Exodus 18 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Exodus 18:1-4
Verses 1 – 4 reintroduces Jethro, a Midianite priest and Moses’ father-in-law. It recalls the fact that Moses sent his wife and children back home to Jethro.
Exodus 18:5-12
Verses 5 – 12 describe the time when Jethro came to visit Moses in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. He was accompanied by Moses’ wife Zipporah and Moses’ two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
Exodus 18:13-23
The day after Jethro, Moses, Aaron, and the elders celebrated a sacrificial to honor the LORD, Moses went about his usual duties in managing the affairs of the people.
Exodus 18:24-27
Having heard his father-in-law’s advice, Moses implemented it. He appointed men at the various levels to do the judging of the less difficult matters, leaving only the most difficult ones to be brought to Moses.
Additional Resources
The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of Genesis concerning the migration of the family of Jacob (the Israelites) to Egypt (Genesis 50). It describes the commissioning of Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives on earth to accomplish God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land (the land of Canaan). It also relates the miraculous deliverance from Egypt beginning with the plagues on Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. It then describes the journey to Mount Sinai and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant with the Israelites. The last part of the book involves the specifications and building of the tabernacle – the place where the Lord Himself dwelt amongst His people.
In the book of Exodus, the focus shifts to the deliverance of God’s people.
Exodus 18 can be outlined as follows:
- Jethro is Introduced (18:1 – 4)
- Jethro Visits Moses (18:5 – 12)
- Jethro Counsels Moses (18:13 – 23)
- Jethro Returns to his Home (18:24 – 27)
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