Exodus 18:7
Read Exodus 18:7 Using Other Translations
What does Exodus 18:7 mean?
And Moses went out to meet his father in law
Out of the camp, at least out of his tent: the Targum of Jonathan
says, from under the cloud of glory; how far he went is not
certain, nor material to know: this was an instance of his great
humility and modesty, and was doing Jethro a great deal of
honour; that one who was in such great dignity, at the head of
such a vast body of people, and superior to him both in natural
and spiritual abilities, yet condescended to go forth in person
to meet him, when he might have sent a guard of his men to escort
him to his camp, which would have been honour sufficient; and it
is not said he went out to meet his wife and children; for Aben
Ezra says it was not usual for honourable men so to do:
and did obeisance:
to Jethro, bowed unto him and worshipped him in a civil way,
after the manner of the eastern nations, who used to make very
low bows to whom they paid civil respect:
and kissed him;
not to make him a proselyte, as the above Targum, nor in token of
subjection, but of affection and friendship; it being usual for
relations and friends to kiss each other at meeting or parting:
and they asked each other of their welfare;
or "peace" F14; of their prosperity and happiness,
temporal and spiritual, of their peace, inward and outward, and
of the bodily health of them and their families:
and they came into the tent;
the Targum of Jonathan says,
``into the tabernacle of the house of doctrine,''or school room; which is not likely, since Jethro was a man well instructed in divine things, and needed not to be put to school; and if he did, it can hardly be thought that as soon as Moses met him he should set about the instruction of him; but into his tent where he dwelt; that, as Aben Ezra says, which was the known tent of Moses, though it is not expressly said his tent.
F14 (Mwlvl) "ad pacem", Montanus; "de pace", Munster, Fagius, Drusius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.
