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Easy-to-Read Version

Exodus 18:27

After a short time Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law Jethro, and Jethro went back to his own home.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jethro;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hobab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Judges;   Justice;   Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hobab;   Jethro;   Judging;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
King James Version
And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Lexham English Bible
And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to his land.
New Century Version
So Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro went back to his own home.
New English Translation
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and so Jethro went to his own land.
Amplified Bible
Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went back to his own land (Midian).
New American Standard Bible
Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went his way to his own land.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Afterward Moses let his father in law depart, and he went into his countrey.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
Contemporary English Version
After Moses and his father-in-law Jethro had said good-by to each other, Jethro returned home.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Moshe let his father-in-law leave, and he went off to his own country.
Darby Translation
And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he departed into his land.
English Standard Version
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
George Lamsa Translation
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went to his own land.
Good News Translation
Then Moses said good-bye to Jethro, and Jethro went back home.
Christian Standard Bible®
Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land.
Literal Translation
And Moses sent his father-in-law away, and he went to his own land.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So Moses let his father in lawe departe in to his owne londe.
American Standard Version
And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Bible in Basic English
And Moses let his father-in-law go away, and he went back to his land.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses let his father in lawe depart: and he went into his owne lande.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
King James Version (1611)
And Moses let his father in law depart, and he went his way into his owne land.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses dismissed his father-in-law, and he returned to his own land.
English Revised Version
And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises lefte `his alie, which turnede ayen, and yede in to his lond.
Young's Literal Translation
And Moses sendeth his father-in-law away, and he goeth away unto his own land.
Update Bible Version
And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
World English Bible
Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
New King James Version
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.
New Living Translation
Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
New Life Bible
Then Moses let his father-in-law return to his own land.
New Revised Standard
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses sent forth his father-in-law, - and he went his way by himself unto his own land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he let his kinsman depart: and he returned and went into his own country.
Revised Standard Version
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

Contextual Overview

13 The next day, Moses had the special job of judging the people. There were so many people that they had to stand before him all day. 14 Jethro saw Moses judging the people. He asked, "Why are you doing this? Why are you the only judge? And why do people come to you all day?" 15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "The people come to me and ask me to ask for God's decision for their problem. 16 If people have an argument, they come to me, and I decide which person is right. In this way I teach the people God's laws and teachings." 17 But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "This isn't the right way to do this. 18 It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too. 19 Now, listen to me. Let me give you some advice. And I pray God will be with you. You should continue listening to the problems of the people. And you should continue to speak to God about these things. 20 You should explain God's laws and teachings to the people. Warn them not to break the laws. Tell them the right way to live and what they should do. 21 But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders. "Choose good men you can trust—men who respect God. Choose men who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men rulers over the people. There should be rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and even over ten people. 22 Let these rulers judge the people. If there is a very important case, then they can come to you and let you decide what to do. But they can decide the other cases themselves. In this way these men will share your work with you, and it will be easier for you to lead the people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 24:59, Genesis 31:55, Numbers 10:29, Numbers 10:30, Judges 19:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 12:20 - General Judges 1:16 - Moses' Ruth 1:7 - they went

Cross-References

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and made a man. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nose, and the man became a living thing.
Genesis 3:19
You will work hard for your food, until your face is covered with sweat. You will work hard until the day you die, and then you will become dust again. I used dust to make you, and when you die, you will become dust again."
Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the oak trees of Mamre. It was the hottest part of the day, and Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent.
Genesis 18:2
He looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw the men, he ran to them and bowed before them.
Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried to the tent. He said to Sarah, "Quickly, prepare enough flour for three loaves of bread."
Genesis 18:8
Abraham brought the meat and some milk and cheese and set them down in front of the three men. Then he stood near the men, ready to serve them while they sat under the tree and ate.
Genesis 18:30
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If only thirty good people are in the city, will you destroy it?" The Lord said, "If I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city."
Genesis 18:32
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. If you find ten good people there, what will you do?" The Lord said, "If I find ten good people in the city, I will not destroy it."
Ezra 9:6
Then I prayed this prayer: "My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to look at you. I am ashamed because our sins are higher than our heads. Our guilt has reached all the way up to the heavens.
Job 4:19
So surely people are worse! They live in houses of clay built on dust. They can be crushed as easily as a moth!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses let his father in law depart,.... After he had been with him some time, and desired leave to go into his own country, which was granted; or he "dismissed" y him in an honourable way: and as he went out to meet him when he came, if he did not attend him, when he went, some way in person, yet sent a guard along with him, both for honour and for safety:

and he went his way into his own land; the land of Midian: the Targum of Jonathan,

"he went to proselyte all the children of his own country;''

or, as Jarchi expresses it, the children of his family; and it is plain that the Kenites and Rechabites descended from him, who in later times lived among the Jews, and were proselytes to their religion, Judges 1:16.

y וישלח "et dimisit", V. L. Tigurine version, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Into his own land - Midian Exodus 2:15.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 18:27. And Moses let his father-in-law depart — But if this be the same transaction with that mentioned Numbers 10:29, c., we find that it was with great reluctance that Moses permitted so able a counsellor to leave him for, having the highest opinion of his judgment, experience, and discretion, he pressed him to stay with them, that he might be instead of eyes to them in the desert. But Jethro chose rather to return to his own country, where probably his family were so settled and circumstanced that they could not be conveniently removed, and it was more his duty to stay with them, to assist them with his counsel and advice, than to travel with the Israelites. Many others might be found that could be eyes to the Hebrews in the desert, but no man could be found capable of being a father to his family, but himself. It is well to labour for the public good, but our own families are the first claimants on our care, attention, and time. He who neglects his own household on pretence of labouring even for the good of the public, has surely denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

IT is strange that after this we hear no more of Zipporah! Why is she forgotten? Merely because she was the wife of Moses; for he chose to conduct himself so that to the remotest ages there should be the utmost proofs of his disinterestedness. While multitudes or the families of Israel are celebrated and dignified, his own he writes in the dust. He had no interest but that of God and his people; to promote this, he employed his whole time and his uncommon talents. His body, his soul, his whole life, were a continual offering to God. They were always on the Divine altar; and God had from his creature all the praise, glory, and honour that a creature could possibly give. Like his great antitype, he went about doing good; and God was with him. The zeal of God's house consumed him, for in that house, in all its concerns, we have the testimony of God himself that he was faithful, Hebrews 3:2; and a higher character was never given, nor can be given of any governor, sacred or civil. He made no provision even for his own sons, Gershom and Eliezer; they and their families were incorporated with the Levites, 1 Chronicles 23:14; and had no higher employment than that of taking care of the tabernacle and the tent, Numbers 3:21-26, and merely to serve at the tabernacle and to carry burdens, Numbers 4:24-28. No history, sacred or profane, has been able to produce a complete parallel to the disinterestedness of Moses. This one consideration is sufficient to refute every charge of imposture brought against him and his laws. There never was an imposture in the world (says Dr. PRIDEAUX, Letter to the Deists) that had not the following characters: -

1. It must always have for its end some carnal interest.

2. It can have none but wicked men for its authors.

3. Both of these must necessarily appear in the very contexture of the imposture itself.

4. That it can never be so framed, that it will not contain some palpable falsities, which will discover the falsity of all the rest.

5. That wherever it is first propagated, it must be done by craft and fraud.

6. That when intrusted to many persons, it cannot be long concealed.

1. The keenest-eyed adversary of Moses has never been able to fix on him any carnal interest. No gratification of sensual passions, no accumulation of wealth, no aggrandizement of his family or relatives, no pursuit of worldly honour, has ever been laid to his charge.

2. His life was unspotted, and all his actions the offspring of the purest benevolence.

3. As his own hands were pure, so were the hands of those whom he associated with himself in the work.

4. No palpable falsity has ever been detected in his writings, though they have for their subject the most complicate, abstruse, and difficult topics that ever came under the pen of man.

5. No craft, no fraud, not even what one of his own countrymen thought he might lawfully use, innocent guile, because he had to do with a people greatly degraded and grossly stupid, can be laid to his charge. His conduct was as open as the day; and though continually watched by a people who were ever ready to murmur and rebel, and industrious to find an excuse for their repeated seditious conduct, yet none could be found either in his spirit, private life, or public conduct.

6. None ever came after to say, "We have joined with Moses in a plot, we have feigned a Divine authority and mission, we have succeeded in our innocent imposture, and now the mask may be laid aside." The whole work proved itself so fully to be of God that even the person who might wish to discredit Moses and his mission, could find no ground of this kind to stand on. The ten plagues of Egypt, the passage of the Red Sea, the destruction of the king of Egypt and his immense host, the quails, the rock of Horeb, the supernatural supply by the forty years' manna, the continual miracle of the Sabbath, on which the preceding day's manna kept good, though, if thus kept, it became putrid on any other day, together with the constantly attending supernatural cloud, in its threefold office of a guide by day, a light by night, and a covering from the ardours of the sun, all invincibly proclaim that God brought out this people from Egypt; that Moses was the man of God, chosen by him, and fully accredited in his mission; and that the laws and statutes which he gave were the offspring of the wisdom and goodness of Him who is the Father of Lights, the fountain of truth and justice, and the continual and unbounded benefactor of the human race.


 
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