Exodus 4:18
in Exodus 4Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
KJV
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
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This verse in Exodus 4
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Moses . . . returned to Jethro--Being in his service, it was right to obtain his consent, but Moses evinced piety, humility, and prudence, in not divulging the special object of his journey.
This site's exposition
Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro
on Exodus 4:18-19
God's word in verse 19 settles the danger: "all the men who sought to kill you are dead". Matthew 2:20 gives Joseph nearly the same words about Herod, "those seeking the Child’s life are now dead".
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law,....
Note, The honour of being admitted into communion with God, and of being employed for him, does not exempt us from the duties of our relations and callings in this world. Moses said nothing to his father-in-law (for aught that appears) of the glorious manifestation of God to him; such favours we are to be thankful for to God, but not to boast of before men.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren - Moses, having received his commission from God, and directions how to execute it, returned to his father-in-law, and asked permission to visit his family and brethren in Egypt, without giving him any intimation of the great errand on which he was going.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וַיָּ֣שָׁב׀ | vaiyashov | and he returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יֶ֣תֶר | yeter | Jethro | H3500 → | |
| חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ | choteno | father-in-law his | H2859 → | 33 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אֵ֣לְכָה | ʾelekhah | let me go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| נָּ֗א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ | veashuvah | so I may return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַחַ֣י | ʾachai | relatives my | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם | bemitzrayim | [are] in Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה | veereh | so I may see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הַעוֹדָ֣ם | haodam | ¿ [are] still they | H5750 → | 490 times |
| חַיִּ֑ים | chaiyim | living | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יִתְר֛וֹ | yitro | Jethro | H3503 → | 9 times |
| לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה | lemosheh | to Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| לֵ֥ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ | leshalom | to peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וַיָּ֣שָׁב׀and he returned
vaiyashovH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יֶ֣תֶרJethro
yeterH3500 →
חֹֽתְנ֗וֹfather-in-law his
chotenoH2859 →33 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
אֵ֣לְכָהlet me go
ʾelekhahH1980 →1546 times
נָּ֗אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙so I may return
veashuvahH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַחַ֣יrelatives my
ʾachaiH251 →630 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם[are] in Egypt
bemitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וְאֶרְאֶ֖הso I may see
veerehH7200 →1300 times
הַעוֹדָ֣ם¿ [are] still they
haodamH5750 →490 times
חַיִּ֑יםliving
chaiyimH2416 →498 times
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יִתְר֛וֹJethro
yitroH3503 →9 times
לְמֹשֶׁ֖הto Moses
lemoshehH4872 →765 times
לֵ֥ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃to peace
leshalomH7965 →236 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
Luke 7:50And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
it leads to
- Mark 5:34
“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”
- Luke 8:48
“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
- Luke 18:42
“Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”
- Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour.
- Mark 10:52
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
- Mark 5:34
Through
1 Timothy 6:1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:17–20
Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- 1 Peter 2:17–20
Through
Exodus 3:1Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:8
So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
- Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in…
- 1 Kings 19:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
