Bible/Exodus/18

Exodus 18:2

18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

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Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

18:3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: Gershom: that is A stranger there

What does Exodus 18:2 mean?

Exodus 18:2 is a verse in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include יִתְרוֹ (Yithrôw), מֹשֶׁה (Môsheh), חָתַן (châthan). It connects to 3 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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Then
Jethro,יִתְרוֹYithrôw/yith-ro'/H3503Jethro, Moses' father-in-law
Moses'מֹשֶׁהMôsheh/mo-sheh'/H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
father
in
law,חָתַןchâthan/khaw-than'/H2859to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
tookלָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/H3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)
Zipporah,צִפֹּרָהTsippôrâh/tsip-po-raw'/H6855Tsipporah, Moses' wife
Moses'מֹשֶׁהMôsheh/mo-sheh'/H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
wife,אִשָּׁהʼishshâh/ish-shaw'/H802a woman
afterאַחַרʼachar/akh-ar'/H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
he
had
sent
her
back,שִׁלּוּחַshillûwach/shil-loo'-akh/H7964(only in plural) a dismissal, i.e. (of a wife) divorce (especially the document); also (of a daughter) dower

Commentary on Exodus 18:2

HENRY_FULL · Exodus 18:2
This chapter is concerning Moses himself, and the affairs of his own family. I. Jethro his father-in-law brings to him his wife and children, ver. 1-6 . II. Moses entertains his father-in-law with great respect ( ver. 7 ), with good discourse ( ver. 8-11 ), with a sacrifice and a feast, ver. 12 . III. Jethro advises him about the management of his business as a judge in Israel, to take inferior judges in to his assistance ( ver. 13-23 ), and Moses, after some time, takes his counsel ( ver. 24-26 ), and so they part, ver. 27 . Jethro's Visit to Mo

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Exodus 2:21

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

Exodus 4:25

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. sharp: or, knife cast: Heb. made it touch

Exodus 4:26

So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Topics

Desert, Journey of Israel Through TheKenites, theZipporah

People & places in this verse

People

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Exodus 18:2.

Exodus 3:1

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

Exodus 4:18

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. Jethro: Heb. Jether

Exodus 18:1

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;

Exodus 18:12

And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.

Exodus 18:5

And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

Exodus 18:6

And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

Exodus 2:21

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

Genesis 11:29

And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

Frequently asked questions

What does Exodus 18:2 say?

Exodus 18:2 (King James Version) reads: "Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,"

Is Exodus 18:2 in the Old or New Testament?

Exodus 18:2 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Exodus.

Reflect

As you read Exodus 18:2, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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