New English Translation
Exodus 18:5
5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by the mountain of God.
Exodus 18:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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:
- New International Version (NIV)Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Exodus 18:5
3and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”), 4and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, “The God of my father has been my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by the mountain of God. 6He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; they each asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent.
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:5 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֞א יִתְר֨וֹ חֹתֵ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֛ה וּבָנָ֥יו וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־ה֛וּא חֹנֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Jethroיִתְרוֹyithrô · JethroH3503
- Moses’מֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- father in lawחֹתֵןchâthan · relativeH2859
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- with his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- into the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- where he encampedחָנָהchânâh · to campH2583
- at the mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Exodus 18:5
- Exodus 3:1Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.
- Exodus 19:11and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
- Exodus 24:16The glory of the Lord resided on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud.
- 1 Kings 19:8So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Commentaries on Exodus 18:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Jethro - came with his sons - There are several reasons to induce us to believe that the fact related here is out of its due chronological order, and that Jethro did not come to Moses till the beginning of the second year of the exodus, (see Numbers 10:11;), some time after the tabernacle had been erected, and the Hebrew commonwealth established, both in things civil and ecclesiastical. This opinion is founded on the following reasons: - On this verse…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The wilderness - i. e., according to the view which seems on the whole most probable, the plain near the northern summit of Horeb, the mountain of God. The valley which opens upon Er Rahah on the left of Horeh is called “Wady Shueib” by the Arabs, i. e. the vale of Hobab.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 18:5
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries