SEPHORA. — 1. (Heb. Šiphrah, Septuagint Σεπτομάρ). One of the Hebrew midwives to whom Pharaoh ordered the killing of the newborn male Israelites (Ex. 1:15).
2. (Heb. Šipporah, Septuagint Σεπτομάρ). Daughter of the Midianite chieftain Jethro (q.v.), wife of Moses. On Moses’ return journey from Sinai to Egypt, she circumcised their son Gershom (cf. Ex. 4:25 with 2:21–22), perhaps after Moses himself fell ill, interpreted as punishment for omitting the rite (ibid. 4:24–26).
From what the text later states, it is understood that S. after this episode, or after arriving in Egypt, returned with Gershom and another son, Eliezer (ibid. 18:3 ff.), to her father’s house, where he took them with him (and reconciled them?) when he went to meet Moses on his arrival with the Israelites.
There is no reason to consider S. distinct from the Cushite wife of Moses, as she is elsewhere called (Num. 12:1), with a disparaging intent (so there is no need to insist on the Cushite–Midianite opposition), by Miriam and Aaron, on account of some personal grievance.