Exodus 18

Jethro was the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law. He heard about everything God had done for Moses and for Israel, God's people, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

1When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

Note"LORD" printed in capitals stands where the Hebrew has God's personal name, the four letters usually written YHWH and often said as "Yahweh." Jewish readers avoided pronouncing it and said "the Lord" instead, and English Bibles have followed that custom ever since. Where the text simply says "God" (Hebrew *elohim*, a general word), it is printed normally. Midian was a region of herders and traders east and south of the Sinai peninsula, in what is now north-west Arabia and southern Jordan; Moses had fled there from Egypt and married into Jethro's family. A "priest" here means a man who conducted sacrifices and rituals for his own people, Jethro is not an Israelite and serves no Israelite sanctuary.

2So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, whom Moses had sent back to her father earlier,

2Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

NoteThe Hebrew phrase translated "sent her back" is the ordinary verb for sending someone away, and it is also the standard word used for a husband dismissing a wife. The text does not say which is meant, so it can be read either as Moses sending his family to safety with her father or as a formal separation. Zipporah was Jethro's daughter (Exodus 2:21).

3and her two sons. One of them was named Gershom, because Moses had said, "I have been a stranger living in a land not my own."

3And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

NoteHebrew names carry meanings, and the story is pointing at one: *Gershom* sounds like the Hebrew words *ger sham*, "a stranger there." "A stranger in a land not my own" translates *ger*, a resident foreigner, someone living long-term among people not his own, with no clan to protect him and no share in the land.

4The other was named Eliezer, because Moses had said, "The God of my father was my help, and he saved me from Pharaoh's sword."

4And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

Note*Eliezer* means "my God is help." "The God of my father" is the normal ancient way of naming a family's god by the ancestor who worshiped him, the point is inherited allegiance, not a description of the deity.

5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses in the desert, bringing Moses' sons and his wife. Moses was camped there at the mountain of God.

5And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

Note"The mountain of God" is the mountain called Sinai or Horeb elsewhere in Exodus, where Moses first met God at the burning bush and where Israel is about to camp. "The desert" (wilderness) means uncultivated grazing country, not necessarily bare sand.

6He said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you, and your wife has come too, with her two sons."

6And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low to him and kissed him. They asked each other how they were doing, and then they went into the tent.

7And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.

NoteBowing to the ground and kissing were the standard courtesies between men on meeting, especially toward an older man or a superior; they carry no romantic sense. "Asked each other how they were doing" translates a formal exchange of greetings using the word *shalom*, asking after each other's welfare and safety.

8Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake. He told him about all the hardship they had met along the way, and how the LORD had rescued them.

8And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

9Jethro was glad about all the good the LORD had done for Israel, whom he had rescued from the power of the Egyptians.

9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Note"Power" and "hand" translate the same Hebrew word. "The hand of" someone means being in their grip or control, so "rescued from the hand of the Egyptians" means taken out of their power.

10Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in the very matter where they acted with pride, he was above them."

11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

NoteThe second half of this verse is broken in the Hebrew, the sentence stops short, literally something like "for in the matter in which they acted arrogantly, against them." Translators have to supply the missing words, so any English version is a guess at what was meant. "Greater than all gods" is how a person of the ancient world would rank deities: Jethro is comparing the LORD with the gods of Egypt, whose defeat he has just heard about.

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

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

NoteA "burnt offering" was an animal burned whole on the altar, with no part eaten. The "other sacrifices" were the kind where the animal was killed at the altar and then eaten by the worshipers, so the shared meal that follows is part of the ritual, not a separate dinner. "In God's presence" means at the place of sacrifice. "Elders" were the heads of the families and clans, the men who spoke and decided for their kin, an office of standing, not simply old age.

13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people. The people stood around him from morning until evening.

13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

NoteSitting was the posture of a judge, standing the posture of the people bringing a case; the seating itself signaled who held authority. There were no courts or written law codes here, so "judging" meant hearing disputes in person and announcing a decision.

14When Moses' father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit as judge all by yourself, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"

14And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to ask about God's will.

15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

Note"To ask about God's will" translates a phrase meaning to seek a ruling or an oracle from God on a matter no existing custom settles. It covers both legal disputes and questions put to God for a decision.

16When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between one person and another, and I teach them God's rules and his laws."

16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Note"Rules and laws" translate two Hebrew words often paired: *huqqim*, fixed decrees, and *torot*, instructions or rulings. Together they mean the whole body of binding direction given by God, some of it settled and some of it being decided case by case as Moses gives judgment.

17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.

17And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18You will certainly wear yourself out, and these people with you as well. This job is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself.

18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19Now listen to me. I will give you advice, and may God be with you. You stand for the people before God, and bring their cases to God.

19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

Note"Stand for the people before God" means act as their representative, the one man who takes their questions to God and brings back the answer, rather than each person approaching God directly.

20Teach them the rules and the laws, and show them the way they must walk in and the work they must do.

20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Note"The way they must walk in" is a Hebrew idiom: a person's "way" or "walk" is their conduct and manner of life, not a physical road.

21Also, choose from among all the people men who are able, who fear God, who are truthful, and who hate money gained wrongly. Put them over the people as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

Note"Money gained wrongly" translates a word for dishonest profit; in a chapter about judges the specific worry is bribes. The units of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens are a standard ancient way of organizing a population, borrowed from the way an army was mustered, the numbers name ranks of command rather than counting exact households.

22Let them judge the people at all times. Every big case they will bring to you, but every small case they will judge themselves. That will make it easier for you, and they will carry the load with you.

22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23If you do this, and God commands you to do it, then you will be able to hold up, and all these people will go to their own place in peace."

23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

Note"Go to their own place in peace" most likely means each man going home satisfied that his case has been settled, rather than waiting all day in the queue; some read it instead as the whole people reaching their destination in the land ahead. The Hebrew allows both.

24So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said.

24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

25And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26They judged the people at all times. The hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small case they judged themselves.

26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27Then Moses let his father-in-law go, and Jethro went on his way to his own land.

27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

NoteJethro's "own land" is Midian, the territory he came from in verse 1. Unlike Israel, he is not traveling on with them.