Exodus 18

Jethro’s Visit to Moses at the Mountain of God

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out from Egypt.

2 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away,

3 and her two sons--the one whose name [was] Gershom, for he had said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land,"

4 and the one [whose] name [was] Eliezer, for "the God of my father [was] my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh."

5 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there [at] the mountain of God.

6 And he said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, [am] coming to you and your wife and her two sons with her."

7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed, and he kissed him, and {they each asked about the other's welfare}, and they came into the tent.

8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and [how] Yahweh delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of Egypt.

10 And Jethro said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh--who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt.

11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, {even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites}."

12 And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God.

13 {And} the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.

14 And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What [is] this thing that you [are] doing for the people? Why [are] you sitting alone and all the people [are] standing by you from morning until evening?"

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God.

16 When {they have an issue}, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God's rule and his instructions."

17 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good.

18 Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who [are] with you, because the thing [is too] {difficult} for you. You are not able to do it alone.

19 Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God.

20 And you warn them [of] the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do.

21 And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of [dishonest] gain, and you will appoint [such men] over them [as] commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.

22 And let them judge the people all the time, {and} every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And [so] lighten [it] for yourself, and they will bear [it] with you.

23 If you will do this thing and God will command you, [then] you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his home in peace."

24 And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said.

25 And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them [as] heads over the people, [as] commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.

26 And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issues they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves.

27 And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to his land.

Exodus 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

Jethro brings to Moses his wife and two sons. (1-6) Moses entertains Jethro. (7-12) Jethro's counsel to Moses. (13-27)

Verses 1-6 Jethro came to rejoice with Moses in the happiness of Israel, and to bring his wife and children to him. Moses must have his family with him, that while he ruled the church of God, ( 1 Timothy. 3:5 )

Verses 7-12 Conversation concerning God's wondrous works is good, and edifies. Jethro not only rejoiced in the honour done to his son-in-law, but in all the goodness done to Israel. Standers-by were more affected with the favours God had showed to Israel, than many were who received them. Jethro gave the glory to Israel's God. Whatever we have the joy of, God must have the praise. They joined in a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Mutual friendship is sanctified by joint worship. It is very good for relations and friends to join in the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise, as those that meet in Christ. This was a temperate feast; they did eat bread, manna. Jethro must see and taste that bread from heaven, and though a gentile, is welcome: the gentiles are welcomed to Christ the Bread of life.

Verses 13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his cause before him. Moses kept to his business from morning to night. Jethro thought it was too much for him to undertake alone; also it would make the administration of justice tiresome to the people. There may be over-doing even in well-doing. Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty, nor task ourselves beyond our strength. Jethro advised Moses to a better plan. Great men should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the persons admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good sense, that understood business, and that would not be daunted by frowns or clamours, but abhorred the thought of a bribe. Men of piety and religion; such as fear God, who dare not to do a base thing, though they could do it secretly and securely. The fear of God will best fortify a man against temptations to injustice. Moses did not despise this advice. Those are not wise, who think themselves too wise to be counselled.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "they asked a man to his neighbor to welfare"
• [b]. Literally "because in the thing that they dealt arrogantly over them"
• [c]. Literally "And it was"
• [d]. Literally "a thing is to them"
• [e]. Literally "heavy"
• [f]. Or "unjust profit"
• [g]. Literally "and it will be"
• [h]. Or "his place"
• [i]. Hebrew "issue"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 18

This chapter gives an account of Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, with Zipporah his daughter, the wife of Moses, and her two sons, meeting him in the wilderness, who was kindly received by him, Ex 18:1-7 and on Moses' relating the great things God had done for Israel, Jethro expressed his joy on that account, gave praise to God, offered sacrifice, and kept a feast with the elders of Israel, Ex 18:8-12, and observing the constant and fatiguing business Moses had on his hands from morning to evening in judging the people, Ex 18:13-18, he gave him advice to appoint persons under him to receive laws and ordinances from him, he should have from God, and, according to them, judge and govern the people under them, some being rulers of thousands, others of hundreds, others of fifties, and some of tens, Ex 18:19-23, which counsel was acceptable to Moses, and he took it, Ex 18:24-26 and the chapter is concluded with their friendly parting, Ex 18:27.