Exodus 18

1 cumque audisset Iethro sacerdos Madian cognatus Mosi omnia quae fecerat Deus Mosi et Israhel populo suo eo quod eduxisset Dominus Israhel de Aegypto
2 tulit Sefforam uxorem Mosi quam remiserat
3 et duos filios eius quorum unus vocabatur Gersan dicente patre advena fui in terra aliena
4 alter vero Eliezer Deus enim ait patris mei adiutor meus et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis
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
10 et ait benedictus Dominus qui liberavit vos de manu Aegyptiorum et de manu Pharaonis qui eruit populum suum de manu Aegypti
11 nunc cognovi quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos eo quod superbe egerint contra illos
12 obtulit ergo Iethro cognatus Mosi holocausta et hostias Deo veneruntque Aaron et omnes senes Israhel ut comederent panem cum eo coram Domino
13 altero autem die sedit Moses ut iudicaret populum qui adsistebat Mosi de mane usque ad vesperam
14 quod cum vidisset cognatus eius omnia scilicet quae agebat in populo ait quid est hoc quod facis in plebe cur solus sedes et omnis populus praestolatur de mane usque ad vesperam
15 cui respondit Moses venit ad me populus quaerens sententiam Dei
16 cumque acciderit eis aliqua disceptatio veniunt ad me ut iudicem inter eos et ostendam praecepta Dei et leges eius
17 at ille non bonam inquit rem facis
18 stulto labore consumeris et tu et populus iste qui tecum est ultra vires tuas est negotium solus illud non poteris sustinere
19 sed audi verba mea atque consilia et erit Deus tecum esto tu populo in his quae ad Deum pertinent ut referas quae dicuntur ad eum
20 ostendasque populo caerimonias et ritum colendi viamque per quam ingredi debeant et opus quod facere
21 provide autem de omni plebe viros potentes et timentes Deum in quibus sit veritas et qui oderint avaritiam et constitue ex eis tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
22 qui iudicent populum omni tempore quicquid autem maius fuerit referant ad te et ipsi minora tantummodo iudicent leviusque tibi sit partito in alios onere
23 si hoc feceris implebis imperium Dei et praecepta eius poteris sustentare et omnis hic populus revertetur cum pace ad loca sua
24 quibus auditis Moses fecit omnia quae ille suggesserat
25 et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israhel constituit eos principes populi tribunos et centuriones et quinquagenarios et decanos
26 qui iudicabant plebem omni tempore quicquid autem gravius erat referebant ad eum faciliora tantummodo iudicantes
27 dimisitque cognatum qui reversus abiit in terram suam

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.

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.

Exodus 18 Commentaries

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.