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Exodus Chapter
Eighteen
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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, Exodus 18:1 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, Exodus 18:8, and
observing the constant and fatiguing business Moses had on his hands from
morning to evening in judging the people, Exodus 18:13, 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, Exodus 18:19, which
counsel was acceptable to Moses, and he took it, Exodus 18:24 and
the chapter is concluded with their friendly parting, Exodus 18:27.
Exodus 18:1 And Jethro, the
priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for
Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of
Egypt.
YLT 1And Jethro priest of Midian, father-in-law of
Moses, heareth all that God hath done for Moses, and for Israel his people,
that Jehovah hath brought out Israel from Egypt,
When Jethro the
priest of Midian, Moses's father-in-law,.... The Targums of
Onkelos and Jonathan call him the prince of Midian, and so the wordF5כהז "praeses", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
is rendered in some versions; whose daughter Moses had married, and so was his
father-in-law, of which see more in Exodus 2:16.
heard of all
that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people; the miracles
he had wrought for them in Egypt, the dividing of the Red sea to make a way for
them, the destruction of the Egyptians, providing them with bread and water in
such a miraculous manner in the wilderness, and giving them victory over
Amalek, and appearing always at the head of them in a pillar of cloud and fire:
and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt: which was the
greatest blessing of all, and for the sake of which so many wonderful things
had been done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. And now Midian being near to Egypt,
it is not to be wondered at that Jethro should hear of these things, the fame
of which went through all the countries round about, see Exodus 15:14,
though it is not improbable that Moses might send messengers to Midian to
acquaint his father-in-law, his wife, and sons, of what the Lord had done for
him, and by him.
Exodus 18:2 2 Then Jethro, Moses’
father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
YLT 2and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh
Zipporah, wife of Moses, besides her parents,
Then Jethro,
Moses's father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses's wife,.... When he
had heard of the above things, he determined to pay Moses a visit, and
congratulate him on that account; and he took his daughter, the wife of Moses,
along with him, to deliver her to her husband, to share with him in his cares
and troubles; as to partake with him of his honours and dignity, so to bear
part with him in his burdens, so far as she was capable of:
after he had
sent her back: upon his call and mission to Egypt, he took his wife and
children with him; but upon an affair which occurred in the inn by the way, he
sent them back again to his father-in-law, where they had remained ever since,
see Exodus 4:24. Jarchi
says this was done at meeting with Aaron his brother, Exodus 4:27, and
relates a conversation between them upon it. As that Aaron should say to him,
who are these? to which he replied, this is my wife, I married her in Midian,
and these are my sons: he further said to him, and where art thou carrying
them? he replied, to Egypt; says he, by reason of those who are before there,
we are in straits, and thou wilt add unto them; upon which he said to his wife,
go back to thy father's house, and she took her sons and went thither. KimchiF6Sepher
Shorash. rad. שלח "post dona vel donationes
ejus"; so some in Vatablus and Drusius. observes, that some render the
words "after her gifts"; whose sense, according to Aben Ezra, is,
after she had sent gifts to her husband; but others more probably interpret it
of gifts sent by him to her to engage his father-in-law to let her come to him,
as well as to prevail upon her to come; perhaps it may be better rendered,
"after her messenger"; that is, either after the messenger sent to
her by Moses, to acquaint her and her father of what had been done for him, or
after the messenger she sent to him, to let him know that she intended shortly
to be with him; though perhaps, after all, nearer to our version and others, it
may be rendered, "after her dismissions"F7אהר שלוחיה "post dimissiones
ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius. ; the dismission or sending away of
her and her sons, as before related; for this is by no means to be interpreted
of a divorce of her; after which she was brought again to her husband; for
there is no reason to believe that ever anything of that kind had passed, as
some have thoughtF8Vid. Selden. Uxor. Hebr. p. 629. : the plain case
seems to be this, that Moses finding his family would be exposed to danger, or
would be too great an incumbrance upon him in the discharge of his great work
he had to do in Egypt, sent them back to his father-in-law until a fit
opportunity should offer of their coming to him, as now did.
Exodus 18:3 3 with her two sons, of whom
the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a
foreign land”)[a]
YLT 3and her two sons, of whom the name of the one
[is] Gershom, for he said, `a sojourner I have been in a strange land:'
And her two
sons,.... Those also Jethro took along with him and his daughter:
of which the
name of the one was Gershom; which seems to be his firstborn, Exodus 2:22, his
name signifies a desolate stranger, as some, or, "there I was a
stranger": the reason of which name follows agreeably thereunto:
for he said, I
have been an alien in a strange land; meaning, not the land of
Egypt, where he was born, and had lived forty years; but in the land of Midian,
where he was when this son of his was born; and which name was given him partly
to keep up the memory of his flight to Midian, and partly to instruct his son,
that Midian, though his native place, was not his proper country where he was
to dwell, but another, even the land of Canaan.
Exodus 18:4 4 and the name of the other was
Eliezer[b] (for he
said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the
sword of Pharaoh”);
YLT 4and the name of the other [is] Eliezer, for,
`the God of my father [is] for my help, and doth deliver me from the sword of
Pharaoh.'
And the name of
the other was Eliezer,.... Who seems to be his second son, and was that which was
circumcised by Zipporah at the inn, and about which there was such a stir, Exodus 4:24, and
signifies "my God is help", or, his helper:
for the God of
my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of
Pharaoh; who, on hearing that Moses had killed an Egyptian, was wroth
with him, and sought to slay him; and perhaps drew his sword for that purpose,
but was prevented: however, this, in all human probability, would have been the
case, that he would have fallen by his sword either in a private or public
manner, had it not been for the interposition of divine Providence, and
therefore he gave this name to his child, to be a standing memorial of it.
Exodus 18:5 5 and Jethro, Moses’
father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness,
where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
YLT 5And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, cometh,
and his sons, and his wife, unto Moses, unto the wilderness where he is
encamping -- the mount of God;
And Jethro,
Moses's father in law,.... This is the third time he is so called in the chapter already,
and many more times besides after in it; the reason of which seems to be,
either to distinguish him from another of the same name, or to do him honour,
that he should be in such a relation to so great and distinguished a man as
Moses now was:
came with his
sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness; not with his own sons
and wife, but with the sons and wife of Moses; Zipporah and her sons, as before
related; with those he came into the wilderness of Arabia, where Moses now was,
and which was not at a great distance from Midian, since about the same spot
Moses, when he dwelt there, had, and fed the flock of his father-in-law, Exodus 3:1, that
part of the land of Midian where Jethro lived lay somewhere eastward of Mount
Sinai, and was probably situated where Sharme now stands; which, according to
Dr. PocockF9Travels, p. 137. , is about a day and a half's journey
from Mount Sinai, from whence the monks of Mount Sinai are chiefly supplied
with fishF11See the Bishop of Clogher's Chronology of the Hebrew
Bible, p. 214. : it follows: where he encamped at the mount of God: at Horeb,
where the Lord had appeared to Moses; and so the Targum of Jonathan
adds,"where the glory of the Lord was revealed to Moses at the
beginning;'and where, afterwards, the Lord, appeared again, and gave the law,
and therefore is called the Mount of God; the one as well as the other being
past when Moses wrote this book, and called the mountain by this name: it is
matter of question at what time Jethro came hither, whether before or after the
giving of the law: it seems, by the order in which this story is here placed,
as if it was immediately after the battle with Amalek; and Saadiah Gaon is of
opinion it was before the giving of the law; and one would think it most
reasonable and natural that Jethro would take the first opportunity of visiting
Moses, and that Moses would not long defer sending for his wife and children:
but Aben Ezra thinks he did not come till the second year after the tabernacle
was set up, since, in the context, mention is made of burnt offerings and
sacrifices, and no account is given of a new altar built by Moses; and besides,
he says, "I do make them know the statutes of God and his laws", Exodus 18:16, and
it is certain from hence, that the children of Israel were removed from
Rephidim, and were now encamped at the mount of God, at Horeb; but whether they
had got to the other side of the mount of Sinai as yet is not so clear; though
it looks as if what Moses did, by the advice of Jethro, was after the law was
given on Sinai, see Deuteronomy 1:6 so
that, upon the whole, it seems as if this account, according to the order of
time, should be placed after Numbers 10:28, or,
as Dr. LightfootF12Works, vol. 1. p. 710, 711. thinks, between the
tenth and eleventh verses of that chapter, and is put here to show that though
Midian was near Amalek, as he observes, yet Jethro was exempt from the curse
and destruction threatened to that, see 1 Samuel 15:6.
Exodus 18:6 6 Now he had said to Moses,
“I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons
with her.”
YLT 6and he saith unto Moses, `I, thy
father-in-law, Jethro, am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with
her.'
And he said
unto Moses,.... By a messenger, as Jarchi: or by a written letter, as Aben
Ezra: or, as the Septuagint version, "it was told to Moses, thy
father", &c. for as yet he was not come to him, as appears by Moses
going forth to meet him:
I thy father in
law Jethro am come to thee: or, "am coming"F13בא "veniens", Montanus. ; for, as yet, he was not
in his presence, and they were not personally present face to face: the Targum
of Jonathan adds, "to become a proselyte"; but it seems that before,
as well as now, he had been a worshipper of the true God, and always speaks
like one that had had the fear of God before him continually:
and thy wife,
and her sons with her; this he thought fit to acquaint him of by messenger or letter,
that he might be in expectation of them, and not be surprised at once with their
appearance: besides, as some observe, and not amiss, after the late attack of
the Amalekites upon their rear, guards or sentinels might be placed in the
outer parts of the camp for its safety, and who would not easily, without
order, let strangers pass into it, and therefore previous notice was necessary
to get admission.
Exodus 18:7 7 So Moses went out to meet
his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their
well-being, and they went into the tent.
YLT 7And Moses goeth out to meet his
father-in-law, and boweth himself, and kisseth him, and they ask one at another
of welfare, and come into the tent;
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"F14לשלום "ad pacem", Montanus; "de pace",
Munster, Fagius, Drusius, Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; 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.
Exodus 18:8 8 And Moses told his
father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and
to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on
the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.
YLT 8and Moses recounteth to his father-in-law all
that Jehovah hath done to Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians, on account of Israel,
all the travail which hath found them in the way, and Jehovah doth deliver
them.
And Moses told
his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh,.... After the
proper civilities had passed, and Jethro had been refreshed with food and
drink, as is highly probable, they entered into a conversation about what had
lately passed, which Jethro had had a general report of, and which had brought
him hither, and therefore it would be very entertaining to him to have the
particulars of it; and Moses begins with what the Lord had done to Pharaoh, how
he had inflicted his plagues upon him one after another, and at last slew his
firstborn, and destroyed him and his host in the Red sea:
and to the
Egyptians, for Israel's sake; the several plagues affecting them,
especially the last, the slaughter of their firstborn; and who also were
spoiled of their riches by the Israelites, and a numerous army of them drowned
in the Red sea, and all because of the people of Israel; because they had made
their lives bitter in hard bondage, had refused to let them go out of the land,
and when they were departed pursued after them to fetch them back or cut them
off:
and all the
travail that had come upon them by the way; to the Red sea, and at
Marah, and Rephidim, and how Amalek fought with them, as the Targum of Jonathan
observes; what a fright they were put into, when pursued by Pharaoh and his
host behind them, the rocks on each side of them, and the sea before them;
their want of water in the wilderness, not being able to drink of the waters at
Marah because bitter; their hunger, having no bread nor flesh in the wilderness
of Sin, and their violent thirst, and no water to allay it, in the plains of
Rephidim, and where also they were attacked by an army of the Amalekites:
and how the
Lord delivered them; out of all this travail and trouble, and out of the hands of all
their enemies, Egyptians and Amalekites.
Exodus 18:9 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for
all the good which the Lord
had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
YLT 9And Jethro rejoiceth for all the good which
Jehovah hath done to Israel, whom He hath delivered from the hand of the
Egyptians;
And Jethro
rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel,.... In giving
them the manna and the well, as the above Targum, bread to eat when hungry, and
water to drink when thirsty; to which Jarchi adds, and the law, for he supposes
the meeting of Jethro and Moses was after the law was given on Mount Sinai,
though here recorded; but this goodness may be extended to other things, as the
saving of their firstborn at the time of the Lord's passover, giving them
favour in the sight of the Egyptians, of whom they borrowed or asked things of
value, of gold, silver, and jewels, bringing them out of Egypt with an high
hand, going before them in a pillar of cloud and fire by day and night,
dividing the waters of the sea for them to pass through as on dry land, and
doing for them the above things related, and giving them victory over Amalek;
and it may be observed that the joy of Jethro was not merely on account of the
goodness of God done to Moses, a relation of his, having married his daughter;
but because of the great and good things God had done for Israel, his special
and peculiar people, the worshippers of the true and living God, for whom
Jethro had an affection, because they were so, and therefore rejoiced in their
prosperity: whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians; whom he had
wrought upon to give them leave to depart from them, and destroyed them when
they pursued after them, first delivered them from their bondage, and then from
their rage and wrath.
Exodus 18:10 10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be
the Lord,
who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of
Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the
Egyptians.
YLT 10and Jethro saith, `Blessed [is] Jehovah, who
hath delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of Pharaoh
-- who hath delivered this people from under the hand of the Egyptians;
And Jethro said,.... Like a
truly good man, as one that knew the Lord and feared him, and was desirous of
giving him the praise and glory of all the wonderful things he had done:
blessed be the
Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians: and out of the
hand of Pharaoh; meaning particularly Moses and Aaron, the messengers of God, as
Aben Ezra observes, who went to Pharaoh in the peril of their lives, and whom
he sometimes threatened with death; but the Lord delivered them both out of his
hands, and out of the hands of his ministers and people, who, doubtless, must
be at times enraged at them for the plagues they brought upon them; for the
persons here pointed at are manifestly distinguished from the body of the
people of Israel next mentioned:
who hath
delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians: the people of
Israel, from the hard bondage and cruel slavery they were held under by the
Egyptians; which, as it was the Lord's doing, Jethro gives him the glory of it,
and blesses him for it, or ascribes to him, on account of it, blessing, honour,
glory, and praise.
Exodus 18:11 11 Now
I know that the Lord
is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they
behaved proudly, He was above them.”
YLT 11now I have known that Jehovah [is] greater
than all the gods, for in the thing they have acted proudly -- [He is] above
them!'
Now I know that
the Lord is greater than all gods,.... He knew the Lord
before, and that he was the only true God, and greater than all that were so
called; but now he had a fresh instance of it, a clear proof and demonstration
of it, and so more plainly and fully knew it, and was assured of it, that he
was greater than all the idols of the Gentiles, and particularly than the gods
of the Egyptians; since he had saved his people Israel out of their hands, and
when they could not protect and defend the Egyptians neither from plagues nor
from destruction; nay, could not secure themselves, being all destroyed by the
mighty Jehovah, see Exodus 12:12, as
also that he is greater than all that are called gods, kings, princes, and
civil magistrates, than Pharaoh and all his nobles, generals, and captains, who
were destroyed by him: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was
above them; the idol gods, the gods of the Egyptians, the evil demons, Satan
and his principalities, who influenced them, presuming and boasting by their
magicians what they could do; but in those things Jehovah in the wonders he
wrought appeared to be above them; they were overcome by him, and obliged to
acknowledge the finger of God; and this sense stands best connected with the
preceding clause: or else in those things, in which the Egyptians dealt proudly
with the Israelites, pursuing after them in the pride and vanity of their
minds, and giving out that they should overtake them and divide the spoil, and
satisfy their lust upon them, when God blew with his wind upon them, the sea
covered them, and they sunk as lead in the mighty waters, see Exodus 15:9, and to
the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red sea, the Jews commonly apply this:
thus the Targum of Jonathan,"wherein the Egyptians dealt wickedly in
judging Israel, by the waters, judgment returned upon them that they might be
judged by the waters;'and to the same sense Jarchi: they suppose here was a
just retaliation, that as the Egyptians drowned the Hebrew infants in the
waters of the Nile, they were in righteous judgment drowned in the Red sea;
this is the very thing, or is the same way they in their pride and malice dealt
with the people of Israel; God dealt with them, and showed himself to be both
"against them"F15עליהם
"contra eos", Pagninus, Montanus; "contra illos", V. L.
Tigurine version; so Reinbech "de accent". Heb. p. 314. , as it may
be rendered, and above them.
Exodus 18:12 12 Then Jethro, Moses’
father-in-law, took[c] a burnt
offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came
with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before
God.
YLT 12And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh a
burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron cometh in, and all the elders
of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.
And Jethro,
Moses's father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God,.... The burnt
offering, which was either of the flock or of the herd, was wholly consumed by
fire, from whence it had its name; the peace offering for thanksgiving, which
seemed to be meant by the sacrifices here, the flesh of them were to be eaten, Leviticus 7:15 and
now a feast was kept, as the latter part of the verse shows: whether Jethro
brought cattle along with him for such a purpose, and so "gave"F16ויקח "acceptumque obtulit", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator, Fagius, Drusius. or "offered" them for a burnt
offering and sacrifices to God; as the word for took may be rendered, one and
the same word signifying both to give and take, see Psalm 68:18,
compared with Ephesians 4:8 or
whether, with the leave of Moses and the children of Israel, he took them out
of their flocks and herds, it matters not, since this is only observed to show
Jethro's devotion to God, and the grateful sense he had of the divine goodness
to Israel; and since he was a priest of Midian, as he is generally said to be,
and a priest of the most high God, as Melchizedek was, he might offer
sacrifices; for it does not appear that he delivered them to others to be
offered, or that these were slain by Aaron; for, though he is after mentioned,
yet not as a sacrificer, but as a guest; and perhaps this might be before he
and his sons were separated to the priest's office, or, at least, before they
had entered upon it; nor is this mention of a burnt offering and sacrifices any
proof of Jethro's meeting Moses after the giving of the law, since, before
that, sacrifices were in use, and Jethro being a grandchild of Abraham, might
have learnt the use of them from him:
and Aaron came,
and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses's father in law, before
God; the tents of Moses being on the east side of the tabernacle, as
Aben Ezra says, in which was the mercy seat and cherubim, between which the
divine Majesty was; but there is no need to suppose that the tabernacle was now
built, for this tent of Moses might be placed before or near the pillar of
cloud in which Jehovah was; or the sense may only be, that they ate their food
in the presence of God, in the fear of the Lord, with gladness and singleness
of heart, as good men do; and especially as this was an eucharistic sacrifice
unto God they partook of, Aaron and the elders came out of a civil respect to
Jethro, to take a meal with him, as well as to join with him in a religious
action: the bread they ate was, no doubt, the manna, which Jethro, though a
Midianite, yet a descendant of Abraham, and a good man, partook of, and is put
for the whole repast, the flesh of the sacrifices and what else were eaten: no
mention is made of Moses, nor was there any need of it, as Aben Ezra observes,
it being his tent in which they were: the Targum of Jonathan adds,"Moses
stood and ministered before them;'and so says Jarchi; which is not very
probable, it being not agreeable to the dignity of his station and office.
Exodus 18:13 13 And so it was, on the next
day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from
morning until evening.
YLT 13And it cometh to pass on the morrow, that
Moses sitteth to judge the people, and the people stand before Moses, from the
morning unto the evening;
And it came to
pass on the morrow,.... The above Targum paraphrases it,"on the day after the
day of atonement:'and so Jarchi observes the same, out of a book of theirs
called Siphri; but rather this was either the day after the entertainment of
Jethro with Aaron and the elders in the tent of Moses, or the day after
Jethro's coming, as Aben Ezra:
that Moses sat
to judge the people; though his father-in-law was come to visit him, yet he did not
neglect the care of his people, and the business that lay upon his hands for
their good, civil and religious; but, the very day following his coming,
closely applied himself to hear and judge causes; and such a vast body of
people must find him work enough; and especially if we consider their
quarrelsome disposition, for if they were so to one another, as they were to
Moses and Aaron, they must be very litigious; however Moses bore with them, and
attended to their causes, to do justice and judgment among them, being now made
a prince and a judge over them by divine authority, and whom they acknowledged
as such:
and the people
stood by Moses, from the morning unto the evening; not that a
single cause was so long a trying, but there being so many of them in one day,
that they lasted from the morning tonight; so that when one cause was
dispatched and the parties dismissed, another succeeded, and so continued all
the day long: Moses he sat as judge, with great majesty, gravity, and
sedateness, hearkening with all attention to what was said on both sides, and
the people they "stood", both plaintiff and defendant, as became
them.
Exodus 18:14 14 So when Moses’
father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this
thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the
people stand before you from morning until evening?”
YLT 14and the father-in-law of Moses seeth all that
he is doing to the people, and saith, `What [is] this thing which thou art
doing to the people? wherefore art thou sitting by thyself, and all the people
standing by thee from morning till evening?'
And when
Moses's father in law saw all that he did to the people,.... Or for
themF17לעם "propter populum"
Vatablus. ; for their information and instruction in the laws of God, and for
the decision of cases brought before him, according to them; and what a deal of
business was on his hands, and he went through for the good of the people:
he said, what
is this thing that thou doest to the people? this question he put,
not as being ignorant what he did, he saw what he did, and understood it full
well, but this he said to lead on to some conversation upon this head:
why sittest
thou thyself alone? no other judge upon the bench with him to assist him, to take it
by turns, and to relieve and ease him:
and all the
people stand by thee from morning unto even? not being able to get
their causes heard and tried, there being so many of them; and therefore some
were obliged to wait all day long, before they could have their business done,
which was both fatiguing to him and them.
Exodus 18:15 15 And Moses said to his
father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
YLT 15And Moses saith to his father-in-law,
`Because the people come unto me to seek God;
And Moses said
unto his father in law,.... In answer to his question; and there were two things, as
Aben Ezra observes, he did to the people, and for which they came to him; the
one is observed in this verse, and the other in the next:
because the
people come unto me to inquire of God; of his mind and will in
certain cases, and of his statutes and laws, as the following verse shows; what
they should observe, and according to which they should conduct themselves:
they came to inquire what God would have them to do; and, in doubtful cases,
what was his will and pleasure, and to desire Moses to inform them; and if the
things were of such a nature that he could not easily and readily do it, then
to inquire of God for them, which in later times was done by Urim and Thummim.
Exodus 18:16 16 When they have a
difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make
known the statutes of God and His laws.”
YLT 16when they have a matter, it hath come unto
me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbour, and made known the
statutes of God, and His laws.'
When they have
a matter, they come unto me,.... This is the other thing he did for
them, as the above writer observes; which being last mentioned, he speaks of
first, as follows, meaning that when there was a matter in difference between
two persons or more, and they could not agree upon it among themselves, then
they brought it to him to be heard and decided:
and I judge
between one and another; hear what they have to say on both sides, and then judge which
is in the right and which is in the wrong, and determine what is to be done,
according to the laws of God or according to the rules of justice and equity:
and I do make
them know the statutes of God and his laws; this relates to the
first thing, their coming to him to inquire of God, what is his mind and will,
or what he would have them do; and in order to this, and in answer to their
request, he instructed them in the laws of God, both civil and religious: this
is made use of by some, to prove that Jethro's coming to Moses was after the
law was given: but this does not necessarily follow, because Moses, by a divine
impulse, might be directed immediately to make known to the people what was the
will and mind of God, with respect to any particular case they inquired about;
and rather this seems to furnish out an argument to the contrary, since, if the
laws and statutes of God had yet been given on Mount Sinai, the people could
not have been ignorant of them, and so needed not such daily information and
instruction from Moses.
Exodus 18:17 17 So Moses’ father-in-law
said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
YLT 17And the father-in-law of Moses saith unto
him, `The thing which thou art doing [is] not good;
And Moses's
father in law said unto him,.... Having observed what he did, and heard
his answer to the question he put to him:
the thing that
thou doest is not good; not meaning that it was not morally good, or that it was morally
evil; for it was certainly a good thing to inquire of the mind and will of God
for the people, and to hear and decide matters in controversy between them, and
do justice to both parties; but it was not good for the health of Moses; it was
not commodious and convenient for him; it was not for his bodily welfare; it
was too much for him, as he explains himself in the next verse.
Exodus 18:18 18 Both you and these people
who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is
too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.
YLT 18thou dost surely wear away, both thou, and
this people which [is] with thee, for the thing is too heavy for thee, thou art
not able to do it by thyself.
Thou wilt
surely wear away,.... His natural strength and animal spirits, and so his flesh;
he feared his constant application and attendance to business would impair his
health, break his constitution, and bring him into a consumption. Moses was
naturally of a strong and vigorous constitution; for, forty years after this,
even to the time of his death, his natural force was not abated; or
"fading thou wilt fade", or, "falling thou wilt fall"F18נבל תבל "marcescendo
marcesses", Montanus; so Ainsworth; "cadendo cades", Pagninus. ;
in allusion to the leaves of trees in autumn, which fade, and wither, and fall:
both thou and
this people that is with thee; it was tiresome to the people, as well as
fatiguing to Moses, who, because of the multitude of cases, were obliged to
wait a long time, some of them from morning to night, and yet could not get
their suit to come and so were obliged to attend next day, and perhaps day
after day. The Targum of Jonathan is,"even thou also, Aaron and his sons,
and the elders that are with them;'and so Jarchi; but these do not seem to have
been assisting to him at all, as appears by what follows:
for this thing
is too heavy for thee: it was too great a burden upon his shoulders, what his strength
was not equal to; for though his internal abilities were exceeding great, and
he had a good will to the work, to serve God and his people, yet it was more,
humanly speaking, than his bodily strength would admit of, or any mortal man
could go through:
thou art not
able to perform it thyself alone; and this Moses was
sensible of himself afterwards, and says the same thing, Deuteronomy 1:9.
Exodus 18:19 19 Listen now to my voice; I
will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the
people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
YLT 19`Now, hearken to my voice, I counsel thee,
and God is with thee: be thou for the people over-against God, and thou hast
brought in the things unto God;
Hearken now
unto my voice, I will give thee counsel,.... Jethro being the
elder man, and of some character and figure, being either a priest or prince of
Midian, or both, might, without incurring a censure, take upon him to give
advice to Moses, a younger man, and his son-in-law, though he was superior to
him in office and in parts; and especially since his advice proceeded from a
sincere and cordial regard for his health and welfare:
and God shall
be with thee: and succeed the advice he gave, which he persuaded himself would
be agreeable to the will of God, and attending to it he would prosper, and find
that the method taken would be blessed of God, and issue in his own good and
the good of the people; or it may be taken prayerwise, as by some, "may
God be with thee"F19ויהי אלהים עמך see Poole in loc. ; to
direct thee to what thou shouldest do, either to take the advice, or reject it;
and be it as it will, he wished him well, and that he might have his health,
and that as his day was, his strength might be:
be thou for the
people to God-ward; or on the part of God, as Aben Ezra interprets it; that part of
his work he advised him to retain by all means, which lay more immediately
between God and the people; to be a mediator between them; to transact affairs
for them with God; to inquire his mind and will in matters difficult and doubtful;
to be, as Jarchi expresses it, a messenger and interpreter between them, and an
inquirer of judgments of him, or what statutes and judgments he would have
observed by them: that thou mayest bring the causes unto God; concerning which,
as yet, he had given no directions as a rule to go by.
Exodus 18:20 20 And you shall teach them
the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and
the work they must do.
YLT 20and thou hast warned them [concerning] the
statutes and the laws, and hast made known to them the way in which they go,
and the work which they do.
And thou shalt
teach them ordinances and laws,.... Both with respect to things civil and
religious, which he should receive from God:
and shalt show
them the way wherein they must walk; the path of faith and
duty, the way of truth, holiness, and righteousness:
and the work
that they must do; both with respect to God, and one another, the various duties
and exercises of religion, everything relating to their moral, religious, and
civil conduct.
Exodus 18:21 21 Moreover
you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth,
hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of
thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
YLT 21`And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the
people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and
hast placed [these] over them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of
fifties, and heads of tens,
Moreover, thou
shalt provide out of all the people,.... Or look outF20
from among them; see Acts 6:3,
able men; or "men
of power"F21; meaning not so much men of strong and robust
constitutions, who, as Aben Ezra says, are able to bear labour; but men that
have strength of heart, as Ben Gersom expresses it, men of spirit and courage,
and are not afraid to do justice, to repress vice, and countenance virtue; or,
as Maimonides saysF23Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 7. , have a
strong heart, or courage and boldness to deliver the oppressed from the hands
of the oppressor. Jarchi interprets it of rich men, of men of substance, who
have no need to flatter, or play the hypocrite, and to know the faces of men:
such as fear
God; who have the fear of God before their eyes, and on their hearts,
in all they do, and therefore cannot do those things that others do, who are
destitute of it; cannot give a cause the wrong way wilfully, or pervert
judgment, and are the reverse of the character of the unjust judge, that
neither feared God nor regarded man, Luke 18:2,
men of truth; true men,
sincere, upright, and faithful men, that love truth and hate lies and
falsehood, and will take some pains to get at the truth of a cause, to inquire
where it lies, and pursue and encourage it where it is found, and discourage to
the uttermost falsehood, lies, and perjury: hating covetousness; in themselves
and others, filthy lucre, dishonest gain, mammon of unrighteousness, and so not
to be bribed and corrupted, and execute wrong judgment for the sake of money:
and place such
over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and
rulers of tens; meaning not courts of judicature, consisting of such a number of
judges, for such a court was never known to have a thousand judges upon the
bench at once; the highest court of judicature that ever was among the Jews,
which was long after this time, consisted but of seventy or seventy one: but
the sense is, that each of these should have such a number of persons, or
rather families, under their care, who, when they applied unto them for
justice, should faithfully administer it to them; See Gill on Exodus 18:25.
F20 תחזה "videbis", Montanus; "tu
prospice", Tigurine version; "tu videto", Drusius.F21
אנשי חיל "viros
virtutis", Montanus, Vatablus; "viros fortitudinis", Cartwright.
Exodus 18:22 22 And let them judge the
people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall
bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be
easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.
YLT 22and they have judged the people at all times;
and it hath come to pass, every great matter they bring in unto thee, and every
small matter they judge themselves; and lighten it from off thyself, and they
have borne with thee.
And let them
judge the people at all times,.... In their several districts, whenever a
matter of difference between man and man arises, and the case is brought before
them, let them judge impartially between them, and determine what is right and
wrong, and execute judgment and justice truly; which would take off a great
deal of business from the hands of Moses:
and it shall be
that every great matter they shall bring to thee; any affair of great importance,
and difficult of determination, and about which the judges may have some doubt
in their minds, and they are not clear as to the decision of it; this, they the
judges, not the people, were to bring to Moses:
but every small
matter; which is of no great importance, or is easy of decision, where
the right and the wrong clearly appear, and there is no difficulty in the
determination of it:
so shall it be
easier for thyself; to go through the business that would be necessarily devolved
upon him, as the chief ruler and governor, supreme judge, lawgiver, leader, and
commander:
and they shall
bear the burden with thee; of ruling and judging the people; they
taking a share of it, it would sit the lighter and easier upon him; and the
whole seems to be wise and prudent counsel.
Exodus 18:23 23 If you do this thing, and
God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this
people will also go to their place in peace.”
YLT 23If thou dost this thing, and God hath
commanded thee, then thou hast been able to stand, and all this people also
goeth in unto its place in peace.'
If thou shall
do this thing,.... Hearken to the advice given, and put it in execution, by
choosing out of the people, and placing over them, judges qualified, as
directed: and God command thee so; for he did not desire him to follow his
advice any further than it appeared to be according to the will of God, which
he doubted not he would inquire about; and if he found it was agreeable to it,
and should pursue it:
then thou shall
be able to endure; to continue in his office and post, and hold on for years to
come, God granting him life and health; whereas otherwise, in all human
probability, he must waste and wear away apace:
and all this
people shall also go to their place in peace; having had their cases
heard and tried, and their differences adjusted to satisfaction; and quick
dispatch being made, they would return to their tents or places of abode in
much peace of mind, and sit down contented with the determination made, and
pleased that the lawsuit was not protracted to any unreasonable length of time.
Jarchi interprets all this people, of Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy
elders that came with him, as if they by this means would be eased, and so
pleased with it.
Exodus 18:24 24 So Moses heeded the voice
of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.
YLT 24And Moses hearkeneth to the voice of his
father-in-law, and doth all that he said,
So Moses
hearkened to the voice of his father in law,.... Considered what he
said, weighed it well in his mind, and judged it good advice, and determined to
follow it:
and did all
that he had said; by choosing such men as he directed to, and committing the
judgment of the people to them, as follows:
Exodus 18:25 25 And 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.
YLT 25and Moses chooseth men of ability out of all
Israel, and maketh them chiefs over the people, heads of thousands, heads of
hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,
And Moses chose
able men out of all Israel,.... He looked among them, and selected the
best of them, such as most answered to the qualifications it was requisite they
should have; and though only one of them is here mentioned, which is the first
Jethro gave, yet no doubt they were all attended to, though not expressed:
and made them
heads over the people; rulers, governors, judges, and officers; this is a general word,
comprehending their several particular offices they sustained; which seem to be
chiefly distinguished by the different numbers of people, or families, under
them, otherwise their work and office were much the same:
rulers of
thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; just as
Jethro advised, Exodus 18:21.
According to the Targum of Jonathan, the rulers of thousands were six hundred,
rulers of hundreds 6000, rulers of fifties 12,000, and the rulers of tens
60,000; and so Jarchi; and the like account is given in both the TalmudsF24T.
Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 3. T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 18. 1. , where the whole
is summed up, amounting to 78,600; which account Aben Ezra disapproves of, and
thinks not credible: it is built upon the number of Israel at this time, when
they came out of Egypt, being 600,000 men; and so if there was a ruler to every
thousand men, there must be six hundred of them, and so on; but these thousands
may intend not individual persons, but families, that these were appointed
over, as the families of Israel and Judah are called their thousands, Micah 5:2 and this
will serve greatly to reduce the number of these judges and officers.
Exodus 18:26 26 So they judged the people
at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small
case themselves.
YLT 26and they have judged the people at all times;
the hard matter they bring in unto Moses, and every small matter they judge themselves.
And they judged
the people at all seasons,.... Any day in the week, or any time in the
day, whenever there was any occasion for them, and cases were brought before
them:
the hard cases
they brought unto Moses; that is, the judges brought them to Moses when such came before
them which were too hard for them, it was difficult to them to determine
rightly about them, then they brought them to be heard and decided by him; for
the judges, and not the people, best knew when a case was hard or easy to determine:
but every small
matter they judged themselves; and gave it as they saw was most agreeable
to justice and equity, and did not trouble Moses with it; by which means he was
eased of a great deal of business and fatigue, which was Jethro's view in giving
the advice he did.
Exodus 18:27 27 Then Moses let his
father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.
YLT 27And Moses sendeth his father-in-law away, and
he goeth away unto his own land.
And Moses let
his father in law depart,.... After he had been with him some time, and desired leave to
go into his own country, which was granted; or he "dismissed"F25וישלח "et dimisit", V. L. Tigurine version, Montanus,
Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator. him in an honourable way: and as he went out to
meet him when he came, if he did not attend him, when he went, some way in
person, yet sent a guard along with him, both for honour and for safety:
and he went his
way into his own land; the land of Midian: the Targum of Jonathan,"he went to
proselyte all the children of his own country;'or, as Jarchi expresses it, the
children of his family; and it is plain that the Kenites and Rechabites
descended from him, who in later times lived among the Jews, and were
proselytes to their religion, Judges 1:16.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 18:3
Compare Exodus 2:22
b.
Exodus 18:4
Literally My God Is Help
c.Exodus 18:12
Following Masoretic Text and Septuagint; Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read offered.