Exodus 18
19 May 2026 - Theology
People Chosen as Judges
Jethro, Zipporah (Moses’s wife), and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, came to visit Moses in the wilderness.
Exodus 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;”
This means that Jethro must have heard the stories from other Gentiles (possibly Egyptians) about all that Elohim (God) had done for the Israelites.
Exodus 18:8 - “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 come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.”
In this verse, Moses (an Israelite) tells Jethro all that the Lord had done for Israel. This causes Jethro to acknowledge the existence and goodness of the Lord.
Exodus 18:9-11 - “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. And 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. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”
This seems to me to be a genuine conversion experience for Jethro, a Midianite priest who was likely polytheistic. This response follows the pattern of biblical faith:
- Jethro heard the good news of the Lord (8)
- Jethro believes and responds with joy and praise for the Lord (9-10)
- Jethro confesses his new faith (11)
This true faith was also accompanied by action (good works). In verse 12, we see that Jethro offers a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel then join Jethro to “eat bread… before God”. This communal fellowship meal serves as an official welcoming of Jethro into the spiritual family of God.
As the Israelites were in the desert wilderness, any bread on the table would have been the supernatural manna, which the Lord calls “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4).
The next day, Jethro watched as Moses sat before the Israelites as a judge, listening to their disputes, deciding who was right, and teaching God’s laws.
Exodus 18:17-19 - “And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou 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. Hearken 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:”
Jethro advised Moses to choose people to be the rulers (judges) of thousands, others to be the rulers of hundreds, others to be the rulers of fifties, and others to be the rulers of ten. If a question or dispute was small, it would be judged by these rulers. Only the hardest problems would come to Moses for judgment.
How were the people to be chosen as rulers?
The rulers must…
- Be able men
- Fear God
- Be men of truth (firmness, stability, continuance)
- Hate covetousness (dishonest gain)
Exodus 18:24 - “So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.”
The Bible then states that Jethro departed the Israelites to return to his own land (27). Moses’s wife Zipporah and their two sons stayed with the Israelites, and we will see them again later.
References:
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)