Exodus 18:2

Exodus 18:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
• New International Version (NIV)After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home,
• New Living Translation (NLT)Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in.

Context of Exodus 18:2

1And 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. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) 4and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);

Exodus 18:2 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֗ח יִתְרוֹ֙ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֖ה אֵ֣שֶׁת מֹשֶׁ֑ה אַחַ֖ר שִׁלּוּחֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Jethroיִתְרוֹyithrô · JethroH3503
• Moses’מֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• father in lawחֹתֵןchâthan · relativeH2859
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• Zipporahצִפֹּרָהtsippôrâh · ZipporahH6855
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• he had sent her backשִׁלּוּחִיםshillûach shillûach · parting giftH7964

Cross-references for Exodus 18:2

• Exodus 2:21Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
• Exodus 4:25Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”

Commentaries on Exodus 18:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2After he had sent her back - Why Zipporah and her two sons returned to Midian, is not certainly known. From the transaction recorded Exodus 4:20, Exodus 4:24, it seems as if she had been alarmed at the danger to which the life of one of her sons had been exposed, and fearing worse evils, left her husband and returned to her father. It is however possible that Moses, foreseeing the troubles to which his wife and children were likely to be exposed had he…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 18:2

• Moses
• Zipporah

In the dictionaries

• Jethro
• Moses
• Father-in-Law
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Matter
• Wear
• Blindness, Judicial
• Courts, Judicial

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