HEBREW WORD STUDY – LITTLE BIRD – TSIPHORAH – צפרה 

Numbers 12:1-3“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (2) And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard [it]. (3) (Now the man Moses [was] very meek, above all the men which [were] upon the face of the earth.)

This is a very curious passage.  Mose’s brother and sister spoke against him because he married an Ethiopian woman ie., a Cushite woman.   Yet, Moses was married to a Midianite woman, this is the only mention of a Cushite woman, was this a second wife?  In Exodus 18:2 we learn he sent his wife Zipporah back to her father Jethro, why?  Secondly, what does that have to do with their complaint that God only spoke to Moses and not Aaron or Miriam? Finally, what does Moses being very meek have to do with all this?

I found two possible answers to these questions. The first is in the word meek.  When we hear someone is meek we think, as you know – Uriah Heep, a man who is so humble and meek he would be too afraid to kill a fly.  Yet Moses killed an Egyptian.  

The word in Hebrew is a very common word with many variations to its use.  It is the word  ‘anah and really only the context will tell you how to use that word. It could be used for humble or meek, it could also be used for being feeble or sickly. It could be used for someone who recognizes his complete dependence upon someone or something else. It could also be used for a pre-occupation or someone who is extremely busy.  We learn in Exodus 18 when he is visited by Jethro his father-in-law he observed how busy Moses was and instructed him to delegate his responsibilities.  This creates another question, if Jethro so loved and respected Moses, would he not be a little upset that he sent his sent Zipporah back to him and then found him married to a Cushite woman?

Most commentators believe the Cushite woman and Zipporah were one and the same.  It is possible the word Cushite could have applied to Jethro and his family.  More than likely the word Cushite was an idiomatic expression. You see the word for Cushite in Hebrew is Cushite. In the Midrash Tanchuma Tzav 13 (a Jewish commentary) we find this word is indeed an idiomatic expression for a beautiful woman both outwardly and inwardly.  Cushites were from an area in North Africa who were dark skinned and their women were prized for their great beauty.  Zipporah’s name means a little bird, she was not only beautiful but gentle and loving.  The numerical value of the word Cushite is 736, Beautiful in appearance yapath mare’eh also has a value of 736. 

So here is the point made in the Midrash.  A prophet was expected to abstain from marital relationships because a wife would be a distraction from their need to properly hear God’s voice.  The Apostle Paul may have alluded to this in I Corinthians 7:32-33: “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: (33) But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please [his] wife.” Moses sent his family back to his father in law because they were a distraction. He sacrificed the joys of a marriage relationship for the sake of His relationship with God.   This is why Miriam and Aaron approached Moses. “Moses, how could you have sent this beautiful, gentle, loving woman away because you need to hear from God. Look, we hear from God and we still take care of our families.”  They did not oppose Moses’s marriage, they wanted to save his marriage. But they didn’t consult Zipporah, she understood, she too was willing to make the sacrifice.  Even Jethro didn’t understand and tried to work things out so Moses and Zipporah could be together.  Scripture doesn’t say directly that Zipporah supported Moses but Jewish commentators believe that it is clearly implied in Scripture and because she was in agreement she enjoyed a special relationship with God as Paul describes in I Corinthians 7 to compensate.

Many years ago there was a pastor’s wife who confessed to their congregation the resentment she once held toward that congregation for they demanded so much of her husband’s time it was if they were not married. One early morning, however,  her husband was called to minister to a member of their congregation and she was again left alone longing for an intimate relationship with her husband. She cried out to God in her loneliness and despair. Then she took a walk in her garden and she said: “I came to my garden alone, while the dew was still on the roses and the voice I heard falling on my ears, the Son of God disclosed.  And He walked with me and He talked with me and He told me I was His own. And the joy we shared as we tarried there, none other, has ever known.”  C. Austin Miles a hymn writer and publisher was in that congregation and of course with her permission gave the world that beautiful song: “In the Garden.”

God never calls you to a life of loneliness if He doesn’t intend to fill that void with Himself.