Jethro was a priest of Midian, thought to be modern-day Ethopia; Zipporah was one of his seven daughters. Swedenborg says Midian represents those in the "truth of simple good" – people who had a basic understanding of the Lord and lived according to a desire to be good. As a priest, Jethro represents the desire for good in that church; his daughters represent holy things of that church. Zipporah, Moses's first wife, signifies different things in the three places that she appears. The relationships of Zipporah, her father Jethro (also known as Reuel), and her husband Moses, are interesting and complex. Moses, however, represents what the Writings call the "Law of God" – the commandments in various forms given by the Lord through the Bible.

In Exodus 2:21, when Moses marries Zipporah, her meaning and her father's become elevated. Jethro then represents Divine Good, or the Lord's desire to be good, and Zipporah represents the desire for good that comes from the Lord. See Arcana Coelestia 6793.

There is a twist, though: in the brief story in Exodus 4:25, in which Zipporah circumcises their son, she represents the remnants of the Ancient Church clearing the way for Moses to lead a church which would maintain ideas of the Lord and proper forms of worship. See Arcana Coelestia 7044.

Later still, in Exodus 18:2, Moses sends Zipporah back to Jethro. This represents a separation of good from truth. See Arcana Coelestia 8647-8648 for an explanation of why this happens.