Exodus

Exodus 18:1–6

¹Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro,^a the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

²After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her, ³along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom,^b for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” ⁴The other son was named Eliezer,^c for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

⁵Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. ⁶He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

Footnotes

a 18:1 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18|EXO 2:18.
b 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner.
c 18:4 Eliezer means God is my helper.

Read all of Exodus 18

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 18:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now Moses’	מֹשֶׁ֔ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
father-in-law	חֹתֵ֣ן	ḥō·ṯên	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2859 wife's father
Jethro	יִתְר֨וֹ	yiṯ·rōw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3503 Jethro
the priest	כֹהֵ֤ן	ḵō·hên	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3548 priest
of Midian	מִדְיָן֙	miḏ·yān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4080 Midjan
heard	וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע	way·yiš·ma‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H8085 hear
about all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
that	אֲשֶׁ֨ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
God	אֱלֹהִים֙	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
had done	עָשָׂ֤ה	‘ā·śāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
for Moses	לְמֹשֶׁ֔ה	lə·mō·šeh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
and His people	עַמּ֑וֹ	‘am·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5971 people
Israel	וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	ū·lə·yiś·rā·’êl	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and how	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the LORD	יְהוָ֛ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had brought	הוֹצִ֧יא	hō·w·ṣî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
out of Egypt	מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃	mim·miṣ·rā·yim	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians

Exodus 18:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
After	אַחַ֖ר	’a·ḥar	Adverb	H310 behind
Moses	מֹשֶׁ֑ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
had sent back	שִׁלּוּחֶֽיהָ׃	šil·lū·ḥe·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H7964 dismissal, divorce, dower
his wife	אֵ֣שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
Zipporah	צִפֹּרָ֖ה	ṣip·pō·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6855 Tsipporah
father-in-law	חֹתֵ֣ן	ḥō·ṯên	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2859 wife's father
Jethro	יִתְרוֹ֙	yiṯ·rōw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3503 Jethro
had received her	וַיִּקַּ֗ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take

Exodus 18:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
along with	וְאֵ֖ת	wə·’êṯ	Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
her two	שְׁנֵ֣י	šə·nê	Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנֶ֑יהָ	ḇā·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1121 son
One	הָֽאֶחָד֙	hā·’e·ḥāḏ	Article; Number - masculine singular	H259 one
was named	שֵׁ֤ם	šêm	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
Gershom	גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם	gê·rə·šōm	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1647 Gereshom
for	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
Moses had said	אָמַ֔ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
I have been	הָיִ֔יתִי	hā·yî·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a foreigner	גֵּ֣ר	gêr	Noun - masculine singular	H1616 sojourner
in a foreign	נָכְרִיָּֽה׃	nā·ḵə·rî·yāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H5237 foreign, alien
land	בְּאֶ֖רֶץ	bə·’e·reṣ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

Exodus 18:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The other	הָאֶחָ֖ד	hā·’e·ḥāḏ	Article; Number - masculine singular	H259 one
was named	וְשֵׁ֥ם	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
Eliezer	אֱלִיעֶ֑זֶר	’ĕ·lî·‘e·zer	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H461 Eliezer
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
The God	אֱלֹהֵ֤י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of my father	אָבִי֙	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
was my helper	בְּעֶזְרִ֔י	bə·‘ez·rî	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5828 help, succour
and delivered me	וַיַּצִּלֵ֖נִי	way·yaṣ·ṣi·lê·nî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H5337 strip, plunder
from the sword	מֵחֶ֥רֶב	mê·ḥe·reḇ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H2719 sword
of Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹֽה׃	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh

Exodus 18:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Moses’ father-in-law	חֹתֵ֥ן	ḥō·ṯên	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2859 wife's father
Jethro	יִתְר֨וֹ	yiṯ·rōw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3503 Jethro
along with Moses’	מֹשֶׁ֛ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
wife	וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ	wə·’iš·tōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
and sons	וּבָנָ֥יו	ū·ḇā·nāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
came	וַיָּבֹ֞א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
him	מֹשֶׁ֑ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
in	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the desert	הַמִּדְבָּ֗ר	ham·miḏ·bār	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4057 mouth
where	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
he	ה֛וּא	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
was encamped	חֹנֶ֥ה	ḥō·neh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H2583 decline, bend down, encamp
at the mountain	הַ֥ר	har	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2022 mountain, hill, hill-country
of God	הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God

Exodus 18:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He sent word	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Moses	מֹשֶׁ֔ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
I	אֲנִ֛י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
your father-in-law	חֹתֶנְךָ֥	ḥō·ṯen·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2859 wife's father
Jethro	יִתְר֖וֹ	yiṯ·rōw	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3503 Jethro
am coming	בָּ֣א	bā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֵלֶ֑יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to
you with your wife	וְאִ֨שְׁתְּךָ֔	wə·’iš·tə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
and her	עִמָּֽהּ׃	‘im·māh	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H5973 with
two	וּשְׁנֵ֥י	ū·šə·nê	Conjunctive waw; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנֶ֖יהָ	ḇā·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1121 son