Jethro in the Bible is Moses' father-in-law and the priest of Midian. He offered Moses refuge when he fled Egypt and later gave Moses crucial leadership and delegation advice, which helped him manage the Israelites more effectively.
In the book of Exodus, the main character is clearly Moses. Jethro seems like a supporting character further down the cast list after Pharaoh, Aaron, Pharaoh’s daughter, his sister Miriam, and his wife, Zipporah. It may also be possible that I’ve too often seen the Charlton Heston version of The Ten Commandments, and Jethro plays a small role in the film, offering hospitality to Moses.
What a loss not to know more about Jethro, where he was from, how God used him, how he acknowledged God (though he didn’t know Him as closely as Moses did), and what an incredible role he played in Moses’ life.
Who is Jethro in the Bible?
In the Bible, Jethro is known as Moses' father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He is a significant figure, especially in the book of Exodus. Jethro provided refuge to Moses when he fled from Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. Moses later married Jethro's daughter, Zipporah.
Jethro is also noted for his wise counsel regarding leadership and administration to Moses. Seeing Moses overwhelmed by the task of personally settling disputes among the Israelites, Jethro suggested appointing capable men to help judge minor cases, reserving only the significant cases for Moses. This advice significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of leadership and is often cited as an early example of delegating authority.
Jethro's respectful interaction with Moses and the Israelites is also a noteworthy aspect of his character, highlighting themes of wisdom, hospitality, and effective leadership.
What Nation Was Jethro From?
Jethro was called the Priest of Midian, meaning he held a faith leadership role for the people of Midian. The Midianites were descended from Abraham, making them Semites, but they were not Hebrews.
Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, was by his concubine Hagar. His wife Sarah bore him Isaac, whose children became the Hebrews. After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah, who bore Midian and other sons (Genesis 25:1-4). Some passages of the Bible connect the Midianites with the descendants of Ishmael.
Like most of Abraham’s descendants, the Midianites were a nomadic people. They are mentioned in several places in the Bible as enemies of the Jews—starting from when the Midianites bought Joseph from his brothers and sold him into slavery. They last appear in the Bible as Gideon drives them out into the west to Palestine.
Midianites lived in the northwest region of the Arabian Desert. Although they weren’t God’s chosen people (the line of Isaac), they were still children of Abraham, so Abraham’s God was familiar to them, though they may not have all believed in Him.
However, if Jethro was from Midian, why do we see in Numbers 12:1 that Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ siblings, criticize him for marrying a Cushite woman? Was this Zipporah or a second wife? It was likely Zipporah, and calling her a woman from Cush (a part of Northern Africa) was a racist slight because her skin was darker than the Israelites.
Where Do We First See Jethro in the Bible?
In Exodus 2, Moses flees Egypt (and his position in the Pharoah’s family) because he has killed an Egyptian overseer abusing enslaved Hebrew. He wanders in the wilderness and comes upon a group of women tending their flocks who are being harassed by men attempting to chase off their flocks.
Moses jumps in to help the women and learns that they are the daughters of a man named Jethro (also called Reuel), “the priest of Midian.” According to the Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, the names Jethro and Reuel “represent two different traditions but refer to the same character.”
Jethro took Moses in. After some time, Jethro offered Moses his daughter Zipporah as his wife and gave him a shepherding role. It took much trust for Jethro to give all of these to Moses–it would be akin to giving someone your daughter to marry and the business that supports your family. In his commentary about the life of Moses, John Gill observes, “keeping the sheep of his father-in-law, in which great personages have employed, and who have afterwards been called to the kingly office, as David; and this was an emblem of his feeding and ruling the people of Israel, and in it he was an eminent type of Christ, the great shepherd and bishop of souls.”
In the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Crichton notes Moses lived with and worked for the family for 40 years.
Suddenly one day, Moses sees a burning bush on Mount Horeb near where he was shepherding the flocks. God calls him to know Him as the great “I Am” and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After this amazing “holy ground” encounter with God, Moses asks Jethro for permission to leave with his wife and sons to find his people back in Egypt. He also carried the plan that God had given him to go to Pharaoh to plead for the release of the Israelites.
What Happened When We Next Meet Jethro in the Bible?
With Jethro back in Midian, Moses and Zipporah, and their children traveled to Egypt to bring the message to Pharaoh (Ramses II) about releasing God’s people from slavery. Surprisingly, even the non-religious site Britannica.com reports the plagues have a historical basis. It also notes the plagues would have taken place over many months.
When Pharaoh finally gave in, the Jews crossed the opened Red Sea and began to make their way through the wilderness. We read in Exodus 18:1 that Jethro hears of all of the miracles that God has performed for His people and goes out to visit Moses to see this amazing thing that has been done.
What Happened When Jethro Visited Moses After He Rescued His People?
Two significant things happened when Jethro met with Moses after the Israelites were released from Israel.
First, Jethro acknowledges that the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and leading the entire cadre of Jews into the wilderness were miracles that only God could do. In Exodus 18:11, Jethro says, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” Then he “brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.”
Second, he becomes a very important counselor to Moses. According to Essential Figures in the Bible, Jethro saw Moses’ responsibilities in leading this large group of people and told him it was too much for him. The Bible says, When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” (Exodus 18:14)
Jethro then tells Moses what all leaders need to know: how to delegate. He tells Moses that his responsibility is to meet with God and bring the people’s disputes to Him. He needs to take God’s instructions and teach the people how to live and behave. But that should be it–Moses should select capable, trustworthy men who fear God and appoint them over groups of Israelites, acting as judges. They should judge simple cases and bring the more difficult ones to Moses. This would help Moses not be overwhelmed and would help build the nation as they moved forward.
What Can We Learn from Jethro?
I learned that Jethro was a man of great hospitality, trust, and concern. He did not abandon Moses once he left Midian but sought him out to hear about his God and offer incredibly helpful advice to a man who God had put in charge of a huge group of people.
Crichton says that “the story of Jethro reveals him as a man of singular attractiveness and strength, in whom a kind, considerate disposition, a deeply religious spirit, and a wise judgment all met in happy combination.”
We can also learn that character counts when we decide who to listen to. Moses had worked for Jethro for 40 years and therefore knew him quite well as a man of integrity. Jethro also knew when it was time to go and let Moses fulfill the rest of the mission God had for him.
After Jethro blessed Moses, “Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country” (Exodus 18:27).
Photo Credit: Seventeenth-century painting by Jan Victors via Wikimedia Commons
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
How Did the Apostle Paul Die?
Who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation?
Who Was Deborah in the Bible?
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
King Solomon's Story in the Bible
Who Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?
Who Was the Prodigal Son?
