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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.
Verse 1. Jethro. See Calmet. 2:18.—Priest. Hebrew Cohen means also a prince. Both offices were performed by the heads of families, in the law of nature. Worthington.—It is supposed that this interview took place later, and should be placed. Numbers 10:10. Calmet.
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
Verse 2. Back, with her consent, when he was going to the court of Pharao. Menochius.—Since he had the vision of God, S. Epiphanius says, he lived in continence with her. Hœr. 78.
and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
“Gershom” sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there”.
The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
Eliezer means “God is my helper”.
Jethro, 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.
Verse 5. Mountain. Horeb, (Calmet. 3:1,) or Sinai. Menochius.
He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
Verse 6. Word. Hebrew “And he said unto Moses, I, &chapter 7. And Moses went out to meet,” and so forth which seems very strange, after he had been just talking with him. The authors of the Septuagint and Syr. read behold, instead of I. “It was told Moses. Behold thy,” and so forth 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.
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.
Verse 7. Worshipped, bending to the ground, according to the custom of the country. Bible.—Tent of the Lord, if it were then erected, and afterwards into that of Moses. Calmet.
Moses 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.
Jethro 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.
Verse 9. Rejoiced. Septuagint “was in an ecstacy,” of admiration, mixed with joy. Menochius.
Jethro 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.
Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
Verse 11. I know. I am now more convinced of this truth. Jethro instructed his family in these principles. The Rechabites were his descendants. 1 Chronicles 2:55. Jeremiah 35. Menochius.—Proudly. Hebrew “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. Calmet.
Jethro, 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.
Verse 12. Sacrifices. Peace-offerings, of which he might partake with the ancients. Bible.—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. Calmet.—Before God. Saint Augustine 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. Menochius.
On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
When 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.
When 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.”
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
Verse 17. Good, or convenient, either for yourself, or for the people. Bible.
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.
Verse 18. Foolish. Septuagint “intolerable.”—Labour. Hebrew “thou wilt surely sink, or be wasted away.”
Listen 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.
You 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.
Verse 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. Bible.
Moreover 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.
Verse 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 Isaiah 3:7.
Let 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.
If 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.”
Verse 23. Thou shalt. Hebrew “and God shall order thee.” Jethro does not wish his advice should be followed, till God had been consulted. Calmet.—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. Menochius.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
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.
Verse 25. Tens. The Samaritan copy here inserts, from Deuteronomy 1:9 to 19, where this is related at greater length. The Septuagint 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.
They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Verse 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. Calmet.
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
Verse 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. Calmet.—Moses shews by his example, that superiors ought not to disdain receiving prudent admonitions from any one. Saint John Chrysostom Worthington.