Exodus 18:7

7 qui egressus in occursum cognati sui adoravit et osculatus est eum salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis cumque intrasset tabernaculum

Exodus 18:7 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 18:7

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F14 (Mwlvl) "ad pacem", Montanus; "de pace", Munster, Fagius, Drusius, Piscator; so Ainsworth.

Exodus 18:7 In-Context

5 venit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi et filii eius et uxor ad Mosen in desertum ubi erat castrametatus iuxta montem Dei

6 et mandavit Mosi dicens ego cognatus tuus Iethro venio ad te et uxor tua et duo filii tui cum ea

7 qui egressus in occursum cognati sui adoravit et osculatus est eum salutaveruntque se mutuo verbis pacificis cumque intrasset tabernaculum

8 narravit Moses cognato suo cuncta quae fecerat Deus Pharaoni et Aegyptiis propter Israhel universum laborem qui accidisset eis in itinere quo liberarat eos Dominus

9 laetatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis quae fecerat Dominus Israheli eo quod eruisset eum de manu Aegyptiorum