Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus 18:1-8
Jethro Visits and Advises Moses (Exodus 18:1).
There is little doubt that under God, Jethro's visit saved Moses from being on the verge of nervous exhaustion. In return Moses will bring enlightenment to Jethro about the things of God. God often uses the most unexpected sources in order to help His servants. But there is an indication of how necessary Moses training and expertise was for Israel.
Jethro Arrives With Moses' Wife and Children and Is Warmly Welcomed And Learns of All That Yahweh Has Done (Exodus 18:1).
As the children of Israel approached Sinai they would come within the vicinity of the Midianite group to which Moses belonged, who would soon learn of their approach. Indeed it must be seen as very probable that Moses sent them notification.
a Jethro hears of all that God has done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh has brought them out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 18:11).
b Jethro had taken Moses' wife and his two sons after he sent her away of whom one was Gershom, meaning ‘a resident alien' (compare Exodus 2:2) because Moses had been a resident alien in a foreign land, and the other Eliezer, God is my help' because God had saved him from the hand of Pharaoh (Exodus 18:2).
c Jethro brings Moses' wife and children to the camp of Israel at the mount of God (Exodus 18:15).
c He sends a message to tell Moses that his father-in-law Jethro, with Moses' wife and children, has come to meet with him (Exodus 18:16).
b Moses goes out to his father-in-law and bowed and kissed him and they asked each other of their welfare and came into Moses' tent (Exodus 18:17).
a Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the trials they had had on the way, and how Yahweh had delivered them from them (Exodus 18:18).
Note in the parallels how in ‘a' Jethro had heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, and how Yahweh had brought them out of the land of Egypt and in the parallel Moses tells Jethro of all that Yahweh had done for Israel's sake. In ‘b' we are told of Moses' trials in his exile and how God had saved him from the hands of Pharaoh, and in the parallel we are told of what Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and how He had delivered Israel from all their trials. In ‘c' Jethro bring Moses' wife and children with him to the camp, and in the parallel Moses warmly welcomes Jethro (and all his party) and takes them to his tent. Central to the passage is that Moses' tribal leader and father-in-law Jethro has come bringing Moses' wife and children. This central position brings out that Moses did not overlook the coming of his wife, even though it was not important in the ensuing narrative.
‘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 that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.'
The news about what God had done for Moses would have come from Moses himself, who would no doubt have sent a fast messenger with the news of the deliverance. It was incumbent on him to keep his tribal leader informed. Note the change to ‘God' (Elohim) in the first phrase. It has been noteworthy that up to this point the use of the word Elohim (God) by itself has been notably lacking from the narrative since leaving Egypt. The emphasis has been on Yahweh. In fact Elohim (God) has only been used in the technical term ‘the staff of God' (Exodus 17:9) and to define Yahweh as ‘your God' (Exodus 15:26; Exodus 16:12). Thus this opening use of Elohim (God) is very much against the idea that Jethro worshipped Yahweh. Had he done so the sentence would surely have begun with ‘Yahweh'.
Note the use in this verse. Jethro hears of ‘all that God has done'. Thus he equates it with the activity of ‘God' as he knows Him. But then when the deliverance from Egypt is mentioned it is referred to Yahweh. This distinction applies throughout the chapter demonstrating its unity.
This distinction is especially observed when we compare how the word Elohim (God) is also used when defining Jethro's sacrifices (Exodus 18:12) and in general conversation with Jethro (Exodus 18:15), as well as when he gives his advice (Exodus 18:17). It is only when speaking of the deliverance from Egypt that the name of Yahweh comes into prominence (Exodus 18:1 b, Exodus 8-11). This also ties in with the fact that Moses' second son's name contains El and not Yah. In view of this it would seem clear that Jethro was not a dedicated worshipper of Yahweh, and certainly not a priest of Yahweh, while being willing to acknowledge that Yahweh was God and even greater than all the gods (Exodus 18:11), by which he mainly meant the gods of Egypt of whose defeat he had heard. He quite possibly identified his own god with Yahweh, for Moses had spent forty years with the tribe. But if so the association was secondary for he speaks of him as Elohim.
‘And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away, and her two sons, the name of one of whom was Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a strange land”, and the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”.'
This summary brings us up to date on Moses' family position. Moses had clearly sent his wife back to the family tribe while he was having his contest with Pharaoh. This was probably in order to ensure her safety and the safety of her two sons and to prevent them from being used by Pharaoh as a bargaining tool. It has ever been the policy of tyrants to get back at or control their enemies by attacking their families. But it may partly have been because a Midianite wife and two foreign sons were causing dissension among certain of the children of Israel (although such racial discrimination was not usual. It was only marriage to Canaanites that was frowned on because of their perverted sexual rites. There is no direct suggestion here or anywhere that Moses' marriage was frowned on). And Jethro had accepted her and her sons back under his care. He had ‘taken' her.
The details of Moses' two sons are also given. They were mentioned in Exodus 4:20, and the fact of Gershom's birth and naming in Exodus 2:22. This is now mentioned again, along with the naming of his second son Eliezer, important here because of its meaning.
“Gershom.” ‘Ger' means a foreigner, a sojourner, a stranger. Moses construed the name here as meaning ‘a stranger there', the regular play on words common with both tribal and Egyptian names. Moses' comment suggested how hardly he understandably had felt his exile.
“Eliezer.” ‘My God is help.' Exodus 4:20 suggests that Eliezer was born in Midian before Moses left for Egypt. His name was basically a statement of faith, that God would be Moses' helper. And Moses especially related this to his escape from execution when he fled from Egypt with God's help. He now compares it in Exodus 18:8 (see analysis) with their recent deliverance. In fact both sons may well now be grown up.
‘And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife, into the wilderness where he was encamped at the Mount of God.'
At this nearest point to the Midianite camp Jethro arrived bringing Moses' wife and his two sons. Note the constant emphasis on his ‘father-in-law' (Exodus 18:1; Exodus 18:5; Exodus 18:12; Exodus 18:14; Exodus 18:17; Exodus 18:24; Exodus 18:27). This was considered necessary in order to make what happened here acceptable. It was precisely because Jethro was in a position of primacy over Moses as his father-in-law, as one who had taken the place of a father to him (compare Jacob and Laban where Jacob acknowledged the authority of Laban), and as his patriarch, that he was called on to offer sacrifices (Exodus 18:12) and was in a position to give patriarchal advice to Moses. All would recognise his right to do so.
“Where he was encamped at the mount of God.” The movement of the whole tribe to Horeb, to the water gushing from the rock, has not been mentioned, but it is assumed (in Exodus 17:1 it is only the elders who have been to the rock). Why else was the rock in Horeb revealed? The writer was concerned more with the glory of Yahweh than with the minor details of the doings of the children of Israel. (We can compare, for example, how in Exodus 7:15; Exodus 8:1; Exodus 8:20; Exodus 9:1 Moses is told to go to Pharaoh but the going and its consequence is actually not mentioned but assumed. The narrative continues on the basis that it has been done).
This movement is hinted at in Exodus 19:2 where we read, ‘when they were departed from Rephidim and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they pitched in the wilderness, and there Israel camped before the Mount of God.' This latter is a dating summary, which see. So now they are in Horeb. They will need the plentiful supply of water for their comparatively long stay there.
“The mount of God.” This description was probably given to it after the events that follow. It may, however, have been earlier looked on as sacred by the Midianites due to its austere grandeur (compare Exodus 3:1)
‘And he said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am come to you, and your wife and your two sons with her.” And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed to him and kissed him, and they asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.'
Jethro took Moses' wife and sons to Moses, and they greeted each other warmly and came back to Moses' tent.
“He said.” That is via a messenger. It explains the formality of the message. While friendly it is patriarchal. The leader of his clan is coming to meet him.
“Went out --- and bowed to him.” Moses pays him the honour due to him with full formality, and Jethro responds accordingly, but the detail suggests it is friendly.
‘And Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come on them by the way, and how Yahweh had delivered them.'
Moses had, of course, a responsibility to report events back to his tribal leader, from whom he had officially previously sought permission to go to Egypt (Exodus 4:18), but the communication goes beyond that. Moses is concerned that his father-in-law should now see that he is tied to the children of Israel by Yahweh's activities and demands. Jethro's rejoicing in the goodness of Yahweh demonstrates that he is gladly willing to accept the situation and to release Moses from his tribal loyalty.
He speaks of the wonders performed against Pharaoh and the Egyptians, as well as His powerful provision made in the later difficult period in the wilderness, in which Yahweh had again revealed His glory ‘for Israel's sake'. These wonders and gracious acts bring glory to Yahweh.