Exodus 18

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 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;

2Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

3And her two sons; of which the name of the one [was] Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4And the name of the other [was] Eliezer; for the God of my father, [said he, was] mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

5And 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:

6And 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 went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of [their] welfare; and they came into the tent.

8And 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 come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them.

9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10And Jethro said, Blessed [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.

11Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them.

12And 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.

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.

14And 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?

15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make [them] know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good.

18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that [is] with thee: for this thing [is] too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and 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 they shall bear [the burden] with thee.

23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee [so], then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25And Moses 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.

26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, reunited with Moses, bringing his wife and sons. After hearing of God's deliverance of Israel, Jethro praised the LORD. Observing Moses' overwhelming task of judging the people, Jethro advised him to delegate authority by appointing righteous men to judge smaller matters, which Moses promptly implemented.

Medium Summary

Upon hearing of the LORD's mighty acts in delivering Israel from Egypt, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, journeyed to the wilderness, bringing Moses' wife Zipporah and their two sons. Moses greeted them, and they shared a meal, during which Moses recounted all that the LORD had done. Jethro rejoiced, offered sacrifices, and declared the LORD to be greater than all gods. The next day, Jethro observed Moses spending the entire day judging the people, a task he deemed too burdensome for Moses alone. Jethro counseled Moses to appoint able men, who feared God and were men of truth, to serve as rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. These men would judge the smaller matters, while Moses would handle only the great causes and teach God's statutes. Moses heeded this wise counsel, establishing a system of delegated justice, after which Jethro departed.

Long Summary

Exodus chapter 18 begins with Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, hearing of all that God had done for Moses and Israel, particularly their deliverance from Egypt. Jethro then took Zipporah, Moses' wife whom he had sent back, and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, to reunite with Moses in the wilderness at the mount of God. Moses went out to meet them, showing great respect, and they entered his tent, inquiring of each other's welfare. Moses recounted to Jethro all the travail and deliverance the LORD had wrought for Israel against Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Jethro rejoiced greatly in the LORD's goodness, blessing Him and declaring His supremacy over all gods, for in the very things wherein the Egyptians dealt proudly, God was above them. Following this, Jethro offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to God, and Aaron and the elders of Israel joined them in a meal before God. On the morrow, Jethro observed Moses sitting to judge the people from morning until evening, with the people standing by him all day. Recognizing the immense burden, Jethro questioned Moses' method, stating that the task was too heavy for him alone and would wear out both Moses and the people. Jethro then offered counsel, advising Moses to continue representing the people before God and teaching them His statutes and laws. Crucially, he recommended that Moses select able men from among the people—men who feared God, were truthful, and hated covetousness—to serve as rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. These appointed officials would judge the people at all seasons, bringing only the most difficult cases to Moses, thereby lightening his load. Jethro assured Moses that if he followed this counsel, and God commanded it, he would be able to endure, and the people would go to their place in peace. Moses hearkened to his father-in-law's voice and implemented the suggested system, choosing qualified men to serve as judges. They handled the small matters, referring only the hard causes to Moses. Finally, Moses bid his father-in-law farewell, and Jethro departed for his own land.

Core Concepts

  • Reunion and FellowshipJethro, Moses' father-in-law, brings Moses' wife and sons to him in the wilderness, leading to a joyful reunion and shared meal where Moses recounts God's deliverance.
  • Divine SupremacyJethro, a Midianite priest, acknowledges the LORD's power and declares Him 'greater than all gods' after hearing of His mighty acts against Egypt.
  • Burden of LeadershipMoses is shown to be overwhelmed by the task of judging all the people alone, spending entire days resolving their disputes and teaching God's laws.
  • Delegation of AuthorityJethro advises Moses to appoint capable and righteous men from the people to serve as judges over various groups, thereby distributing the judicial workload.
  • Qualities of JudgesThe counsel specifies that appointed judges should be 'able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness,' emphasizing moral and spiritual integrity.
  • Judicial SystemA structured system is established where minor disputes are handled by appointed rulers, while only major or difficult cases are brought to Moses, ensuring efficiency and accessibility to justice.
  • Wise CounselMoses demonstrates humility and wisdom by heeding Jethro's practical and divinely-inspired advice, which proves beneficial for both him and the people.