Exodus 18:4

_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;_ Jethro ... came ... unto Moses ... It is thought by many eminent commentators that this episode is inserted out of its chronological order, because it is described as occurring when the Israelites were "encamped at the mount of God." And yet they did not reach it until the third month after their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1: cf. Deuteronomy 1:6; Deuteronomy 1:9). Besides, there is internal evidence that this visit took place a considerable time after at Sinai, not only from the fact that the social organization suggested

1-6 Jethro came to rejoice with Moses in the happiness of Israel, and to bring his wife and children to him. Moses must have his family with him, that while he ruled the church of God, he might set a good example in family government, 1 Timothy 3:5....

JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES. EXPOSITION JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES. It has been noticed, in the comment on Exodus 4:1; that shortly after the circumcision of Eliezer, Moses' second son, he sent back his wife, Zipporah, to her own kinsfolk, the Midianites, together with her two sons, Eliezer and Gershom. Reuel, Zipporah's father, was then dead (Exodus and had been succeeded in his priesthood and headship of the tribe by Jethro, probably his son, and therefore the brother-in-law, and not the father-in-law, of Moses. (The Hebrew word used, as already observed, has both meanings.) Jethro gave protection to his sister and her children until he heard of the passage of the Red Sea, when he set forth to meet and congratulate his kinsman, and to convey back

AND THE NAME OF THE OTHER WAS ELIEZER,.... Who seems to be his second son, and was that which was circumcised by Zipporah at the inn, and about which there was such a stir, Exodus 4:24, and signifies "my God [is] help", or, his helper: FOR THE GOD OF MY FATHER, [SAID HE], WAS MINE HELP, AND DELIVERED ME FROM THE SWORD OF PHARAOH; who, on hearing that Moses had killed an Egyptian, was wroth with him, and sought to slay him; and perhaps drew his sword for that purpose, but was prevented: however, this, in all human probability, would have been the case, that he would have fallen by his sword either in a private or public manner, had it not been for the interposition of divine Providence, and therefore he gave this name to his child, to be a standing memorial of it....

ELIEZER That is, God is help....

CHAPTER 18 MOSES AND JETHRO _ 1. The coming of Jethro (Exodus 18:1)_ 2. Moses' and Jethro's communion (Exodus 18:6) 3. Jethro's advice (Exodus 18:13) 4. Moses' action (Exodus 18:24) This chapter concludes the first section of the second part of Exodus. We have in it a beautiful dispensational foreshadowing of things to come. God had redeemed Israel, delivered them from Pharaoh's host, manifested His power and had given them victory. The priest of Midian, a Gentile, now comes, having heard all that Jehovah had done for Moses and for Israel, his people. Zipporah, Moses' wife, and his two sons are with

JETHRO AS PRIEST. Exodus 18:1 a (Midian) J, Exodus 18:1 b E, Exodus 18:1 c (supply heard) J, Exodus 18:2 Rje, Exodus 18:5 E, Exodus 18:6 a(b) - Exodus 18:7 J, Exodus 18:8 ab (was) E, Exodus 18:8 c -...

ELIEZER. God [is] my helper....

THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 18 Now Je-thro, the priest of Mid-i-an, Mo-ses-' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Mo-ses, and for Is-ra-el his people, how that Je-ho-vah had brought Is-ra-el out of E-gypt. (2) And Je-thro, Mo-ses-' father-in-law, took Zip-po-rah, Mo-ses-' wife, after he had sent her away, (3) and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Ger-shom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land: (4) and the name of the other was E-Ii-e-zer; for _he said,_ The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pha-raoh. (5) And Je-thro, Moses-' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Mo-ses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God: (6) and he said unto Mo-ses, I, thy father-in-law Je-thro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. (7) And Mo-ses went out to meet his father-in-law,...

18:4 Eliezer (k-8) _ El_ is my help; see Genesis 15:2 ....