He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
Parallel Translations
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He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
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And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
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and he said unto Moses: 'I thy father-in-law Jethro am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.'
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That is, he sent messengers to say unto him.
That is, he sent messengers to say unto him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Exo 18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy…
Exo 18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
Ver. 6. And he said.] That is, Sent him word. So God’s messages to us are to be received as his own immediate words; "He that heareth you, heareth me."
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He spoke, not by word of mouth, as the…
He spoke, not by word of mouth, as the next verse showeth, but either by a letter, or by a messenger, as that word is used, Mat 8:6,8, compared with Luk 7:3,6.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he said unto Moses,.... By a messenger, as…
And he said unto Moses,.... By a messenger, as Jarchi: or by a written letter, as Aben Ezra: or, as the Septuagint version, "it was told to Moses, thy father", &c. for as yet he was not come to him, as appears by Moses going forth to meet him:
I thy father in law Jethro am come to thee: or, "am coming" (m); for, as yet, he was not in his presence, and they were not personally present face to face: the Targum of Jonathan adds, "to become a proselyte"; but it seems that before, as well as now, he had been a worshipper of the true God, and always speaks like one that had had the fear of God before him continually:
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and thy wife, and her sons with her; this he thought fit to acquaint him of by messenger or letter, that he might be in expectation of them, and not be surprised at once with their appearance: besides, as some observe, and not amiss, after the late attack of the Amalekites upon their rear, guards or sentinels might be placed in the outer parts of the camp for its safety, and who would not easily, without order, let strangers pass into it, and therefore previous notice was necessary to get admission.
(m) "veniens", Montanus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 6. And he said unto Moses] That is,…
Verse 6. And he said unto Moses] That is, by a messenger; in consequence of which Moses went out to meet him, as is stated in the next verse, for an interview had not yet taken place. This is supported by reading הנה hinneh, behold, for אני ani, I, which is the reading of the Septuagint and Syriac, and several Samaritan MSS.; instead therefore of I, thy father, we should read, Behold thy father, &c. - Kennicott's Remarks.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And he said ... - Or according to the…
And he said ... - Or according to the Greek Version, “And it was told to Moses, saying, Lo, thy father in law Jether is come.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Word. Hebrew, "And he said unto Moses, I, &c.…
Word. Hebrew, "And he said unto Moses, I, &c. 7. And Moses went out to meet," &c., which seems very strange, after he had been just talking with him. The authors of the Septuagint and Syriac read behold, instead of I. "It was told Moses. Behold thy," &c. Kennicott observes, that five Samaritan copies retain ene, "behold," instead of ani, "I," and thus obviate the nonsense which disturbs the reader of the present Hebrew.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain and thy wife, and her two sons--See Exo 4:20.
and thy wife, and her two sons--See Exo 4:20.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 6. He said unto Moses — That is, as…
6. He said unto Moses — That is, as the context shows, and as true Oriental custom required, he said this word to Moses by messengers sent before him to announce his coming. The Vulgate reads: He sent word (mandavit) to Moses, saying. Septuagint: It was told Moses, saying, Behold Jethro, thy father in law, is come to thee.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 6. am come] rather, am coming (the ptcp.; cf.…
6. am come] rather, am coming (the ptcp.; cf. Gen_29:6 cometh,’ lit is coming). ‘Said’ must mean here, ‘said by the hand of messengers’: see the next verse. Perhaps it is better, however, to read, with LXX. Sam. Pesh., הנה, ‘Behold,’ for אני, ‘I’; i.e. ‘And the said (Gen_48:1 Heb.) unto Moses, Behold, thy father-in-law, Jethro, is come,’ &c.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he said. It is suspected that the true…
And he said. It is suspected that the true reading here is, "and they said,i.e. , some one said Moses, behold thy father-in-law" (or "brother-in-law"), "Jethro, is come unto thee." So the LXX, and many moderns, as Kennicott, Geddes, Boothroyd, Canon Cook, and others. But the explanation, that Jethro, on arriving in the vicinity of Moses, sent a messenger to him, who spoke in his name (Rosenmuller, Patrick, Pool, Kalisch, Keil, etc.) is at any rate plausible, and removes all necessity of altering the text.
HOMILIES BY H. T. ROBJOHNS Vers. 6-12. Friendship in its loftiest form.
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asked each other of their welfare." Exo_18:7. The visit of Jethro comes between the agony of Rephidim and the solemnities of "Sinai," like the insertion of a sweet pastoral poem between two tragedies. Something may be learnt from it as to what should characterise friendship in its highest form, that is, between two devout souls, as consecrated and elevated by religion.
I CONSTANCY. Moses and Jethro met as in the earlier years; no assumption with Moses, no sycophancy with Jethro.
II COURTESY. Ver. 7. The nearer our relations to each other, the more indispensable this grace.
III MUTUAL SOLICITUDE. Ver. 7.
IV INTERCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE. Vers. 8-11. Happy time, when the deeper experiences (religious) can be exchanged to mutual advantage.
V COMMUNION IN WORSHIP. Ver. 12. It is clear that Jethro and Moses were one as to Monotheism, in their common possession of the great Divine traditions of the race. Jethro spiritually was in the descent of Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Melchisedek. For him but one God, the God of heaven and earth, and therefore the God of Israel. Contrast with Amalek! Hence the sacrifice and the sacrificial feast.
VI FIDELITY IN GIVING COUNCIL. Vers. 14, 17-23. Great courage required.
VII HUMILITY IN RECEIVING IT. This the moral attitude of Moses.
VIII AN ULTIMATE REFERENCE IN ALL INTERCOURSE TO THE DIVINE FRIEND. Ver. 23. "And God commanded thee so.
IX SYMPATHY AS TO GREAT OBJECT. Jethro knew the destiny of Israel, and was concerned for the realisation.
X PEACEFUL PARTING AT LIFE"S DIVERGING PATHS. Ver. 27. Apply this to moral and intellectual cross-roads; and to that which is so difficult agreeing to differ and that with mutual respect and affection. All in view and hope of the Perfect and immortal amity that is beyond the sky. R.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.