Exodus 2 · Verse 21

Exodus 2:21

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Exodus 2:21, King James Version

Exodus 2:21 in other translations

BSBMoses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
WEBMoses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter.
ASVAnd Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
YLTAnd Moses is willing to dwell with the man, and he giveth Zipporah his daughter to Moses,
DARBYAnd Moses consented to remain with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
BBEAnd Moses was happy to go on living with the man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.
WebsterAnd Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

What does Exodus 2:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 2:16-22

16-22. the priest of Midian--or, "prince of Midian." As the officers were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people in that early age, he still retained the faith and worship of the true God. seven daughters--were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favorably introduced by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from the…

Read the full comment on Exodus 2:16-22 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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 Exo 3:1.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 2:16-22

Moses found shelter in Midian. He was ready to help Reuel's daughters to water their flocks, although bred in learning and at court. Moses loved to be doing justice, and to act in defence of such as he saw injured, which every man ought to do, as far as it is in his power. He loved to be doing good; wherever the providence of God casts us, we should desire and try to be useful; and when we cannot do the good we…

Read the full comment on Exodus 2:16-22 →

Exodus 2:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיּ֥וֹאֶלvai.Yo.'eland he was willingH2974
מֹשֶׁ֖הmo.ShehMosesH4872
לָשֶׁ֣בֶתla.She.vetto dwellH3427
אֶת\־'et-withH854
הָאִ֑ישׁha.'Ishthe manH376
וַיִּתֵּ֛ןvai.yi.Tenand he gaveH5414
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
צִפֹּרָ֥הtzi.po.RahZipporahH6855
בִתּ֖וֹvi.Todaughter hisH1323
לְמֹשֶֽׁה\׃le.mo.Shehto MosesH4872

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 2:21

  • Genesis 31:38-40

    This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

  • Hebrews 13:5

    Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

  • 1 Timothy 6:6

    But godliness with contentment is great gain.

  • Exodus 2:10

    And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

  • Exodus 18:2-6

    Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: …

  • Hebrews 11:25

    Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

  • Exodus 4:20-25

    And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. …

  • Philippians 4:11-12

    Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

  • James 1:10

    But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
content.
10; Ge 31:38-40; Php 4:11,12; 1Ti 6:6; Heb 11:25; 13:5; Jas 1:10
Zipporah.
4:20-25; 18:2-6; Nu 12:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 2:20

    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.

  • Exodus 2:21

    And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

  • Exodus 2:22

    And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Read all of Exodus 2

Exodus 2:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Moisés acordó en morar con aquel varón; y él dió á Moisés á su hija Séphora:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Moïse consentit à habiter avec lui; et il donna Séphora, sa fille, à Moïse.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Mose willigte ein, bei dem Manne zu bleiben; und er gab Mose Zippora, seine Tochter.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Juravit ergo Moyses quod habitaret cum eo. Accepitque Sephoram filiam ejus uxorem: