Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 18:1
1Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.
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
Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, 3along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”)
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 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. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
- Exodus 3:1Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- Exodus 4:18Then Moses went back to his father-in-law, Jethro, and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
- Numbers 10:29Moses said to Hobab, descendant of Reuel the Midianite and Moses’s relative by marriage, “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
- Judges 4:11Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the sons of Hobab, Moses’s father-in-law, and pitched his tent beside the oak tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.
- Psalms 34:2I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad.
- Psalms 44:1God, we have heard with our ears — our ancestors have told us — the work you accomplished in their days, in days long ago:
- Psalms 77:14You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples.
- Psalms 78:4We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.
- Psalms 105:5Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,
- Psalms 106:2Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts or proclaim all the praise due him?
- Jeremiah 33:9This city will bear on my behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the prosperity I will give them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.
- Zechariah 8:23The Lord of Armies says this: “In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
- Galatians 1:23They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.”
- Acts 7:35“This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge? — this one God sent as a ruler and a deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
- Acts 14:27After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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