Who was Jethro in the Bible?

Father-in-law of Moses, and a priest of Midian, with whom Moses spent forty years of his life. He brought to Moses his wife and their two sons soon after Israel had left Egypt. He advised Moses to appoint judges for minor cases. He rejoiced and blessed God for the deliverance He had given to His people, and said, "Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them." He also took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with him before God. He thus prefigures the joy of the Gentiles in the Lord's salvation and deliverance witnessed to them in His dealings with Israel. Deut. 32:43; Ps. 67; Ps. 117. He departed again to his own land. Ex. 3:1; Ex. 4:18; Ex. 18:1-12.

He is apparently called REUEL in Ex. 2:18; and HOBAB in Num. 10:29, where RAGUEL is REUEL in the Hebrew. This passage says that Raguel, the Midianite, was the father of HOBAB, the father-in-law of Moses (see also Judges 4:11), so that in Ex. 2:18 'father' may signify 'grandfather.' Hobab may have been the personal name, and Jethro an official name. In Judges 1:16 Moses' father-in-law is called a Kenite, but the exact signification of this term is not known.

Priest of Midian and father or grandfather of Zipporah, Moses' wife. Ex. 2:18. Called RAGUEL in Num. 10:29. See JETHRO.

Je’thro - same as Jether, which is correct spelling (Ex. 4:18)

"When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, and her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: and the name of the other was Eliezer; For the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: and he said unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

"And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him: and they asked each other of their welfare: and they came into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them. And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God." (vv. 1-12.)

Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, now appears. He had heard of all that God had wrought for His people, and thereon brought Zipporah and her two sons to Moses. The very names of the children explain the typical character of the whole scene. The first is Gershom; "for he said, I have been an alien" or a pilgrim "in a strange land." It is reminiscent therefore of the weary days of Israel's absence from their own land when they were scattered as strangers throughout the world. (See 1 Peter 1:1.) The name of the second is Eliezer; "For the God of my father was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh This undoubtedly recalled the past; but it is also a prophecy of the future, and therefore, interpreted typically, speaks of the final deliverance of Israel, preparatory to their introduction into blessing under the reign of Messiah. The two names thus mark two distinct periods in God's dealings with Israel: the first covers the whole time that will elapse between their being carried away captive into Babylon; while the second points to that momentous hour in which the Lord will suddenly appear and snatch His people from the very jaws of the enemy, when He shall go forth and fight against those nations who will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle. (Zechariah 14) But the sorrows of their dispersion, as well as their deliverance from the sword of Pharaoh, are looked upon in this scene as past, and they are now in possession, in figure, of their long-delayed and long-looked-for blessing.

And Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law [3] , heard of all that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt . And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back…And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God. And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

MOSES RECEIVING JETHRO (vv. 1-12)

Apparently Moses took his wife Zipporah and Gershom, his son, to Egypt when he returned there at God's call (Ex. 4:24-26). Likely his second son Eliezer, was born in Egypt, for we are told in this chapter (v. 2) that “he (Moses) had sent her (Zipporah) back,” evidently to stay with her parents until God set Israel free. Now Jethro, her father, hears of all that has taken place (v. 1), and he comes with Zipporah and her two sons to meet Moses (vv. 2-5). The meaning of the name of Eliezer (“my God is a help”) seems to indicate that he was born during the time of Moses' contention with Pharaoh, for Moses said then that God had been his help in delivering him from the sword of Pharaoh (v. 4).

Moses shows all due respect for his father in law, who was a priest of Midian (v. 7). There is no suggestion of his being an idolatrous priest, and it may well be that he was more like Melchisedec, who was priest of the Most High God” (Gen. 14:18). For God is able to preserve some true reverence for Himself, even outside of Israel.

When Moses told Jethro all that God had done in the judging of Pharaoh and Egypt in order to deliver Israel, and all the affliction through which Israel had been preserved (v. 8), Jethro's response was one of ungrudging thankfulness and rejoicing. He gives every honor for this to the Lord. As Melchisedec said to Abram, “Blessed be Abram” and “Blessed be the Most High God” (Gen. 14:19-20), so Jethro says to Moses, “Blessed be the Lord” (v. 16). He adds that he now knows that “Jehovah is greater than all gods” (v. 11). Jethro also at this time offered a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, in which Aaron also and the elders of Israel showed evident fellowship in eating before the Lord with Jethro. Though Aaron was the high priest of Israel, yet he did not begrudge the fact that Jethro acted as priest in this case, but expressed fellowship with him in doing so.

JETHRO'S ADVICE TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY (vv. 13-27)

The following day Moses spent the entire time in judging causes that had arisen among the people. There is no doubt that this was a wearing occupation, and Jethro immediately discerned this, questioning why Moses was called upon to sit “from morning till evening” in doing such work. Moses told him that this was necessary because the people desired answers from God in regard to their problems.

Jethro must have known the full story of Israel's sufferings in Egypt for Moses had dwelt with him for forty years. Now he had heard the wonderful story of their deliverance, and he came to rejoice with them, bringing Zipporah and her two sons. Only now do we learn that Moses had sent her back to her father, and what was the name of the second son.

Daughter of Reuel, or Jethro, and wife of Moses. Apparently she circumcised her second son, and declared that Moses was 'a husband of blood' to her. She had been sent back during the tribulation and deliverance of Israel, and then was brought by Jethro with her two sons to Moses. Jethro is a type of the Gentile rejoicing in the deliverance of Israel, and bringing back the loved remnant thereof in the last days. Ex. 2:21; Ex. 4:25; Ex. 18:2.

[3] Moses’s father-in-law is called Reuel in Ex.2:18 and in Numbers 10:29 . It may be a question of two names for the same person or ‘father’ signifying grand-father in one case.

Jethro, or Raguel, Moses' father-in-law, is called a Kenite, Judges 1:16, and is also called a Midianite. Num. 10:29. The Midianites sprung from Midian, the son of Abraham and Keturah, Gen. 25:2; so these Kenites were probably a branch of the Midianites. The children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, left Jericho, the city of palm trees, and went into the wilderness of Judah, which was to the south of Arad, and dwelt there. Judges 1:16 Apparently Heber the Kenite travelled north, and was neutral between Israel and their enemies; but Jael his wife smote Sisera in her tent. Judges 4:11, 17; Judges 5:24. Others remained in the far south, for when Saul was going to smite the Amalekites he warned the Kenites, for their own safety, to depart from among them, because they had befriended Israel when they came from Egypt. 1 Sam. 15:6. They were still in the neighbourhood when David feigned to have attacked them. He regarded them as friends, and sent presents to them. 1 Sam. 27:10; 1 Sam. 30:29.