Exodus 18:2
New International Version
After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her

New Living Translation
Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in.

English Standard Version
Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home,

Berean Standard Bible
After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,

King James Bible
Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

New King James Version
Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

New American Standard Bible
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

NASB 1995
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

NASB 1977
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away,

Amplified Bible
Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away [from Egypt],

Christian Standard Bible
Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

American Standard Version
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

English Revised Version
And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had taken her in,

Good News Translation
So he came to Moses, bringing with him Moses' wife Zipporah, who had been left behind,

International Standard Version
Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken back Moses' wife Zipporah after she had been sent away,

Majority Standard Bible
After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,

NET Bible
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife Zipporah after he had sent her back,

New Heart English Bible
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, took Zipporah Moses's wife, after he had sent her back,

World English Bible
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, takes Zipporah, wife of Moses, after her parting,

Young's Literal Translation
and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh Zipporah, wife of Moses, besides her parents,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, will take Zipporah, Moses' wife, after her sending forth,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He took Sephora the wife of Moses whom he had sent back:

Catholic Public Domain Version
he brought Zipporah, the wife of Moses, whom he was to return to him,

New American Bible
So his father-in-law Jethro took along Zipporah, Moses’ wife—now this was after Moses had sent her back—

New Revised Standard Version
After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took his daughter Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yethrown, Father in Law of Moshe, took Tsephora his daughter, the wife of Moshe, after he released her,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jothor the father-in-law of Moses, took Sepphora the wife of Moses after she had been sent away,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Visit of Jethro
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.”…

Cross References
Exodus 2:21-22
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. / And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

Exodus 4:20
So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

Exodus 3:1
Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Numbers 10:29-32
Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” / “I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.” / “Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. ...

Judges 4:11
Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

1 Samuel 15:6
And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

1 Chronicles 23:15-17
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. / The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first. / The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer did not have any other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

Acts 7:29
At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.

Hebrews 11:24-27
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. / He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. / He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward. ...

Matthew 2:13-15
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” / So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, / where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Acts 7:23-25
When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. / And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. / He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.

1 Kings 11:18-20
Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. / There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife. / And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh.

2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.

1 Corinthians 9:5
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

1 Peter 3:1-6
Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives / when they see your pure and reverent demeanor. / Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, ...


Treasury of Scripture

Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

Zipporah

Exodus 2:21
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

Exodus 4:25,26
Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me…

Jump to Previous
Besides Father-In-Law Jethro Law Moses Moses's Parents Received Wife Zipporah Zippo'rah
Jump to Next
Besides Father-In-Law Jethro Law Moses Moses's Parents Received Wife Zipporah Zippo'rah
Exodus 18
1. Jethro brings his wife and two sons to Moses
7. Moses entertains him, and relates the goodness of the Lord
9. Jethro rejoices, blesses God, and offers sacrifice
13. He gives good counsel, which is accepted
27. Jethro departs














After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah
This phrase indicates a separation between Moses and his wife, Zipporah. The context for this separation is not explicitly detailed in the text, but it is understood that Moses sent her back to her father, Jethro, for safety or due to the challenges of his mission in Egypt. This action reflects the difficult circumstances Moses faced as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. The sending back of Zipporah may also suggest a temporary prioritization of his divine mission over family life, a theme seen in other biblical narratives where God's calling requires personal sacrifice.

his father-in-law Jethro had received her
Jethro, also known as Reuel, was a priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law. His reception of Zipporah and her children indicates a supportive family relationship and highlights the cultural practice of extended family networks providing care and protection. Jethro's role as a priest suggests he was a man of wisdom and influence, which is later demonstrated when he advises Moses on leadership and governance (Exodus 18:13-27). This interaction between Moses and Jethro also prefigures the inclusion of Gentiles in God's plan, as Jethro, a non-Israelite, acknowledges the God of Israel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The central figure in the Book of Exodus, chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. At this point, he is leading the Israelites through the wilderness.

2. Zipporah
Moses' wife, whom he had sent back to her father, Jethro, at some point during the Exodus journey. Her return to Moses is a significant event in this chapter.

3. Jethro
Moses' father-in-law, also known as Reuel, a priest of Midian. He plays a crucial role in advising Moses on leadership and governance.

4. Midian
The region where Jethro lived and where Moses had fled after leaving Egypt. It is a place of refuge and family for Moses.

5. The Exodus Journey
The broader context of this passage, where Moses is leading the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Family Support
Moses' relationship with Zipporah and Jethro underscores the importance of family support in fulfilling God's calling. Family can provide wisdom, encouragement, and practical help.

God's Provision through Relationships
Jethro's role in Moses' life demonstrates how God often provides guidance and support through relationships. We should value and seek counsel from those God places in our lives.

Balancing Ministry and Family
Moses' decision to send Zipporah back to Jethro may reflect a need to balance his leadership responsibilities with family considerations. This balance is crucial for effective ministry and personal well-being.

The Role of Wise Counsel
Jethro's later advice to Moses about leadership structure (Exodus 18:13-27) highlights the value of seeking and heeding wise counsel, especially from those with experience and insight.(2)After he had sent her back.--Heb., after her dismissal. The fact had not been previously stated, but is in harmony with the general narrative, which has been absolutely silent concerning Zipporah since Exodus 4:26. Moses had sent Zipporah back to her own relations, either in anger, on account of the scene described in Exodus 4:24-26, or simply that he might not be encumbered with wife and children during the dangers and troubles which he anticipated in Egypt. Jethro assumed that, as the main troubles were now over, he would be glad to have his wife and children restored to him.

(2) He does not simply judge--i.e., decide the particular question brought before him; but he takes the opportunity to educate and instruct the people in delivering his judgments--he "makes them know the statutes of God and His laws"--he expounds principles and teaches morality. Both reasons were clearly of great weight, and constituted strong arguments in favour of his practice.

Verse 2. - After he had sent her back. Literally "after her dismissal." It is curious that the fact of the dismissal had not been previously mentioned, yet is here assumed as known. Some commentators (as Knobel) find, in what is said of Zipporah, the trace of two distinct writers who give two contradictory narratives; but the difficulties and obscurities of the history are sufficiently intelligible, if we hear in mind -

1. That Moses was addressing immediately those who knew the facts; and

2. That he was studious of brevity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After
אַחַ֖ר (’a·ḥar)
Adverb
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֑ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

had sent back
שִׁלּוּחֶֽיהָ׃ (šil·lū·ḥe·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7964: A sending away, parting gift

his wife
אֵ֣שֶׁת (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

Zipporah,
צִפֹּרָ֖ה (ṣip·pō·rāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6855: Zipporah -- 'bird', Moses' wife

[his]
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

father-in-law
חֹתֵ֣ן (ḥō·ṯên)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2859: To give, away in marriage, to contract affinity by marriage

Jethro
יִתְרוֹ֙ (yiṯ·rōw)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3503: Jethro -- Moses' father-in-law

had taken her in,
וַיִּקַּ֗ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take


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OT Law: Exodus 18:2 Jethro Moses' father-in-law received Zipporah Moses' wife (Exo. Ex)
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