Zipporah – Overview

Biblical Texts

The Torah tells us surprisingly little about Moshe's family and his wife Zipporah. Zipporah appears only three times – in Shemot 2:16-22 when Moshe marries her, in Shemot 4:20-26 when Moshe leaves for Egypt, and in Shemot 18:2-7 when she is returned to Moshe.¹ From this meager data, the commentators attempt to sketch a portrait of Zipporah.

Contrasting Portraits

Positive

Divrei HaYamim LeMoshe RabbeinuOtzar HaMidrashim (Eisenstein p.359-360)About Divrei HaYamim LeMoshe Rabbeinu and Yalkut Shimoni#168About Yalkut Shimoni describe how Zipporah followed in Hashem's ways and reached the level of the Matriarchs.²
R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 2:20About R. Avraham Maimonides notes that Zipporah was a descendant of Avraham,³ and that this accounts for her family's traits of charity and hospitality. The Tzeror HaMorShemot 2:21About Tzeror HaMor emphasizes that Zipporah herself was unique in her modesty and good deeds.
Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)Shemot 2:21About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) and Divrei HaYamim LeMoshe RabbeinuOtzar HaMidrashim (Eisenstein p.359-360)About Divrei HaYamim LeMoshe Rabbeinu tell a fantastic story of how Yitro imprisoned Moshe, and left him to starve in a pit for ten years. Moshe survived only because Zipporah secretly fed him.

Negative

R. Elazar in Bavli Bava BatraBava Batra 109bAbout the Bavli suggests that Moshe's marriage to Zipporah, the daughter of an idolater, resulted in their having a descendant who was an idolatrous priest.⁴
ShadalShemot 4:23About R. S.D. Luzzatto claims that Zipporah was a bad influence on Moshe. Shadal thus explains that the problems at the inn in Shemot 4:24-26 (see Mystery at the Malon), came about because of Hashem's concerns that Zipporah (and Gershom) would dissuade Moshe from carrying out his mission.⁵

Religious Identity

Before meeting Moshe

Heathen – See below for those who maintain that Zipporah did not change her practices even after marrying Moshe.
Monotheist from a family of idolaters – R. Mubashir HaLeviCritique of the Writings of R. Saadia Gaon p. 107About R. Mubashir HaLevi. See Yitro's Religious Identity for additional sources and discussion.
Monotheist from a family of monotheists – R. SaadiaCritique of the Writings of R. Saadia Gaon p. 107About R. Saadia Gaon. See Yitro's Religious Identity for more.

After meeting Moshe

Still adhered to idolatrous practices – opinion cited and rejected by Ibn EzraShort Commentary Shemot 4:25About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,⁶ Ramah,⁷ ShadalShemot 4:23About R. S.D. Luzzatto.
Converted to Judaism – See Midrash Tadshe21About Midrash Tadshe and Yalkut Shimoni Yehoshua 9 that Zipporah converted,⁸ and see the sources above that Zipporah was already a monotheist.

Marriage to Moshe

How could Moshe marry a heathen woman? See Moshe and Zipporah's Marriage.
Did she return with Moshe to Egypt? See When Did Zipporah Return to Midyan and Mystery at the Malon.
Did Moshe divorce her? See אחר שלוחיה.
Was she present for the revelation at Sinai? See Chronology of Shemot 18.
Did her marriage to Moshe resume upon her return? See Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage.