The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

And when Jethro, the priest of Midian, the kinsman of Moses, had heard all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the Lord had led Israel away from Egypt,

he brought Zipporah, the wife of Moses, whom he was to return to him,

and her two sons, of whom one was called Gershom, (for his father said, “I have been a newcomer in a foreign land,”)

and the other in truth was Eliezer, (“For the God of my father,” he said, “is my helper, and has rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”)

And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert, where he was encamped next to the mountain of God.

And he sent word to Moses, saying: “I, Jethro, your kinsman, have come to you, with your wife, and your two sons with her.”

And going out to meet his kinsman, he reverenced and kissed him. And they saluted each other with peaceful words. And when he had arrived at the tent,

Moses explained to his kinsman all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on behalf of Israel, and all the hardships which had befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had freed them.

And Jethro was gladdened over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, because he had rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.

And he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has freed his people from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh; he has rescued his people from the hand of Egypt.

Now I know that the great Lord is above all gods. This is why they acted arrogantly against them.”(a)

And so Jethro, the kinsman of Moses, offered holocausts and sacrifices to God. And Aaron arrived with all the elders of Israel, in order to eat bread with him in the sight of God.

Jethro Advises Moses

(Deuteronomy 1:9–18)

Then, the next day, Moses sat down in order to judge the people, and they stood beside Moses from morning, even until evening.

And when, of course, his kinsman saw all that he did among the people, he said: “What is this that you do among the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand before you, from morning, even until evening?”

And Moses answered him: “The people come to me seeking the verdict of God.

And when any kind of dispute occurs among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to reveal the precepts of God and of his laws.”

But he said, “This is not good, what you are doing.

You will be consumed by foolish efforts, both you and this people who are with you. The task is beyond your strength; you will not be able bear it alone.

But listen to my words and counsels, and then God will be with you. Be available to the people in that which pertains to God, so as to refer what they say to him,

and to reveal to the people the ceremonies, and the rituals of worship, and the way by which they should progress, and the work that they should do.

Then provide, from all of the people, men capable and fearing God, in whom there is truth and who hate avarice, and appoint from them tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens,(b)

who may judge the people at all times. Then, when anything greater will have occurred, they may refer it to you, and let them judge the lesser matters only. And so it may be lighter for you, the burden being divided among others.

If you will do this, you will fulfill the orders of God, and you will be able to uphold his precepts. And this entire people will return to their places in peace.”

Having heard this, Moses did everything that he had suggested to him.

And choosing virtuous men from all of Israel, he appointed them as leaders of the people: tribunes, and leaders of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.

And they judged the people at all times. But whatever was more serious, they referred to him, and they judged easier matters only.

And he dismissed his kinsman, who, turning back, went to his own land.

Footnotes

(a)18:11 The Egyptians, in other words, acted arrogantly against Israel because the God of Israel is above all the other gods. So Jethro is saying that the Egyptians were upset that their slaves had the one true God, while their gods were not true.(Conte)

(b)18:21 A leader of ten was not a leader over only ten men, but over ten men who were each head of a family. Also, why have a leader over fifty men and also over one hundred? My interpretation is that the leader over 50 was leader over 50 leaders of ten, and the leader over 100 was a leader over 100 leaders of 50. So the ten-leader governed ten men with wives and children, the fifty-leader governed 500 men by governing 50 leaders of 10 (50 x 10), and the hundred-leader governed 50,000 men (100 x 50 x 10). Otherwise, there would be too many leaders for Moses to oversee, and too many for him to even find and appoint. There were over 600,000 men (Ex. 38:25) over the age of 20 (most with wives and children). So if a hundred-leader governed only 100 men, then there would be 6,000 of such leaders, plus 12,000 leaders of 50, plus 60,000 leaders of ten men. This approach seems unlikely and unworkable. Using the other approach, there would be 12 leaders of one hundred, 1,200 leaders of 50, and 60,000 leaders of ten. This approach is more tenable and more practical. Also, the tribunes were not leaders over a thousand, but were like a court of appeals, to avoid unfairness or arbitrary judgments by the leaders. The tribunes governed the other leaders.(Conte)

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

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

and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom,(a) for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.

The name of the other was Eliezer,(b) for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.

He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”

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

Jethro Advises Moses

(Deuteronomy 1:9–18)

On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”

Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.

Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.

If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

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

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.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

Footnotes

(a)18:3 “Gershom” sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there”.

(b)18:4 Eliezer means “God is my helper”.