Endnote 1 – Moses
Furthermore, the name “Zipporah,” which means “bird,” or “sparrow,” is the feminine form of the name “Zippor.” This, too, seems to link the marriage with the more violent public events at the end of Moses’ life. At the end of the Book of Numbers, as the Israelites approach the promised land, they lead a series of attacks on the peoples whose lands they pass through—the Midianites, Edomites, Moabites and so on. The Moabite king Balak “son of Zippor” is one of Israel’s major adversaries. The text refers to Balak as “son of Zippor” five times in Numbers 22–23 and twice in Judges, thus stressing his connection to his father. Balak is the one who invites the seer Balaam to come and put a curse on the Israelites. Balaam refuses, of course, following the famous episode with his donkey, and ends up blessing the Israelites instead. However, Balaam remains with Balak, and he is the one who advises the Midianites to use their women to entice the Israelite men into idolatry (Numbers 31:8, 16). Thus the story of Balak son of Zippor is closely interrelated with the Midianite women crisis. It may be that the author has recorded the name “Zipporah” specifically to make the subtle connection between Moses’ marriage and the violent events that later take place due to the “son of Zippor.”