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Sunday, December 21st, 2025
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Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

Exodus 2:21

Therfor Moises swoor, that he wolde dwelle with Jetro; and he took a wijf, Sefora, `the douyter of Jetro.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jethro;   Moses;   Zipporah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kenites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Cush;   Pharaoh;   Raguel;   Zipporah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Kenites;   Midian;   Moses;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ethiopian Woman;   Marriage;   Midianite;   Zipporah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Midian;   Raguel;   Zipporah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cush;   Zipporah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Jethro;   Marriage;   Moses;   Zipporah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Midian, Midianites ;   Zipporah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dwelling;   Midian;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mid'ian;   Mo'ses;   Zip'porah,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Exodus, the;   On to Sinai;   On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cushite, (Ethiopian) Woman;   Exodus, the Book of;   Jethro;   Marriage;   Midian;   Moses;   Reuel;   Shiphrah;   Zipporah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;   Marriage;   Zipporah;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moshe Tzipporah, his daughter.
King James Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Lexham English Bible
And Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
New Century Version
Moses agreed to stay with Jethro, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.
New English Translation
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
Amplified Bible
Moses was willing to remain with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah [to be his wife].
New American Standard Bible
And Moses was willing to live with the man. And he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Moses agreed to dwell with the man: who gaue vnto Moses Zipporah his daughter:
Legacy Standard Bible
And Moses was willing to settle down with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Contemporary English Version
Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses.
Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe was glad to stay on with the man, and he gave Moshe his daughter Tzipporah in marriage.
Darby Translation
And Moses consented to remain with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Easy-to-Read Version
Moses was happy to stay with that man. Reuel let Moses marry his daughter, Zipporah.
English Standard Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah.
George Lamsa Translation
And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Good News Translation
So Moses decided to live there, and Jethro gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage,
Christian Standard Bible®
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
Literal Translation
And Moses consented to live with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gaue Moses his doughter Zipora,
American Standard Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Bible in Basic English
And Moses was happy to go on living with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses was content to dwell with the man: & he gaue Moyses Sephora his daughter:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
King James Version (1611)
And Moses was content to dwel with the man, and he gaue Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses was established with the man, and he gave Sepphora his daughter to Moses to wife.
English Revised Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Berean Standard Bible
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
Young's Literal Translation
And Moses is willing to dwell with the man, and he giveth Zipporah his daughter to Moses,
Update Bible Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
World English Bible
Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.
New King James Version
Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
New Living Translation
Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.
New Life Bible
Moses was willing to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
New Revised Standard
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses was well-pleased to dwell with the man, - and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife:
Revised Standard Version
And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zippo'rah.
THE MESSAGE
Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign country."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

Contextual Overview

16 Forsothe seuene douytris weren to the preest of Madian, that camen to drawe watir; and whanne the trouyis weren fillid, thei coueitiden to watere `the flockis of her fadir. 17 Scheepherdis camen aboue, and dreuen hem awei; and Moises roos, and defendide the dameselis; and he watride `the scheep of hem. 18 And whanne thei hadden turned ayen to Jetro, her fadir, he seide to hem, Whi camen ye swiftliere than ye weren wont? 19 Thei answeriden, A man of Egipt delyuerede vs fro the hond of scheepherdis; ferthermore and he drow watir with vs, and yaf drynk to the scheep. 20 And he seide, Where is that man? whi leften ye the man? clepe ye hym, that he ete breed. 21 Therfor Moises swoor, that he wolde dwelle with Jetro; and he took a wijf, Sefora, `the douyter of Jetro. 22 And sche childide a sone to hym, whom he clepide Gersan, and seide, Y was a comelyng in an alyen lond. Forsothe sche childide an othir sone, whom he clepide Eliezer, and seide, For God of my fadir is myn helpere, and delyuerede me fro the hond of Farao.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

content: Exodus 2:10, Genesis 31:38-40, Philippians 4:11, Philippians 4:12, 1 Timothy 6:6, Hebrews 11:25, Hebrews 13:5, James 1:10

Zipporah: Exodus 4:20-25, Exodus 18:2-6, Numbers 12:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 29:9 - Rachel Exodus 3:1 - his father Exodus 18:1 - Jethro

Cross-References

Genesis 15:12
And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide him.
1 Samuel 26:12
Dauid took the spere, and the cuppe of watir, that was at the heed of Saul, and thei yeden forth, and no man was that siy, and vndirstood, and wakide, but alle men slepten; for the sleep of the Lord `hadde feld on hem.
Job 4:13
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
Job 33:15
God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed.
Proverbs 19:15
Slouth bringith in sleep; and a negligent soule schal haue hungur.
Daniel 8:18
And whanne he spak to me, Y slood doun `plat to the erthe. And he touchide me, and settide me in my degree.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses was content to dwell with the man,.... After he had been called and brought into the house, and had had some refreshment, and after some conversation had passed between them, and perhaps after some days' stay in Reuel's house; Reuel having observed his disposition and behaviour, and being delighted therewith, proposed to him to take up his residence with him, with which motion Moses was well pleased, and accepted of it:

and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter; to be his wife. It is not to be supposed that this was done directly; though both Philo u and Josephus w intimate as if it was done at first meeting together; but it is not likely that Reuel would dispose of his daughter so suddenly to a stranger, though he might at once entertain an high opinion of him; nor would Moses marry a woman directly he had so slender an acquaintance with, so little knowledge of her disposition, endowments of mind and religion. The Targum of Jonathan says it was at the end of ten years; and indeed forty years after this a son of his seems to have been young, having not till then been circumcised, Exodus 4:22. The author of the Life of Moses says x, that he was seventy seven years of age when he married Zipporah, which was but three years before he returned to Egypt. This circumstance of Moses's marrying Reuel's daughter is confirmed by Artapanus y an Heathen historian; and also by Demetrius z, and expressly calls her Sapphora, who he says was a daughter of Jother or Jethro; and likewise by Ezekiel the tragedian a.

u De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 611. w Antiqu. l. 2. c. 11. sect. 2. x Chronicon Mosis, fol. 9. 1. y Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 27. p. 434. z Ib. c. 29. p. 439. a lb. c. 28.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Moses tells us nothing of what he may have learned from his father-in-law, but he must have found in him a man conversant with the traditions of the family of Abraham; nor is there any improbability in the supposition that, as hereditary priest, Reuel may have possessed written documents concerning their common ancestors.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 2:21. Zipporah his daughter. — Abul Farajius calls her "Saphura the black, daughter of Rewel the Midianite, the son of Dedan, the son of Abraham by his wife Keturah." The Targum calls her the granddaughter of Reuel. It appears that Moses obtained Zipporah something in the same way that Jacob obtained Rachel; namely, for the performance of certain services, probably keeping of sheep: see Exodus 3:1.


 
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