Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Exodus 18

Introduction

1  Jethro brings his wife and two sons to Moses.
7  Moses entertains him, and relates the goodness of the Lord.
9  Jethro rejoices, blesses God, and offers sacrifice.
13  He gives good counsel, which is accepted.
27  Jethro departs.

Verse 1

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;
Jethro
2:16,21, 3:1, 4:18, Numbers 10:29, Judges 4:11
heard
Psalms 34:2, 44:1, 77:14,15, 78:4, 105:5,43, 106:2,8, Jeremiah 33:9, Zechariah 8:23, Galatians 1:23,24
God
Acts 7:35,36, 14:27, 15:12, 21:19,20, Romans 15:18
done
7:1-15, Joshua 2:10, 9:9, Nehemiah 9:10,11, Psalms 77:14,15, 78:50-53, Psalms 105:36-41, 106:8-11, 136:10-16, Isaiah 63:11-13

Verse 2

Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
Zipporah
2:21, 4:25,26

Verse 3

And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
two sons
Acts 7:29
Gershom
i.e., A stranger there.
2:22, Psalms 39:12, Hebrews 11:13, 1 Peter 2:11

Verse 4

And 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:
Eliezer
i.e., my God is an help.
Psalms 46:1, Isaiah 50:7-9, Hebrews 13:6
delivered
2:15, Psalms 18:1; *title; Psalms 18:48, 34:4, Daniel 6:22, Acts 12:11, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, 2 Timothy 4:17

Verse 5

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:
3:1,12, 19:11,20, 24:16,17, 1 Kings 19:8

Verse 6

said: i.e. by means of messengers sent beforehand, Matthew 12:47


Verse 7

And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
went
Genesis 14:17, 46:29, Numbers 22:36, Judges 11:34, 1 Kings 2:19, Acts 28:15
did obeisance
Genesis 18:2, 19:1, 33:3-7
kissed
Genesis 29:13, 31:28, 33:4, 45:15, Psalms 2:12, Luke 7:45, Acts 20:37
welfare
Heb. peace.
Genesis 43:27, 2 Samuel 11:7

Verse 8

And 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 come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
told
1, Nehemiah 9:9-15, Psalms 66:16, 71:17-20, 105:1,2, 145:4-12
and all the
15:22-24, 16:3
come upon them
Heb found them.
Genesis 44:34, Numbers 20:14, Nehemiah 9:32; *marg:
how the Lord
Psalms 78:42,43, 81:7, 106:10, 107:2

Verse 9

And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Isaiah 44:23, 66:10, Romans 12:10,15, 1 Corinthians 12:26

Verse 10

And 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.
Genesis 14:20, 2 Samuel 18:28, 1 Kings 8:15, Psalms 41:13, 106:47,48, Luke 1:68, Ephesians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 3:9, 1 Peter 1:3, Revelation 5:11-13, 19:1-6

Verse 11

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Now I
9:16, 1 Kings 17:24, 2 Kings 5:15
the Lord
15:11, 1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Chronicles 2:5, Psalms 95:3, 97:9, 135:5
in the thing
1:10,16,22, 5:2,7, 14:8,18
proudly
9:17, 10:3, 1 Samuel 2:3, Nehemiah 9:10,16,29, Job 40:11,12, Psalms 31:23, Psalms 119:21, Daniel 4:37, Luke 1:51, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5

Verse 12

And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
took
24:5, Genesis 4:4, 8:20, 12:7, 26:25, 31:54, Job 1:5, 42:8
Aaron
24:11, Leviticus 7:11-17, Deuteronomy 12:7, 27:7, 1 Chronicles 29:21,22, 2 Chronicles 30:22, 1 Corinthians 10:18,21,31
eat bread
2:20, Genesis 43:25, 2 Samuel 9:7, Job 42:11, Daniel 10:3, Luke 14:1,15

Verse 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.
Judges 5:10, Job 29:7, Isaiah 16:5, Joel 3:12, Matthew 23:2, Romans 12:8, 13:6

Verse 15

And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
to enquire
19,20, Leviticus 24:12-14, Numbers 15:34, 27:5

Verse 16

When 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.
a matter
23:7, 24:14, Deuteronomy 17:8-12, 2 Samuel 15:3, Job 31:13, Acts 18:14,15, 1 Corinthians 6:1
one and another
Heb. a man and his fellow.
2:13
make
Leviticus 24:15, Numbers 15:35, 27:6-11, 36:6-9, Deuteronomy 4:5, 5:1, 6:1, 1 Samuel 12:23, Matthew 28:20, 1 Thessalonians 4:1,2

Verse 17

not good: Exodus 18:14; Deuteronomy 1:12; 1 Kings 3:8, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 Kings 13:18; 2 Chronicles 19:6; Matthew 17:4; John 13:6-10


Verse 18

Thou wilt surely wear away, both 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.
Thou wilt surely wear away
Heb. Fading thou wilt fade.
2 Corinthians 12:15, Philippians 2:30, 1 Thessalonians 2:8,9
thou art
Numbers 11:14-17, Deuteronomy 1:9-12, Acts 6:1-4

Verse 19

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
Hearken
24, Proverbs 9:9
God shall
3:12, 4:12, Genesis 39:2, Deuteronomy 20:1, Joshua 1:9, 2 Samuel 14:17, Matthew 28:20
Be thou
15, 4:16, 20:19, Deuteronomy 5:5
bring
Numbers 27:5

Verse 20

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
teach
16, Deuteronomy 4:1,5, 5:1, 6:1,2, 7:11, Nehemiah 9:13,14
the way
1 Samuel 12:23, Psalms 32:8, 143:8, Isaiah 30:21, Jeremiah 6:16, 42:3, Micah 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:1
work
Deuteronomy 1:18, Ezekiel 3:17, Matthew 28:20, Mark 13:34, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

Verse 21

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Moreover
Deuteronomy 1:13-17, Acts 6:3
able men
25, Deuteronomy 16:18, 1 Kings 3:9-12, Proverbs 28:2
such as
23:2-9, Genesis 22:12, 42:18, 2 Samuel 23:3, 1 Kings 18:3,12, 2 Chronicles 19:5-10, Nehemiah 5:9, 7:2, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Luke 18:2,4
men
Job 29:16, 31:13, Isaiah 16:5, 59:4,14,15, Jeremiah 5:1, Ezekiel 18:8, Zechariah 7:9, Zechariah 8:16
hating
23:8, Deuteronomy 16:18,19, 1 Samuel 8:3, 12:3,4, Psalms 26:9,10, Isaiah 33:15, Ezekiel 22:12, Acts 20:33, 1 Timothy 3:3, 6:9-11, 2 Peter 2:14,15
rulers of thousands
Whatever matter the decarch, or ruler over ten, could not decide, went to the pentecontarch, or ruler of fifty, and thence by degrees to the hecatontarch, or ruler over a hundred, to the chiliarch, or ruler over a thousand, to Moses, and at length to God himself. Each magistrate had the care or inspection of only ten men; the decarch superintended ten private characters; the hecatontarch ten decarchs; and the chiliarch, ten hecatontarchs.
Numbers 10:4, Deuteronomy 1:15, Joshua 22:14, 1 Samuel 8:12

Verse 22

And 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.
at all seasons
26, Romans 13:6
great
Leviticus 24:11, Numbers 15:33, 27:2, 36:1, Deuteronomy 1:17, 17:8,9
they shall
18, Numbers 11:17

Verse 23

If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
God
18, Genesis 21:10-12, 1 Samuel 8:6,7,22, Acts 15:2, Galatians 2:2
and all this
16:29, Genesis 18:33, 30:25, 2 Samuel 18:3, 19:39, 21:17, Philippians 1:24,25

Verse 24

So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
2-5,19, Ezra 10:2,5, Proverbs 1:5, 1 Corinthians 12:21

Verse 25

And Moses chose able 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.
21, Deuteronomy 1:15, Acts 6:5

Verse 26

And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
at all
14,22
the hard causes
15,22, Deuteronomy 17:8, 1 Kings 3:16-28, 10:1, Job 29:16

Verse 27

And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Genesis 24:59, 31:55, Numbers 10:29,30, Judges 19:9

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