[15], Jethro, Moses' non-Hebrew father-in-law, is a central figure, particularly in the rites and pilgrimages, of the Druze religion. I say this to your shame. Moses wasnt even Jewish, but he was Israelite, of which Judahites (later Jews) were a tribe, then more or less a nation (Judah). Biblical Archaeology Review is the guide on that fascinating journey. They put these words in Jethros mouth: I have served many idols; there is no god I have not served; but none can compare to the God of Israel. To emphasize his worth, he is compared to Esau. Although they werent Gods chosen people (the line of Isaac), they were still children of Abraham, so Abrahams God was familiar to them, though they may not have all believed in Him. In the midrashic literature,a as always, the character, or rather the attitude toward the character, seems more complex. Was it because of the Torah that God gave to His people? However, Moses remained conscious that he was a stranger in exile, naming his first son (Jethro's grandson) "Gershom", meaning "stranger there". Either way Moses' testimony is the focus. (1) Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law.--On Jethro's probable relationship to Moses, see the second Note on Exodus 3:1.On the priesthood of Reuel, which Jethro seems to have inherited, see Note on Exodus 2:16.It has been very unnecessarily supposed that the chronological order of the narrative is here deranged, Jethro's visit having been really paid . [20][21] Each year on 25 April, the Druze gather at the site in a holiday known as Ziyarat al-Nabi Shuayb to discuss community affairs and commemorate the anniversary of Jethro's death with singing, dancing and feasting. It was not good for Moses because he was going to wear away. (7-12) Jethro's counsel to Moses. From what we read here in Exodus 18, it seems that Moses and Jethro must have had several conversations about the God named Yahweh. A. Jethro and Moses meet. After Moses succeeded in taking the Israelites out of Egypt, and won a battle against Amalek, Reuel came to the Hebrew camp in the wilderness of Sinai, bringing with him Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. "[26][27] According to Druze belief, Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, after helping save his daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. Like many other prominent biblical characters, Zipporah is depicted in several works of art. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In Islam he is mentioned in the Quran as a prophet who was sent to the city of Midian. 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 that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt. Brilliant though the ancient sages were in memorising the scriptures, I cant help feeling that too often most of them let their imaginations run away with them. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt. Apparently, Hobab was a common Midianite name, and it was needful to distinguish this particular tribal member from the others sojourning with the nation of Israel. Read an interview BAR Editor Hershel Shanks conducted with Elie Wiesel and Biblical scholar Frank Moore Cross, republished from BAR, July/August 2004 >>, Thus some of the sages ask what are the real motives behind Jethros close feelings for Israel. (The Pentateuch as Narrative, 281). These are true, objective facts, and if they were not true, then all the good feelings in the world couldnt redeem our religion. (Ex 3:1; Jg 1:16) Jethro is also called Reuel. 18:2). Notice several things we can learn about mentoring for their relationship in Exodus 18. All rights reserved. He also carried the plan that God had given him to go to Pharaoh to plead for the release of the Israelites. Jethro wisely pulled Moses aside and gave him some invaluable counsel. Do you not know that we are to judge angels? Why in the book of Judges is Moses' father-in-law a . When Jethro, Moses' father-in-law saw the heavy burdens that Moses was carrying on his own, he gave . And I have no doubt the Jethro was just as transparent as Moses. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002454 So, what made the difference for Jethro? Instead, he has done it by empowering us through the Holy Spirit to honor Christ by serving one another, being peacemakers, and then by also giving us wise people and leaders who can handle more difficult disputes. Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. 18:1011). You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. I say the text contrasts the outsider father-in-law favorably against the insider father-in-law, Laban. [11], The Samaritan Pentateuch text refers to Moses' wife Zipporah as "Kaashet" (which translates to "the beautiful woman"), rather than "Cushit" ("black woman" or "Cushite woman"). How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! The word vayihad is related to the Aramaic chiddudim, prickles. One Jewish Bible commentary explains that Jethro was so overcome with joy that he felt goose bumps. Two significant things happened when Jethro met with Moses after the Israelites were released from Israel. The details of the passage are unclear and subject to debate. The author of more than 30 novels, plays and profiles of Biblical figures, Elie Wiesel received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Jethro: Father-in-Law of Moses - Chabad.org Nonetheless, the general impression of the man is that he is better than good; he is glorious. So where is it? Lets make five simple observations about this story that are important for understanding whats happening here: John Sailhamer points out that all of these observations closely resemble the description of Melchizedek given in Genesis 14: From this, Sailhamer makes a fascinating suggestion: The purpose of these parallels appears to be to cast Jethro as another Melchizedek, the paradigm of the righteous Gentile. 2. There is some disagreement over the name(s) of Moses' father-in-law. Moses jumps in to help the women and learns that they are the daughters of a man named Jethro (also called Reuel), the priest of Midian. According to the Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, the names Jethro and Reuel represent two different traditions but refer to the same character., Jethro took Moses in. Jethro's Visit - Moses in His Domestic Relations - Bible Hub GBs in The Bible: Jethro and Moses - GodBuddies Or was it because of the defeat the Israelites inflicted on their enemies, the Amalekites? Perhaps. He is present only when needed. Suddenly one day, Moses sees a burning bush on Mount Horeb near where he was shepherding the flocks. He needs to take Gods instructions and teach the people how to live and behave. The great medieval Jewish commentator Rashi, however, says that despite Jethros happiness for the Israelites, he felt prickles of unease over the fate of the Egyptians. Mentoring Program - Officers' Christian Fellowship We see this all the way through the Bible. (Nu 10:29-33) Judges 4:11 calls Hobab the father-in-law of Moses rather than his brother-in-law, and this has caused difficulty in understanding. Tsedaka, Benyamim, and Sharon Sullivan, eds. Jethro's Visit - Moses in His Domestic Relations, When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, his respect for the family relation and the ties of kinship generally, he was the same kind of man as in the old shepherd days. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Exodus Chapter 18 In Exodus 18:11, Jethro says, Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly. Then he brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses father-in-law in the presence of God., Second, he becomes a very important counselor to Moses. : . Some believe Midian is within the Sinai Peninsula. In Exodus 27:18-23, God called Moses to transfer his mentoring spirit as the leader of Israel to Joshua. Banish the Unofficial Luggage of Foster Care, Photo Credit: Seventeenth-century painting by Jan Victors. But there were well over 1.5 million. Jethro's suggestion was for Moses to select helpers who were: (1) able, (2) God-fearing, (3) men of truth, and (4) haters of covetousness (Exodus 18:21). [5] The word that makes this difficult is shelucheiha, the sendings [away] of her (Ex. On first reading the biblical text, Jethro seems a simple person, almost monolithic, someone who impresses us most as a family man. In other words, its not a positive portrayal of Jethro in these cases. Exodus 18 - NIV - Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Moses has in the meantime become powerful and famous, and Jethro gives him useful advice on how to govern (Exodus 18:17ff). This early 13th-century illustration from the Bible moralise depicts Jethro (seated under the arch on the right) rewarding Moses (left) for rescuing his daughters (six of whom are pictured in the center) and their flocks from rival shepherds. Joshua was selected for mentoring because he showed good potential (Exodus 17:8-16). In Exodus Moses takes his leave of Jethro by Jan Victors, c. 1635, from the incident in Exodus 4:18. Why does he believe now? Often, we focus too much on the mentoring and not enough on the relationship. Jethro (or Yitro or Yisro) was a Midianite priest and the father-in-law of Moses. Moses worked for Jethro, caring for his father-in-laws flocks, until Yahweh sent Moses to Egypt to set Israel free from their bondage to Pharaoh. Who Was Jethro in The Bible to Advise Moses? - limitless-horizon Moses and Jethro: A father's counsel on easing burdens Having said all this, even though Jethro has no detractors, he does inspire a certain skepticism in some. These events take place in the Torah portion Yitro (Exodus 18:120:23). Moses is said to have worked as a shepherd for Jethro for 40 years before returning to Egypt to lead the Hebrews to Canaan, the "promised land". Pharaoh's daughter finds baby Moses in the basket on the Nile River and adopts him into the Egyptian royal family. THE VISIT OF JETHRO. Moses settled in Midian and married one of Reuel's daughters, Zipporah. [2] In Exodus, Moses' father-in-law is initially referred to as "Reuel" (Exodus 2:18) but afterwards as "Jethro" (Exodus 3:1).
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