Exodus 18, Advice from a Father-in-Law

Of the various roles Moses fulfills, as leader of his people, one role is to administer justice.  If there are 600,000 men (or even 600 clans), this is a significant role.

Exodus 18:1-4, Jethro, priest of Midian, hears of Moses' victory

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an alien in a foreign land"; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh."

The Hebrew ger (גֵּר) means "sojourner", "stranger" and so  "Gershom" sounds like the Hebrew for "an alien there" (says the NIV.) The word Eliezer means "God helps" or "God is my helper."

Apparently Moses sent away his wife and sons before Moses visited Pharaoh?

Exodus 18:5-8, Moses reunited with wife and sons

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons."    

    

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

Near "the mountain of God" (see the next chapter) Jethro, along with Moses's wife and sons, catch up with Moses and the Israelites. Moses updates Jethro on all that has happened since Moses went off to Egypt.

The relationship between Moses and Jethro seems to be friendly and supportive. Alter points out that traveling to "the mountain of God" occurs in the next chapter; it is not uncommon in Old Testament passages for events to be out of chronological order.

Exodus 18:9-12, Support from Jethro

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."

    

Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

Like the Egyptians and others of this day, YHWH is recognized as better than the "other gods". Jethro has heard of the things YHWH has done for the people of Israel and publicly recognizes that YHWH is king of all gods. (This statement is different from monotheism, the belief that there is only one God.)

Exodus 18:13-16, Moses wearied by decision-making

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

    

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

Jethro has some experience and advice. He is shocked that Moses is taking all the work on himself.

Exodus 18:17-23, Jethro has wise advice

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.

    

But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 

    

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

Jethro suggests some basic delegation of responsibilities.

Exodus 18:24-27, Leaders chosen

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

    

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

Moses agrees. Although the suggestions are fairly simple, it is likely that in this intervention Jethro forces Moses to step back and agree to a more general approach to dispensing justice.

Then Jethro (and Zipporah and sons?) return to Jethro's home in Midian.  Note that the aid of this Midianite, at the birth of the nation of Israel, is recorded here. A later story, the story of Ruth, will acknowledge the value of a woman from Moab. A number of heroes of the Old Testament will be from outside Israel!

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is ezer,

עֵזֶר

a masculine noun meaning "help". The name Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר), for a son of Moses, combines that word with el (אֵל, "god") and so means "God helps."

Some Random Thoughts

This chapter is a strange interlude in the story of the exodus from Egypt. Why is it here?  I suspect that the events in this chapter prepare us for the lengthy smaller decrees we will read after the Ten Commandments are given. Before the Ten Commandments (coming in chapter 20), Moses makes all judicial decisions, presumably after consultation with YHWH. But after the Ten Commandments, a set of smaller decrees flesh out how those "Ten Words" apply to the people. Embedded in the smaller laws are instructions on how judges are to rule, describing a judicial system that allows decisions at a local level. 

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First published March 21, 2023; updated March 20, 2026