In Exodus 2:11-15, we learn that Moses killed an Egyptian after watching this man mistreat a Jewish man.  In fear for his life, he fled to the land of Midian, where he spent his 40-year exile from Egypt.  During that time, he married the daughter of the priest of Midian and tended his flocks.

We read of that marriage in Exodus 2:16-21, “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and HE GAVE MOSES ZIPPORAH HIS DAUGHTER.”  We learn this priest’s name was Jethro in Exodus 3:1, “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” 

We have to go to Acts 7:30 to learn that Moses was in the land of Midian for forty years before the Lord called him to go to Pharoah to demand the freedom of God’s people.  That reads, “And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.”  Read Exodus 3:1-4:17 to read the details of the message of the Lord to Moses.

We later read in Exodus 4:20: “Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt.” On the way to Egypt, we learn that Zipporah circumcised their son and saved her Moses’ life.  Moses had neglected to obey the Lord in this matter, and the Lord would have killed Moses had not Zipporah acted as we read in Exodus 4:24-26, “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.”  After this, it seems that Moses sent Zipporah and his sons back home to stay with Jethro, although we don’t read about it until Exodus 18:1-6, where we read that Jethro visited Moses in the wilderness with Zipporah and their two sons.

Now, let’s read Numbers 12:1, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.”  This possibly suggests that Moses married another woman, who’s name is never mentioned.  She was an Ethiopian, or a Cushite, woman, where Zipporah was a Midianite…two separate countries. 

Some suggest this woman could be Zipporah herself, but there seems to be no real link between the Midianites and Ethiopians, plus both of Moses’ elder siblings objected to this marriage. And because he had married Zipporah, the mother of his sons roughly 40 years prior to this point, it doesn’t make sense for any doubts or questions to be raised.  It seems very plausible that this Ethiopian woman was someone new. The sole account of her is here in Numbers 12:1. We know so little about this woman except that she, at some point was married to Moses, and that there was something about her, and the circumstances of her marriage to Moses, that upset Miriam and Aaron. It was this situation that caused

them to question Moses’ prophetic role and ability to solely receive revelation from the Lord. Eventually this opposition to Moses resulted in Miriam being stricken with leprosy. Yet, she repented of her sin and after seven days outside of the camp she was healed and returned to travel with the children of Israel. (Read Numbers 12:1-16). 

Did Moses have two wives?  Did Zipporah die somewhere along the way and Moses remarry?  We just can’t say for certain because the Bible doesn’t say.  It does, however, seem that Zipporah and this Ethiopian woman were two different people. (CC)  (656.6)