Exodus 18:1

Exodus 18:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When 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;
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Exodus 18:1

Now Jethro (Reuel), 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. 2Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away [from Egypt], 3along with her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom (stranger), for Moses said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

Exodus 18:1 word by word

וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע יִתְר֨וֹ כֹהֵ֤ן מִדְיָן֙ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ לְמֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַמּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוֹצִ֧יא יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When Jethroיִתְרוֹyithrô · JethroH3503
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
• Moses’מֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• father in lawחֹתֵןchâthan · relativeH2859
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• of all that Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• had doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• and for Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• had broughtיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
• out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714

Cross-references for Exodus 18:1

• Exodus 2:16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water [from the well where Moses was resting] and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
• Exodus 3:1Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro (Reuel) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God.
• Exodus 4:18Then Moses went away and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please, let me go back so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
• Numbers 10:29Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are going to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will be good to you, for the Lord has promised good [things] concerning Israel.”
• Judges 4:11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
• Psalms 34:2My soul makes its boast in the Lord; The humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice.
• Psalms 44:1We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us The work You did in their days, In the days of old.
• Psalms 77:14You are the [awesome] God who works [powerful] wonders; You have demonstrated Your power among the people.
• Psalms 78:4We will not hide them from their children, But [we will] tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, And [tell of] His great might and power and the wonderful works that He has done.
• Psalms 105:5Remember [with awe and gratitude] the wonderful things which He has done, His amazing deeds and the judgments uttered by His mouth [on His enemies, as in Egypt],
• Psalms 106:2Who can put into words the mighty deeds of the Lord? Or who can proclaim all His praise [that is due Him]?
• Jeremiah 33:9Jerusalem will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace (prosperity, security, stability) that I provide for it.’
• Zechariah 8:23Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men [as representatives] from all the nations will grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”
• Galatians 1:23they only kept hearing, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the [good news of the] faith which he once was trying to destroy.”
• Acts 7:35“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.
• Acts 14:27Arriving there, they gathered the church together and began to report [in great detail] everything that God had done with them and how He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith [in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior].

Commentaries on Exodus 18:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1When Jethro, the priest of Midian, etc. - Concerning this person and his several names, See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:15, See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:16, See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:18, See Clarke's note on Exodus 3:1, See Clarke's note on Exodus 4:20, See Clarke's note on Exodus 4:24. Jethro was probably the son of Reuel, the father-in-law of Moses, and consequently the brother-in-law of Moses; for the word חתן chothen, which we translate…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Jethro was, in all probability, the “brother-in-law” of Moses Exodus 3:1. On the parting from Zipporah, see Exodus 4:26.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Jethro 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, he might set a good example in family government, 1Ti 3:5.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12Moses had sent his wife and children back to stay with his father-in-law at some point. During the intense confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses might have feared for their lives. Jethro now came to meet Moses and the Israelites, bringing the family of Moses with him (18:2–6). During the visit, Moses gave him a report. Jethro came to trust in the Lord through the testimony of the Lord's work.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-271-5. Jethro ... came ... unto Moses, &c.--It is thought by many eminent commentators that this episode is inserted out of its chronological order, for it is described as occurring when the Israelites were "encamped at the mount of God." And yet they did not reach it till the third month after their departure from Egypt (Ex 19:1, 2; compare De 1:6, 9-15).Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 18:1

• Moses

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• God
• Israel
• Jethro
• Midian
• Moses
• Midian; Midianites
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel

Commentaries on Exodus 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings