Exodus 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~1446 BC on the earlier dating of the exodus, or ~1260 BC on the later one, within the first few months after Israel left Egypt
Location
The Israelite camp in the Sinai wilderness, near the mountain called Horeb or Sinai, in the rocky desert peninsula between Egypt and the land of Midian in northwest Arabia
Audience
The people of Israel and the later generations who read Exodus as the founding account of their nation and their covenant with God
Situation
Jethro, a Midianite priest and Moses' father-in-law, brings Moses' wife and two sons back to him and celebrates what God has done for Israel. Watching Moses judge disputes alone from morning to evening, Jethro tells him to appoint capable men over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, and to reserve only the hardest cases for himself.
Key Background
In the ancient Near East the ruler was also the supreme judge, and people expected direct access to him, so Moses hearing every case personally was normal rather than unusual. Jethro's advice sets up a tiered court system of the kind Egyptian and Mesopotamian administrations already used, where local officers handled ordinary disputes and only appeals climbed higher. It is also notable that this outsider, a priest of Midian rather than an Israelite, offers a sacrifice and a shared meal with Israel's elders, since eating together was the standard way of sealing an alliance between groups.
Now Jethro, the of and Moses' father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and for Israel his people — how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Earlier, Moses had his wife Zipporah to Jethro, and Jethro had taken her in.
along with her two sons. The first was named because Moses had said, "I've been an outsider in a foreign land."
The other was named because Moses had said, "The God of my father was my help and rescued me from Pharaoh's sword."
So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the of bringing Moses' sons and wife with him.
He sent word to Moses: "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons."
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, down, and kissed him. They each other how they were and then went into the tent.
Moses told his father-in-law everything Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel's sake — all the they had faced on the journey, and how Yahweh had rescued them.
Jethro was about all the good things Yahweh had done for Israel — how he had rescued them from the power of Egypt.
Jethro said, who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from Pharaoh's grip — who rescued the people from under Egypt's control.
Now I know that Yahweh is than all — because he the on the very people who treated Israel with such arrogance."
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a and to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came and ate a meal with Moses' father-in-law in
The next day, Moses sat down to as for the people. They stood around him from morning until evening.
When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, "What's all this you're doing for the people? Why are you sitting here alone with everyone standing around you from morning to night?"
Moses told his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to about their issues."
"When they have a dispute, they come to me. I decide between the two sides and explain God's and to them."
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you're doing isn't good."
"You're going to completely out — you and all these people with you. This is too heavy for you. You can't handle it alone."
"Listen to me — let me give you some advice, and may God be with you. You should be the people's representative before God, bringing their cases to him."
"Teach them the guidelines and instructions, and show them how to and what to do."
"But also look for people from among everyone — people who who are trustworthy and who Put them in charge as leaders over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens."
"Let them serve as judges for the people on a regular basis. They should bring every major case to you, but they can decide the smaller cases themselves. That way they'll share the load, and things will be easier for you."
"If you do this — and God directs you to — you'll be able to keep going, and all these people will be able to go home
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he suggested.
Moses chose capable people from all of Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people — leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
They served as judges for the people on a regular basis. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves.
Then Moses to his father-in-law, and Jethro went back to his own country.