Exodus 18:1-12

Jethro Visits Moses

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her

3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom,^[a] for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;

4 and the other was named Eliezer,^[b] for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

10 He said, “Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

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Exodus 18:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 22

1. S Exodus 2:18
2. S Exodus 2:16; Exodus 3:1
3. S Exodus 6:6
4. S Exodus 2:21; Exodus 4:25
5. S Exodus 4:20; Acts 7:29
6. Exodus 2:22
7. 1 Chronicles 23:15
8. S Genesis 49:25; S Deuteronomy 33:29
9. S Exodus 3:1
10. S Genesis 17:3; S Genesis 43:28
11. S Genesis 29:13
12. Numbers 20:14; Nehemiah 9:32
13. Exodus 15:6,16; Psalms 81:7
14. Joshua 21:45; 1 Kings 8:66; Nehemiah 9:25; Psalms 145:7; Isaiah 63:7
15. S Genesis 9:26; S Genesis 24:27; Genesis 14:20; Psalms 68:19-20
16. S Exodus 12:12; Exodus 15:11; 2 Chronicles 2:5; S 1 Chronicles 16:25
17. S Exodus 1:10; S Luke 1:51
18. S Exodus 3:1
19. Exodus 10:25; Exodus 20:24; Leviticus 1:2-9
20. Genesis 31:54; Exodus 24:5
21. S Genesis 26:30
22. Deuteronomy 12:7

Footnotes 2

[a]. "Gershom" sounds like the Hebrew for "a foreigner there."
[b]. "Eliezer" means "my God is helper."