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Exodus 18

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📖 Exodus introduction

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1Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, 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, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” ✦ 4The other son was named Eliezer, 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.” 7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent. ✦ 8Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. ✦ 9And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians. ✦ 10Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians. ✦ 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.” ✦ 12Then 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. ✦ 13The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening. ✦ 14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?” 15“Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied. ✦ 16“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.” ✦ 17But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. ✦ 19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. ✦ 20Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. ✦ 21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ✦ 22Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. ✦ 23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.” ✦ 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ✦ 25So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ✦ 26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves. ✦ 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

Exod 18 ·14Exod 2 ·8Neh 9 ·7Deut 1 ·5Exod 4 ·5Deut 17 ·4Exod 15 ·41 Sam 8 ·4

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

  • ★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical

    On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"

  • ★ Start hereVideoBibleProject — video overviews & word studiesBibleProject · 5–10 min · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overviews of every book of the Bible, plus themes and Hebrew/Greek word studies — the best visual on-ramp to any book. (Biblical-theology, broadly evangelical, not distinctly Reformed.)

  • ★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical

    A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

  • VideoSpoken GospelSpoken Gospel · Free · evangelical

    Short, gospel-centered videos and spoken-word poems showing how each passage points to Jesus — especially strong on the Old Testament.

  • DocumentaryPatterns of Evidence: The ExodusTim Mahoney · Paid · evangelical

    Investigates the archaeological evidence for the Exodus. Note: it advances a minority biblical chronology that mainstream scholars dispute — engaging, but weigh its conclusions critically.

Pastoral

  • ★ Start hereCommentaryExodus (New American Commentary)Douglas K. Stuart · Paid · evangelical

    The best evangelical, semi-technical commentary on Exodus — accessible to pastors and serious students.

  • DocumentaryThat the World May KnowRay Vander Laan · Paid · evangelical

    Ray Vander Laan's on-location series immersing you in the Bible's historical and cultural world. (Mostly paid via Focus on the Family; some free clips.)

  • SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical

    Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — Exodus 18David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — Exodus 18Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

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