Exodus 18:12
in Exodus 18Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
KJV
And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
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This verse in Exodus 18
Commentary
3 notes on this verseJethro - took a burnt-offering - עלה olah. Though it be true that in the patriarchal times we read of a burnt-offering, (see Gen 22:2, etc)., yet we only read of one in the case of Isaac, and therefore, though this offering made by Jethro is not a decisive proof that the law relative to burnt-offerings, etc., had already been given, yet, taken with other circumstances in this account, it is a presumptive evidence that the meeting between Moses and Jethro took place after the erection of tabernacle. See Clarke’s note on Exo 18:
This site's exposition
took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God
A Midianite priest brings burnt offering and sacrifices to the God of Israel, and Aaron and all the elders come to eat bread with him before God. Israel has no priesthood yet, since the instructions for consecrating Aaron are still eleven chapters ahead at 29:9, and both Matthew Henry and John Wesley read the offering as one Jethro made himself in the office he already held. The meal is eaten at the mountain where the covenant has not yet been cut.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Jethro took a burnt offering for God - And probably offered it himself, for he was a priest in Midian, and a worshipper of the true God, and the priesthood was not yet settled in Israel. And they did eat bread before God - Soberly, thankfully, in the fear of God; and their talk such as became saints. Thus we must eat and drink to the glory of God; as those that believe God's eye is upon us.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
All this took place before they came to Mount Sinai. 78 See above at the beginning of this Seder, where Ramban develops at length his explanation that Jethro, having arrived at the mount of G-d, sent a messenger to Moses in Rephidim, informing him of his arrival.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
FOR IT IS IN THE THING THAT ‘ZADU’ UPON THEM. The meaning of this is that in the matter wherein the Egyptians premeditated. Ramban thus explains the word zadu on the basis of zadon (premeditated, conscious sin), as is explained further in the text.
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW, i.e., on the morrow of the day on which they held the above-mentioned [feast], THAT MOSES SAT TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE. In the Mechilta, the Rabbis have said: 81 Mechilta on the verse here. “ On the morrow.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקַּ֞ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| יִתְר֨וֹ | yitro | Jethro | H3503 → | 9 times |
| חֹתֵ֥ן | choten | [the] father-in-law of | H2859 → | 33 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֛ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עֹלָ֥ה | ʾolah | a burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וּזְבָחִ֖ים | uzevachim | and sacrifices | H2077 → | 162 times |
| לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים | lelohim | to God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֨א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֜ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וְכֹ֣ל׀ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זִקְנֵ֣י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֶאֱכָל־ | leekhol- | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לֶ֛חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| חֹתֵ֥ן | choten | [the] father-in-law of | H2859 → | 33 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֖ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
וַיִּקַּ֞חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
יִתְר֨וֹJethro
yitroH3503 →9 times
חֹתֵ֥ן[the] father-in-law of
chotenH2859 →33 times
מֹשֶׁ֛הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עֹלָ֥הa burnt offering
ʾolahH5930 →287 times
וּזְבָחִ֖יםand sacrifices
uzevachimH2077 →162 times
לֵֽאלֹהִ֑יםto God
lelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיָּבֹ֨אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אַהֲרֹ֜ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
וְכֹ֣ל׀and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
זִקְנֵ֣י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֶאֱכָל־to eat
leekhol-H398 →810 times
לֶ֛חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
חֹתֵ֥ן[the] father-in-law of
chotenH2859 →33 times
מֹשֶׁ֖הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 12:7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
it leads to
- Genesis 17:8
And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
- Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- Genesis 13:15
for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
- Genesis 18:1
Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
- Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
- Genesis 17:8
Through
Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:18
Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within…
- Leviticus 23:40
On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to…
- Deuteronomy 14:26
Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice…
- Deuteronomy 12:18
About Exodus
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.