Girl · Hebrew · Old Testament

Jochebed

Q: Is Jochebed a biblical name?

Yes. Jochebed appears in the Old Testament. Jochebed faced an impossible choice when Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew baby boys thrown into the Nile. Seeing that her newborn son Moses was special, she hid him for three months at great personal risk. When she could hide him no longer, she placed him in a tar-coated basket among the reeds.

JOK-eh-bed · from Yocheved · means “Yahweh is glory”

Jochebed is a Hebrew name meaning "the Lord is glory." She was the courageous mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam who hid baby Moses in a basket on the Nile to save him from Pharaoh's decree. Her name represents motherly love, supreme trust in God, and faith.

Faith Courage Hope

“By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.”
— Hebrews 11:23 (NIV)

The story behind the name

Jochebed faced an impossible choice when Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew baby boys thrown into the Nile. Seeing that her newborn son Moses was special, she hid him for three months at great personal risk. When she could hide him no longer, she placed him in a tar-coated basket among the reeds.

She sent her daughter Miriam to watch the basket, and God directed Pharaoh's daughter to rescue the crying baby. Jochebed was then hired to nurse her own son, giving her time to teach him about the God of Israel before he grew up in the palace. Her faith preserved the deliverer of Israel.

Hebrews 11 honors Jochebed and her husband Amram for hiding Moses by faith, unafraid of the king's anger. A daughter named Jochebed carries a heritage of resourceful faith and trust in God's sovereignty. Her life shows how God honors a mother's prayers.

Spiritual Encouragement

If you find comfort in Jochebed’s story, you may also appreciate our prayer resource:

Read A Prayer for Fear →

A blessing to pray over Jochebed

Lord, grant this daughter the deep and resourceful faith of Jochebed. May she trust You with the people she loves, believing that Your hands can protect them in the Nile of this world. Amen.