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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Exodus 18:27

Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.

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.
Easy-to-Read Version
After a short time Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law Jethro, and Jethro went back to his own home.
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.
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 On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?" 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions." 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God; 20 and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

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 formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,
Genesis 18:6
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
Genesis 18:8
Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
Genesis 18:30
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
Genesis 18:32
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."
Ezra 9:6
saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
Job 4:19
how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the 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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