Exodus · WEB-C
Exodus
18
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. See also: Psalms 77:14-15Exodus 3:1Exodus 2:16Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, See also: Exodus 2:21Exodus 4:25-26and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”. See also: Exodus 2:22Acts 7:29Hebrews 11:13The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.” See also: 2 Corinthians 1:8-10Acts 12:11Hebrews 13:6Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God. See also: Exodus 3:1Exodus 3:12Exodus 19:20He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent. See also: Genesis 29:13Genesis 18:21 Kings 2:19Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them. See also: Psalms 81:7Psalms 78:42-43Psalms 145:4-12Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. See also: Romans 12:151 Corinthians 12:26Romans 12:10Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. See also: Genesis 14:202 Samuel 18:28Luke 1:68Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.” See also: Psalms 95:3Exodus 15:112 Chronicles 2:5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. See also: Genesis 31:54Deuteronomy 12:7Exodus 24:11On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening. See also: Joel 3:12Romans 13:6Job 29:7When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?” Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. See also: Numbers 15:34Numbers 27:5Numbers 9:6When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” See also: Exodus 24:141 Corinthians 6:1Deuteronomy 5:1Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone. See also: Numbers 11:14-17Acts 6:1-4Philippians 2:30Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God. See also: Numbers 27:5Exodus 20:19Deuteronomy 5:5You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. See also: Deuteronomy 5:1Psalms 143:8Deuteronomy 1:18Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. See also: Acts 6:32 Chronicles 19:5-10Deuteronomy 1:13-17Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you. See also: Numbers 11:17Deuteronomy 1:17-18Numbers 27:2If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.” See also: Exodus 18:181 Samuel 8:6-71 Samuel 8:22So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. See also: Exodus 18:2-5Proverbs 1:5Exodus 18:19Moses 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. See also: Deuteronomy 1:15Exodus 18:21Acts 6:5They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. See also: Exodus 18:221 Kings 10:1Deuteronomy 17:8Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land. See also: Numbers 10:29-30Judges 19:9Genesis 24:59
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)16 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Exodus 18:1
Ver. 1. Jethro. See C. ii. 18. --- Priest. Hebrew Cohen means also a prince. Both offices were performed by the heads of families, in the law of nature. W. --- It is supposed that this interview took place later, and should be placed. Num. x.
10. C.
↑ 1Exodus 18:2
Ver. 2. Back, with her consent, when he was going to the court of Pharao. M. ---
Since he had the vision of God, S. Epiphanius says, he lived in continence with her. Hœr. 78.
↑ 2Exodus 18:5
Ver. 5. Mountain. Horeb, (C. iii. 1,) or Sinai. M.
↑ 5Exodus 18:6
Ver. 6. Word. Heb. "And he said unto Moses, I, &c. 7. And Moses went out to meet," &c. which seems very strange, after he had been just talking with him.
The authors of the Sept. and Syr.
read behold, instead of I. "It was told Moses. Behold thy," &c. Kennicott observes, that five Samaritan copies retain ene, "behold," instead of ani, "I,"
and thus obviate the nonsense which disturbs the reader of the present Hebrew.
↑ 6Exodus 18:7
Ver. 7. Worshipped, bending to the ground, according to the custom of the country. H. --- Tent of the Lord, if it were then erected, and afterwards into that of Moses. C.
↑ 7Exodus 18:9
Ver. 9. Rejoiced. Sept. "was in an ecstacy," of admiration, mixed with joy. M.
↑ 9Exodus 18:11
Ver. 11. I know. I am now more convinced of this truth. Jethro instructed his family in these principles. The Rechabites were his descendants. 1 Par. ii. 55.
Jer. xxxv. M. --- Proudly. Heb.
"because in the thing in which they did proudly, he was against, or above them." Something must be supplied. God turned the wisdom and arms of the Egyptians to their own confusion. C.
↑ 11Exodus 18:12
Ver. 12. Sacrifices. Peace-offerings, of which he might partake with the ancients. H. --- Jethro being a stranger, and a servant of the true God, might perform this duty in person, even though we allow that the priesthood was restrained to the family of Aaron before this time with regard to the Hebrews.
C. --- Before God. S. Aug. who supposes that the tabernacle was not yet erected, explains this in honour of God: but others, who believe this happened at the close of the year, say that the feast was made before the tabernacle, the house of God. M.
↑ 12Exodus 18:17
Ver. 17. Good, or convenient, either for yourself, or for the people. H.
↑ 17Exodus 18:18
Ver. 18. Foolish. Sept. "intolerable." --- Labour. Heb. "thou wilt surely sink, or be wasted away."
↑ 18Exodus 18:20
Ver. 20. To do. Be a mediator between God and the people: explain their wants, and bring back his decision: but let inferior officers see them executed. H.
↑ 20Exodus 18:21
Ver. 21. Avarice. That they may not be bribed against their better knowledge.
The wise, rich, and disinterested, must be appointed magistrates; such as may not be under any undue influence.
Aristotle blames the Lacedemonians for entrusting such offices to people who had nothing. See Isai. iii. 7.
↑ 21Exodus 18:23
Ver. 23. Thou shalt. Heb. "and God shall order thee." Jethro does not wish his advice should be followed, till God had been consulted. C. --- By his plan, he thought Moses would have time to confer more with God, and promote his own welfare, and the convenient dispatch of business.
M.
↑ 23Exodus 18:25
Ver. 25. Tens. The Samaritan copy here inserts, from Deut. i. 9. to 19, where this is related at greater length. The Sept. also add to the other officers, the Grammatoeisagogeis, or Shoterim, mentioned in the same place, as lectors or scribes, whose business it perhaps was to present written requests.
↑ 25Exodus 18:26
Ver. 26. To him. Whether they regarded religious or civil matters. No appeal was made from an inferior or any other tribunal, but that of the supreme magistrate. C.
↑ 26Exodus 18:27
Ver. 27. Depart, upon his consenting to leave his son Hobab, for a guide, (Bonfrere on Num. x.
29,) or perhaps he departed for a time, and returned again. C. --- Moses shews by his example, that superiors ought not to disdain receiving prudent admonitions from any one. S. Chrys. W.
↑ 27License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses