1Jethro bringeth to Moses his wife and two sons. 7Moses entertaineth him. 9Jethro blesseth God for his goodness to Israel. 13He counselleth Moses to provide fit persons, who may assist him in judging the people; his counsel is accepted. 27Jethro departeth.
1WHENa 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;
a Exod. 2:16; 3:1.
2Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, 1after he had sent her back,
1 Hebr. after her sending back.
3And 2her two sons; ofb which the name of the one was Gershom; for 3he said, I have been an alien 4in a strangec land:
2 Namely, of Zipporah.
b Exod. 2:22.
3 Namely, Moses, when he gave the child that name.
4 Namely, in the land Midian.
c foreign*
4And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped 5at the mount of God:
5 This was Mount Horeb on which God gave the law to Moses.
6And 6he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
6 That is, he sent word to him by some messenger before his arrival.
7¶And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked 7each other of their 8welfare; and they came 9into the tent.
7 Hebr. the man his neighbor, or, companion.
8 Hebr. peace. See Gen. 37:14.
9 Namely, to the tent of Moses.
8And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had 10come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
10 Hebr. had found.
9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all 11gods: 12ford in the thing wherein they dealt proudly 13he was above them.
11 Understand here the idols of the heathen nations, called gods by name, but being none in deed.
12 The sense of these words is: that when the Egyptians supposed that through the help of their gods they would soon suppress and destroy the people of God, they were precipitated by God into the Red Sea, to the scorn and shame of all their idol gods in which they trusted.
d Exod. 1:10, 16, 22; 5:7; 14:18.
13 That is, He prevailed against, subdued and destroyed them.
12And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices 14for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat 15bread with Moses' father in law 16before God.
14 That is, to offer them up in sacrifice to God.
15To eat bread signifies here to be at a festive meal together.
16 That is, in the fear of the Lord; having the Lord before their eyes, or, before the majesty of God, appearing in the cloudy pillar. Compare Deut. 12:7; 27:7.
13¶And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14And when Moses' father in law saw all 17that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself 18alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
17 That is, how he did carry and demean himself towards the people.
18 Without any assessors and assistants in judgment.
15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to 19enquire of God:
19 Other, to seek God, that is, they inquire of me what agrees with the will and command or law of God. See 1 Sam. 9:9.
16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17And Moses' father in law said unto him, 20The thing that thou doest is not good.
20 Namely, in the manner that you do it all alone.
1821Thou wilt surely wear away, 22both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
21 This is a phrase comparatively taken from flowers, leaves, or herbs; see Deut. 1:9, 12. Jethro’s meaning is, that Moses wore himself out hearing and judging all the concerns of the people himself; the people likewise became tired and ill-satisfied with wearisome attendance before they could be admitted and heard. Other, wear away, fall away, faint. Hebr. thou shalt withering wither.
22 Hebr. also thou, also this people.
19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: 23Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
23 As if he would say: It is enough that you are employed in great and weighty affairs wherein God’s own advice or decision must be had, whereof we read, Num. 15:33, 34; 27:5, 6. Other smaller matters may be taken care of by others.
20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people 24able men, such as fear God, 25men of truth, hating covetousness; and 26place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
24 Other, strong, able, courageous men. See Gen. 47:6.
25 Or, veritable men. Hebr. men of truth, or, faithfulness.
26 Unto these qualifications required in governors of nations, cities and countries, Moses yet adds some others, Exod. 23:6; Deut. 1:16; 16:18. See also 2 Chron. 19:7; Isa. 33:15.
22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go 27to their place in peace.
27 Namely, into the land of Canaan; or, each one to his own home, having received an end to their concerns without that tedious attendance from morning to night. Thus a man’s house is called his place, Judges 7:7; 9:55; 19:28, 29.
24So Mosese hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and 28did all that he had said.
e Deut. 1:9.
28 Namely, after that God had commanded him the same, Num. 11:16, and having likewise introduced it unto the people, Deut. 1:14.
25And Moses chose 29able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
29 Unto these men Moses has given instruction and charge, see Deut. 1:16, 17.
26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27¶And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into 30his own land.
30 Namely, Midian.