Zippor

Biblical Record

Zippor is named only within the phrase "Balak the son of Zippor." The phrase occurs in the following passages:

• Numbers 22:2, 22:4, 22:10, 22:16, 23:18
• Joshua 24:9
• Judges 11:25

In Numbers 22–24, Balak summons Balaam to curse Israel. In Numbers 23:18, Balaam addresses Balak as "thou son of Zippor." Joshua 24:9 recalls this event as an episode in Israel's history. In Judges 11:25, Jephthah cites the example of Balak in his message to the king of the Ammonites.

Scripture does not say what Zippor himself did, whether he was a king, or to which people he belonged.

Significance Within Scripture

The formula "X the son of Y" is a common way of identifying a person in the Old Testament. Zippor's name likewise serves to identify his son Balak. The New Testament does not mention Zippor, although Revelation 2:14 refers to the episode involving Balaam and Balak.

Interpretation and Questions

• The name is generally understood to be the same as the Hebrew word for "bird." The name of Moses' wife, Zipporah, is likewise explained as deriving from the same root. There is, however, no record of any relationship between the two.
• Numbers 22:4 states, "And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time." On the basis of this verse, some commentators suggest that Balak may not have inherited the throne from his father. The text alone, however, does not settle the matter. In Numbers 22:10 and Joshua 24:9 as well, the title "king of Moab" refers to Balak in context.
• "Shibboleth" in Judges 12:6, whose Korean form resembles Zippor's Korean name, is a word used as a pronunciation test and is unrelated to this person.

In the Korean Church

Zippor himself is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school. His name generally comes up only in readings of the story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers 22–24.