1 The coming of Jethro
1 When ch. 2:16Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that Ps. 106:2,8God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, ch. 4:26after he had sent her back,
3 And her Acts 7:29two sons; of which the ch. 2:22name of the one was [a]Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
4 And the name of the other was [b]Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at ch. 3:1,12the mount of God:
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.
7 And Moses Gen. 18:2went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and Gen. 29:13kissed him; and they asked each other of their [c]welfare; and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had [d]come upon them by the way, and how the Lord Ps. 81:7delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Gen. 14:20;2 Sam. 18:28Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the Lord is 2 Chr. 2:5greater than all gods: ch. 1:10,16,22for in the thing wherein they dealt Luke 1:51proudly he was above them.
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 Deut. 12:7before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because Lev. 24:12the people come unto me to inquire of God:
16 When they have ch. 24:14a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between [e]one and another, and I do Lev. 24:15make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 [f]Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; Num. 11:14,17thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and ch. 3:12God shall be with thee: be thou ch. 4:16for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest Num. 27:5bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt Deut. 5:1teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them Ps. 143:8the way wherein they must walk, and Deut. 1:18the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people ver. 25;2 Chr. 19:5-10;Acts 6:3able men, such as 2 Sam. 23:3fear God, Ezek. 18:8men of truth, Deut. 16:19hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people ver. 26at all seasons: Lev. 24:11;Deut. 1:17and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and Num. 11:17they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be ver. 18able to endure, and all this people shall also go to ch. 16:29;2 Sam. 19:39their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
25 And Deut. 1:15Moses 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.
26 And they ver. 22judged the people at all seasons: the Job 29:16hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and Num. 10:29,30he went his way into his own land.
28 At mount Sinai
