Who was Jochebed in the Bible, and what role did she play in the life of Jesus?

Jochebed trusted God during Israel’s hardships, and her son Moses later performed great deeds. But the main question is, what do we know about her?

Mothers play a beautiful role in the Bible, raising great heroes of faith who serve God in powerful ways. We often think of famous biblical mothers like Mary, Ruth, Elizabeth, and others who shaped the next generation. We might not think of Moses’ mother, Jochebed, in the same way, but we certainly should.

Jochebed trusted God during Israel’s hardships. The Egyptians not only enslaved the Israelites for 400 years but also began killing all male Israelite infants by drowning them in the Nile, following Pharaoh’s orders. Today, we look at Jochebed, how her wisdom and discernment preserved an entire nation, and what we can learn from tradition about her. For example, we will consider what Jewish interpretation, the Midrash, says about Jochebed’s life and whether she played a larger role in saving children’s lives.

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Who is Jochebed in the Bible?

First, we need to look at the Bible to learn about Jochebed. Her name means “Yahweh is glory.” This name proved appropriate because God displayed His glory through Jochebed’s actions.

She married a man named Amram, who was also from the tribe of Levi (Exodus 6). We don’t learn much about him except that he lived 137 years (Exodus 6:20) and was somehow related to Jochebed, which later became prohibited in the Bible. This might seem strange to us, but it’s an example of how God uses people from complex family situations to do great things. Rabbinic scholars report that Amram was a great speaker (if true, it’s interesting that the Bible says his son Moses spoke poorly while his other son Aaron spoke very well).

So how did Jochebed help her son Moses escape the massacre of Israelite infants by the Egyptians?

How Did Jochebed Save Moses?

After Pharaoh ordered all male Israelite infants to be thrown into the Nile, Jochebed devised a clever plan to keep Moses alive. She made a basket of reeds, like a small ark, to carry him and placed the basket by the riverbank. She put him among the reeds by the river, which was the safest place (Exodus 1:4), but it was still a significant act of faith. The Nile was known to be home to dangerous creatures—hippos could bite a human in half with one bite.

But her plan worked. The Egyptian princess saw him in the Nile and decided to adopt him. Even better, she paid Jochebed to help nurse and raise him for the first few years of his life. Unfortunately, we don’t hear much about Jochebed for the rest of the story. We can assume she did not leave Egypt. But her children accomplished great things.

What Did Jochebed’s Children Do?

Jochebed had three children named Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. You’re probably familiar with some of their deeds, but let’s discuss some of what her children did.

• Miriam: Miriam played a role in saving Moses from the Nile. She approached Pharaoh’s daughter and suggested Jochebed as a nurse. Additionally, Miriam was a prophetess and a singer when the Israelites escaped from Egypt. She is one of the few female prophets mentioned in the Bible.
• Aaron: Aaron did several things. First, he served as a speaker because Moses was essentially too shy to speak to Pharaoh about freeing the Israelites. Then, Aaron served as the head of the Levite tribe. The Levites performed the religious duties of the people. Aaron’s budding staff—a miracle in the wilderness—was placed in the Ark of the Covenant. According to the Midrash, Aaron was descended from a man named Levi, hence the name Levites for his tribe.
• Moses: There’s much we can say about Moses. He eventually wrote five books of the Old Testament. But in a very brief summary, he led the Israelites out of Egypt, served as God’s spokesperson, brought the Ten Commandments, guided the Israelites through Levitical laws and lifestyle practices, and the list is endless.

Jochebed gave birth to very famous children. But did she perhaps play a larger role—beyond saving Moses, who is undoubtedly one of the most famous Israelites in their history? The Midrash seems to suggest so.

Was Jochebed One of the Hebrew Midwives?

The Midrash is a collection of writings and interpretations about the Old Testament compiled by ancient Jewish scholars. We should take some of this with a grain of salt because the content sometimes ventures into the fanciful. However…

At the beginning of the book of Exodus, there are chapters about two Hebrew midwives who saved male infants from being killed by the Egyptians. They are known as Shiphrah and Puah.

According to the Midrash, these midwives are Miriam and Jochebed. Miriam must be older than seven years—the age some scholars guess she was when Moses was born. Some Jewish scholars believe she was in her teens or early twenties when Moses appeared. Regardless of whether this is accurate or speculative, it seems Jochebed wanted to save children.

According to this same book, she was given a long life to enter the Promised Land. So perhaps she at least left Egypt.

Other elements of the Midrash are harder to believe—for example, it reports that she gave birth to Moses at the age of 130 and that God restored her beauty and allowed her to live several more decades. This seems highly unlikely.

All this to say, we don’t know what’s true and what’s false. We know several scholars agree with the information presented above, but regardless of anything, Jochebed appears to be a woman of great character and wisdom.

What Can We Learn from Jochebed in the Bible?

Jochebed gave birth to three of the most prominent figures in Israelite history. She trusted the Lord, took several leaps of faith, and ultimately was rewarded. Here are three lessons we can learn from Jochebed’s story.

• Jochebed experienced hardship and remained faithful. Every parent worries for their children, especially in tumultuous times. I’m sure Jochebed had a tough time bringing three children into the world during slavery. Nevertheless, she trusted God and continued to trust Him when Pharaoh ordered the killing of male Israelite infants. Maybe the Egyptians came to her door. Maybe her house was next to have a child taken. Whatever it was, she trusted God.
• Jochebed cared about children’s lives. Although she may not have been one of the Hebrew midwives, she saw the value of a child’s life. In a culture where many children died young, where she had little power and would be killed if her plan was discovered, she didn’t give up.
• Jochebed was faithful and shrewd. While the Bible values faith, it tells us to love God with our mind, which can mean being shrewd. Regardless of whether we believe all the details the Midrash presents about the basket she prepared for Moses, we see she was careful. She didn’t just throw him into the water without planning. When her baby was discovered, she and Miriam worked together to ensure Moses’ needs were met. Jochebed is a strong and God-fearing mother. We can all draw inspiration and strength from her story. Hopefully, when God asks us to take significant leaps of faith, we’ll be as bold as she was.