Jochebed
femaleExodusMeaning: “The LORD is glory”
The mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who by faith hid her infant son from Pharaoh and entrusted him to the Nile.
Biography
Jochebed is the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam — a woman of quiet, world-changing faith. A daughter of Levi, she married Amram (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59).
Faith against Pharaoh
When Pharaoh decreed the death of Hebrew baby boys, Jochebed "saw he was a goodly child, and she hid him three months" (Exodus 2:2). Unable to conceal him longer, she made an ark of bulrushes and placed him among the reeds of the Nile — and was then hired by Pharaoh's daughter to nurse her own son (Exodus 2:7–9). Hebrews 11:23 credits this courage to faith: "they were not afraid of the king's commandment."
Life Timeline
Hides the infant Moses and sets him on the Nile
Nurses Moses for Pharaoh’s daughter
Family Tree
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Themes & lessons from Jochebed
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Jochebed appears.
People they appear with
Places in their story
Things in their story
Scripture Appearances
5 verses in 3 booksExodus3 verses
Exodus 2:2
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
Exodus 2:3
And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
Exodus 6:20
And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
Numbers1 verse
Numbers 26:59
And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
Hebrews1 verse
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Frequently asked about Jochebed
Who was Jochebed in the Bible?
The mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who by faith hid her infant son from Pharaoh and entrusted him to the Nile.
What does the name Jochebed mean?
The name Jochebed means “The LORD is glory”.
What did Jochebed do in the Bible?
Jochebed served as mother, of the tribe of Levi.
Who were Jochebed's children?
Jochebed's children include Moses, Aaron, Miriam.
Where does Jochebed appear in the Bible?
Jochebed is mentioned 5 times across 3 books: Exodus, Numbers, Hebrews.
What can we learn from Jochebed?
The story of Jochebed touches on themes of children, jochebed, parents, aaron — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Jochebed's life.
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