Bible Strands
Exodus 18:5
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports Jethro arriving in the desert wilderness to find Moses encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses’ wife and sons. This event occurs immediately after the Israelites' exodus and just before the Sinai covenant preparations.
The words — The verb וַיָּבֹא (va-yā-vō) literally means "and he came," denoting a completed arrival. The noun חֹתֵן (cho-tēn) translates to "father-in-law," defining Jethro’s relational status to Moses.
The thread — This gathering recalls Moses’ earlier life shepherding Jethro’s flock in Midian (Exodus 3:1) and sets the stage for the imminent divine descent at Sinai (Exodus 19:11). The narrative links Moses’ past refuge, present wilderness camp, and upcoming covenant moment.
Why it lands — The text records a physical convergence that precedes a divine encounter, requiring the reader to see how human presence and preparation frame the moment God speaks. It demands attention to the concrete reality of gathering before revelation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- 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.
- Exodus 3:12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
- Exodus 19:11 and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
- Exodus 19:20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up,
- Exodus 24:16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.
- 1 Kings 19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.