Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 18
Overview:
Jethro brings to
Moses his
Wife and two sons.
(1-6) Moses
entertains
Jethro.
(7-12) Jethro's counsel to
Moses.
(13-27)
1-6 Jethro came to rejoice with
Moses in the happiness of
Israel, and to bring his
Wife and children to him.
Moses must
have his family with him, that while he ruled the
Church of
God,
he might set a good
Example in family government, 1Ti 3:5.
7-12 Conversation concerning
God's wondrous
Works is good, and
edifies.
Jethro not only rejoiced in the honour done to his
son-in-
Law, but in all the
Goodness done to
Israel. Bystanders
were more affected with the favours
God had showed to
Israel,
than many were who received them.
Jethro gave the
Glory to
Israel's
God. Whatever we have the joy of,
God must have the
praise. They joined in a
Sacrifice of thanksgiving. Mutual
friendship is sanctified
By joint
Worship. It is very good for
relations and friends to join in the spiritual
Sacrifice of
Prayer and praise, as those that meet in
Christ. This was a
temperate
Feast; they did eat
Bread,
Manna.
Jethro must see and
taste that
Bread from
Heaven, and though a gentile, is welcome:
the
Gentiles are welcomed to
Christ the
Bread of
Life.
13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of
Moses as a
Magistrate. Having been employed to redeem
Israel out of the
House of
Bondage, he is a further
Type of
Christ, that he is
employed as a lawgiver and a
Judge among them. If the people
were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with
God,
No
doubt
Moses had many causes brought before him. This business
Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care
and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his
cause before him.
Moses kept to his business from morning to
night.
Jethro thought it was too much for him to undertake
alone; also it would make the administration of
Justice tiresome
to the people. There may be over-doing even in
Well-doing.
Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content
ourselves with less than our duty, nor task ourselves
Beyond our
strength.
Jethro advised
Moses to a better plan. Great men
should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to
make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the
persons admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good
sense, that understood business, and that would not be daunted
By frowns or clamours, but abhorred the thought of a
Bribe. Men
of
Piety and religion; such as fear
God, who dare not to do a
base thing, though they could do it secretly and securely. The
fear of
God will best fortify a
Man against temptations to
injustice.
Moses did not despise this advice. Those are not
Wise, who think themselves too
Wise to be counselled.