Meeting with Jethro
1Jethro, the priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, when Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt.
2After Moses had sent away Zipporah, his wife, Jethro, his father-in-law, received her 3and her two sons. The first, Moses had called Gershom, to remember that he had been a guest in a foreign land, 4and the other Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father came to my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5So Jethro came with Moses’ wife and sons to the desert where the people had encamped at the mountain of God.
6Moses was told, “Your father-in-law Jethro is here. He has come with your wife and her two sons.” 7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowing low before him, he kissed him, and when each had inquired about the other’s health, they entered the tent. 8Moses then told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and Egypt for the sake of Israel and all the difficulties they had met with on the way and how Yahweh had saved them.
9Jethro rejoiced at all Yahweh’s goodness to Israel in freeing them from the power of Egypt and he said, 10“Blessed be Yahweh who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, and has rescued the people from the grip of Egypt. 11I know now that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, for he delivered his people when they were being oppressed.”
12Then Jethro brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to share this meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
Appointment of judges
13 ① The next day Moses took his seat to administer justice for the people who stood around him from morning till night.
14His father-in-law, seeing all the work of Moses for the people, said to him, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit and judge while all the people stand around you from morning till night?” 15Moses answered, “It is the people who come to me to know God’s will. 16When there is a dispute they bring it to me to decide between the two parties, and I teach them God’s decrees and laws.”
17Jethro replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and your people will wear yourselves out, for the work is too heavy and you cannot do it alone. 19Now listen to the advice I am going to give you and God be with you. You will be the people’s representative before God and bring their cases to him. 20You will teach them the statutes and laws and the way they must live and what they must do. 21But choose among the people, capable, God-fearing men, men of truth who hate a bribe, and appoint them as leaders for groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty and ten.
22They will administer justice at all times, bringing to your attention only those cases of major importance, while they deal with all those of lesser importance. That will ease your burden since they will be sharing it with you. 23If you do this, God will guide you and you will be able to cope with this duty; and all these people will reach their place in peace.”
24Moses followed his father-in-law’s advice and did as he said. 25He chose capable men from among the Israelites and placed them as leaders for groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty and ten. 26They administered justice at all times, bringing difficult cases to Moses but judging all other cases themselves.
27Then Moses let his father-in-law return to his own country.
- Ex 18,13 The Hebrews who left Egypt with Moses had to organize themselves. God did not dictate to them what they should do. Partly, they created the institutions they needed. Partly, they adapted those of other peoples. In the present case, they followed the example of the Midianites (Moses' father-in-law was a Midianite priest). Moses, like other unquestioned leaders, needs time to realize that everything will work out better if he shares his responsibilities with others. Fortunately, he has become accustomed to listening to God, so that he also knows how to listen to his relatives. The talk of Jethro underlines the double mission of Moses: he is both the prophet the people need to lead them and the judge with authority to solve the conflicts among persons. In fact many came to consult him about what they ought to do or not to do, so that their projects would be blessed by God and be successful. The judges he chose were models of priests and elders who were to govern the people of Israel.
