---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Exodus 18"
description: "CHAPTER 18   :-. VISIT OF
JETHRO. 1-5. Jethro . . . came . . . unto
Moses, c.—It is thought by many eminent commentators that this
episode is inserted out"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18"
---

CHAPTER 18

. VISIT OF
JETHRO.

**1-5. Jethro . . . came . . . unto
Moses,** c.—It is thought by many eminent commentators that this
episode is inserted out of its chronological order, for it is
described as occurring when the Israelites were "encamped at the
mount of God." And yet they did not reach it till the third
month after their departure from Egypt ([Exodus 19:1](../../../kjv/exodus/19/1)
[Exodus 19:2](../../../kjv/exodus/19/2); compare [Deuteronomy 1:6](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/1/6);
[Deuteronomy 1:9-15](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/1/9-15)).

**6. and thy wife, and her two
sons**—See [Exodus 4:20](../../../kjv/exodus/4/20).

**7. Moses went out to meet his
father-in-law,** c.—Their salutations would be marked by all the
warm and social greetings of Oriental friends (see on ) —the one going out to "meet" the other, the
"obeisance," the "kiss" on each side of the head,
the silent entrance into the tent for consultation and their
conversation ran in the strain that might have been expected of two
pious men, rehearsing and listening to a narrative of the wonderful
works and providence of God.

**12. Jethro . . . took a burnt
offering**—This friendly interview was terminated by a solemn
religious service—the *burnt offerings* were consumed on the
altar, and the *sacrifices* were *peace* offerings, used in
a feast of joy and gratitude at which Jethro, as priest of the true
God, seems to have presided, and to which the chiefs of Israel were
invited. This incident is in beautiful keeping with the character of
the parties, and is well worthy of the imitation of Christian friends
when they meet in the present day.

**13-26. on the morrow . . . Moses sat
to judge the people,** c.—We are here presented with a specimen
of his daily morning occupations and among the multifarious duties
his divine legation imposed, it must be considered only a small
portion of his official employments. He appears in this attitude as a
type of Christ in His legislative and judicial characters.
**the people stood by Moses
from the morning unto the evening,** &c.—Governors in the
East seat themselves at the most public gate of their palace or the
city, and there, amid a crowd of applicants, hear causes, receive
petitions, redress grievances, and adjust the claims of contending
parties.

**17. Moses' father-in-law said unto
him, The thing . . . is not good**—not good either for Moses
himself, for the maintenance of justice, or for the satisfaction and
interests of the people. Jethro gave a prudent counsel as to the
division of labor [[Exodus 18:21](../../../kjv/exodus/18/21);
[Exodus 18:22](../../../kjv/exodus/18/22)], and universal
experience in the Church and State has attested the soundness and
advantages of the principle.

**13-26. on the morrow . . . Moses sat
to judge the people,** c.—We are here presented with a specimen
of his daily morning occupations and among the multifarious duties
his divine legation imposed, it must be considered only a small
portion of his official employments. He appears in this attitude as a
type of Christ in His legislative and judicial characters.
**the people stood by Moses
from the morning unto the evening,** &c.—Governors in the
East seat themselves at the most public gate of their palace or the
city, and there, amid a crowd of applicants, hear causes, receive
petitions, redress grievances, and adjust the claims of contending
parties.

**23. If thou shalt do this thing,**
c.—Jethro's counsel was given merely in the form of a suggestion it
was not to be adopted without the express sanction and approval of a
better and higher Counsellor; and although we are not informed of it,
there can be no doubt that Moses, before appointing subordinate
magistrates, would ask the mind of God, as it is the duty and
privilege of every Christian in like manner to supplicate the divine
direction in all his ways.

**13-26. on the morrow . . . Moses sat
to judge the people,** c.—We are here presented with a specimen
of his daily morning occupations and among the multifarious duties
his divine legation imposed, it must be considered only a small
portion of his official employments. He appears in this attitude as a
type of Christ in His legislative and judicial characters.
**the people stood by Moses
from the morning unto the evening,** &c.—Governors in the
East seat themselves at the most public gate of their palace or the
city, and there, amid a crowd of applicants, hear causes, receive
petitions, redress grievances, and adjust the claims of contending
parties.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Exodus 18"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Exodus 18","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"CHAPTER 18   :-. VISIT OF\nJETHRO. 1-5. Jethro . . . came . . . unto\nMoses, c.—It is thought by many eminent commentators that this\nepisode is inserted out","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus","name":"Exodus"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/exodus/18","name":"18"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```