Jethro

Jethro is the priest of Midian, father of Zipporah, and father-in-law of Moses. First introduced as a hospitable host to the fugitive Moses, he later returns to the wilderness with Moses’ family and offers practical counsel that reshapes how Israel’s disputes are judged.

Identity and Early Connection to Moses

When Moses fled Pharaoh and settled in Midian, he helped Jethro’s seven daughters after shepherds drove them away from a well. The daughters described their rescuer as an Egyptian who had delivered them and drawn water for their flock. Jethro asked why they had left the man behind and invited him to eat. Moses was content to remain with him, and Jethro gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage. Their son Gershom was named for Moses’ experience as a stranger in a strange land.

Reunion in the Wilderness

After hearing that God had brought Israel out of Egypt, Jethro went to Moses in the wilderness at the mountain of God, bringing Zipporah and their two sons. The account identifies the second son as Eliezer, whose name recalled that the God of Moses’ father had helped and delivered him from Pharaoh’s sword. Moses went out to meet Jethro, bowed and kissed him, and they exchanged news before entering the tent.

Moses recounted what the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the hardships Israel had faced on the way, and their deliverance. Jethro rejoiced, blessed the LORD for rescuing the people, and declared that the LORD was greater than all gods. He then brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron and Israel’s elders joined Moses and Jethro for a meal before God.

Advice on Judging the People

The next day Jethro saw Moses seated as judge from morning until evening, while the people stood around him. Moses explained that the people came to inquire of God, and that he judged disputes between neighbors and taught them God’s statutes and laws. Jethro warned that the arrangement was too heavy for Moses and would wear down both him and the people.

Jethro advised Moses to continue representing the people before God, teaching them the laws and showing them how to live, while appointing capable, truthful men who feared God and rejected unjust gain. These leaders would oversee thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They would judge ordinary matters, bringing only the difficult cases to Moses; this division, Jethro said, would help Moses endure and allow the people to go in peace.

Moses Accepts the Counsel

Moses heeded Jethro and chose capable men from Israel, appointing them as heads over the people at the proposed levels. They judged the people regularly, while the hard cases came to Moses and the smaller matters were handled by the appointed judges. The change turned Jethro’s observation into an enduring practical arrangement for sharing the work of judgment. Jethro then departed for his own land.