Jochebed

Biblical Record

The name Jochebed appears twice in Scripture, in Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59. Exodus 6:20 records that Amram took Jochebed, "his father's sister," as his wife and that she bore Aaron and Moses. Numbers 26:59 identifies her as "the daughter of Levi" and also lists Miriam among her children.

The account of Moses' birth is found in Exodus 2:1–10, although this passage does not name his mother, referring to her only as "a daughter of Levi." Pharaoh had commanded that every Hebrew son be cast into the river (Exodus 1:22). During this time she hid her child for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she made an ark of bulrushes, daubed it with pitch, placed the child in it, and set it among the reeds at the river's edge. Pharaoh's daughter found the child, and at the suggestion of his sister, who had been watching, the child's own mother was called to nurse him. She raised him for wages and, when he had grown, brought him to Pharaoh's daughter.

Significance in Scripture

Jochebed preserved the life of Moses, who would lead the Exodus. The New Testament does not mention her by name. However, Hebrews 11:23 records that Moses "was hid three months of his parents" by faith, "and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." This verse is part of Hebrews 11, commonly called the faith chapter. Acts 7:20 likewise states that Moses was "nourished up in his father's house three months." Her name is commonly interpreted as "Yahweh is glory," and it has drawn attention as an early personal name containing an element of the divine name Yahweh.

Interpretations and Debates

• Marriage relationship: Marriage to one's aunt was later prohibited in Leviticus 18:12. Some therefore explain that this marriage took place before the Law was given. The Septuagint is known to render this passage as "the daughter of his father's brother," that is, a cousin.
• Genealogy and chronology: Whether "the daughter of Levi" is understood as Levi's own daughter or, in a broader sense, as a descendant of Levi affects how the length of Israel's sojourn in Egypt is calculated. Scholarly opinion on this question is divided.
• Extrabiblical embellishments: Some rabbinic traditions in Judaism reportedly identify Shiphrah, one of the midwives in Exodus 1, with Jochebed. Sermons also frequently depict her weaving the basket while praying in tears. Neither of these details appears directly in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Jochebed is often presented as a model mother of faith who entrusted her child to God. She features especially in sermons around Parents' Sunday and in women's missionary society gatherings. In Sunday school, she is taught as one of the figures in the story of "Baby Moses and the Basket of Bulrushes." A gospel song titled "The Song of Jochebed" is also widely sung in many churches.