Exodus 18

This chapter of Exodus covers the period when Israel, having left Egypt, was passing through the wilderness. In the preceding chapter, Exodus 17, water came from the rock at Rephidim and Israel fought Amalek; in the following chapter, Exodus 19, the covenant at Sinai begins.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Moses' father-in-law Jethro hears of what God has done for Israel. Bringing Moses' wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, he comes to Moses, who is encamped at the mount of God.
• Verses 7–12 Moses tells Jethro all that has happened, and Jethro praises the LORD and then offers a burnt offering and sacrifices. Aaron and the elders join him in eating bread before God.
• Verses 13–23 The next day, seeing Moses judge the people alone from morning until evening, Jethro advises him to choose men who are truthful and fear God and to entrust the smaller matters to them.
• Verses 24–27 Moses follows the advice, appointing rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and handles only the difficult cases himself. Jethro returns to his own land.

Key Verses

• Exodus 18:11 "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods" — a Gentile priest confesses the greatness of the LORD.
• Exodus 18:18 "Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone" — Jethro's diagnosis that a leader cannot bear the work by himself.
• Exodus 18:21 "Able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness" — the criteria for choosing leaders over the people, describing those who possess both ability and virtue.

Characters and Places

• Jethro: Moses' father-in-law and a priest of Midian.
• Moses: The leader of Israel, who judges the people's disputes.
• Zipporah: Moses' wife and Jethro's daughter.
• Gershom: Moses' firstborn son. His name reflects the words "I have been an alien in a strange land."
• Eliezer: Moses' second son. His name expresses the confession that God delivered Moses from the sword of Pharaoh.
• Aaron: Moses' older brother, who welcomes Jethro together with the elders.
• The mount of God: Also called Horeb in Exodus 3:1 and commonly identified with Mount Sinai.

Points for Reflection

• The text does not say when or why Moses had sent Zipporah away.
• Some read Jethro's confession (v. 11) and sacrifice (v. 12) as marking his acceptance of faith in the LORD at this point; others take them to indicate that he already worshiped God.
• Deuteronomy 1 places the appointment of leaders around the time of the departure from Horeb. For this reason, some scholars hold that this chapter is positioned here thematically rather than chronologically.
• The scene of delegation is often compared with the appointment of the seven in Acts 6.