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Zipporah

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Moses' wife and daughter of Jethro, who performed the circumcision of their son in Exodus; in poetry, she represents decisive action, intercultural marriage, and maternal courage.

Detailed Definition
Zipporah, a Midianite, saved Moses from divine wrath by performing circumcision, showing quick faith in crisis. She later returned to Moses in the wilderness. In poetry, Zipporah represents the foreign wife who acts decisively in covenant obedience, the protector of the prophet’s life, and the bridge between cultures in God’s redemptive plan—often symbolizing the unexpected agent of salvation in moments of divine severity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Exodus 2:21, Zipporah marries Moses—a union used in poetry about cross-cultural partnership; In Exodus 4:24–26, Zipporah’s quick action with a flint knife inspires dramatic verse about saving Moses’ life; Contemporary feminist poetry honors Zipporah as Midianite woman who shaped Israel’s liberator; In poems about ritual, Zipporah’s circumcision of her son becomes act of covenant fidelity; Some liturgical works include Zipporah in litanies of women who intervened at critical moments; Educational poems cite Zipporah to teach about identity, marriage, and divine encounter.
Additional Notes
Zipporah, Moses’ Midianite wife and daughter of Jethro, plays a crucial role in Exodus 4 by circumcising their son, saving Moses from divine wrath; her action—though enigmatic—highlights female agency in covenantal continuity; poets use Zipporah to explore intercultural marriage, ritual intervention, and the often-overlooked women who sustain prophetic missions.
Also Known As
Zipporah wife of Moses Zipporah daughter of Jethro
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