel of the Lord was about to put him to death: But it is not clearly expressed in the Text, whether it was Moses or Eliezer that the Angel was to put to Death. Upon which Zipporah took a sharp Stone, and having circumcised her Son, she laid hold of the Feet of Moses, saying, You are a bloody Husband unto me. After which the Angel quitted Moses, or Eliezer; and Zipporah, with her two Sons, went back to her Father Jethro.

Some time after this, when Moses had brought the People of Israel out of Egypt, and they were advanced as far as the Camp of Sinai,³ Jethro came to meet Moses, and brought with him Zipporah and her two Sons. Moses received them with all possible Demonstrations of Joy and Affection. See the Articles JETHRO and MOSES. The Scripture tells us no other Particulars of the Life of Zipporah; only we see, that a Quarrel arose between her, Aaron, and Miriam. The Matter is thus related in the Book of Numbers:⁴ And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses, because of the Ethiopian Woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman (or Cushite). And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not also spoken by us? And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the

Read this article in its place on the printed pages