God’s Word Translation
Exodus 18:27
27Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro went back to his own country.
Exodus 18:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.
Context of Exodus 18:27
25Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. 26These men were the ones who usually settled disagreements among the people. They would bring difficult cases to Moses, but they settled all minor ones themselves. Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro went back to his own country.
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:27 word by word
וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־חֹתְנ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ ל֖וֹ אֶל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 18:27
- Genesis 24:59So they let their sister Rebekah and her nurse go with Abraham’s servant and his men.
- Genesis 31:55Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and went back home.
- Numbers 10:29Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are going to the place the Lord promised to give us. Come with us. We will be good to you, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
- Judges 19:9The Levite started to leave with his concubine and his servant. But his father-in-law said to him, “It’s already evening. Please stay another night. It’s too late ⌞to leave⌟ now. Stay here, and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can start out early to go home.”
Commentaries on Exodus 18:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27And Moses let his father-in-law depart - But if this be the same transaction with that mentioned Numbers 10:29, etc., we find that it was with great reluctance that Moses permitted so able a counsellor to leave him; for, having the highest opinion of his judgment, experience, and discretion, he pressed him to stay with them, that he might be instead of eyes to them in the desert. But Jethro chose rather to return to his own country, where probably his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Into his own land - Midian Exodus 2:15.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-27Verses 13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care and kindness. The meanest…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-27Jethro’s wise advice shows another example of God’s care and guidance. This time, God did not act through a miracle. Instead, He used practical wisdom. Jethro taught Moses a new way to lead. He told Moses to share his authority with other capable leaders. This way of leadership is called delegation. It means giving responsibility to others. Before this, Moses seems to have followed an Egyptian style of leadership. That system was very strict and top-down…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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries