ZIPPORAH zĭp’ ə rə (צִפֹּרָ֥ה, LXX Σεπφώρα meaning bird, one of the seven daughters of Jethro [Reuel], priest of Midian [Exod 2:21, 22], Moses’ first wife and mother of Gershom and Eliezer [Exod 2:22; 18:3f.]). When Moses returned to Egypt, Zipporah and her sons accompanied him. On the way Yahweh rebuked Moses, either because he had not been circumcised before his marriage, or because he had not circumcised his son. Zipporah reluctantly obeyed her husband by circumcising her son, and then apparently touched Moses with the bloody foreskin and declared, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood” (Exod 4:24-26). Zipporah and her sons Gershom and Eliezer later returned to Jethro (Exod 18:2-4).