Exodus 18 · Verse 12

Exodus 18:12

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
Exodus 18:12, King James Version

Exodus 18:12 in other translations

BSBThen Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
WEBJethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
ASVAnd Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
YLTAnd Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron cometh in, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.
DARBYAnd Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
BBEThen Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, made a burned offering to God: and Aaron came, with the chiefs of Israel, and had a meal with Moses' father-in-law, before God.
WebsterAnd Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses's father-in-law before God.

What does Exodus 18:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Jethro ... took a burnt offering--This friendly interview was terminated by a solemn religious service--the burnt offerings were consumed on the altar, and the sacrifices were peace offerings, used in a feast of joy and gratitude at which Jethro, as priest of the true God, seems to have presided, and to which the chiefs of Israel were invited. This incident is in beautiful keeping with the character of the parties, and is well worthy of the imitation of Christian friends when they meet in the present day.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Jethro - took a burnt-offering - עלה olah. Though it be true that in the patriarchal times we read of a burnt-offering, (see Gen 22:2, etc)., yet we only read of one in the case of Isaac, and therefore, though this offering made by Jethro is not a decisive proof that the law relative to burnt-offerings, etc., had already been given, yet, taken with other circumstances in this account, it is a presumptive evidence that the meeting between Moses and Jethro took place after the erection of tabernacle. See Clarke's note on Exo 18:5. Sacrifices for God - זבחים zebachim, slain beasts, as the word generally signifies. We have already seen that sacrifices were instituted by God himself as soon as sin entered into our world; and we see that they were continued and regularly practiced among all the people who had the knowledge of the only true God, from that time until they became a legal establishment. Jethro, who was a priest, (Exo 2:16), had a right to offer these sacrifices; nor can there be a doubt of his being a worshipper of the true God, for those Kenites, from whom the Rechabites came, were descended from him; 1Chr 2:55. See also Jeremiah 35. And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel to eat bread - The burnt-offering was wholly consumed; every part was considered as the Lord's portion, and therefore it was entirely burnt up. The other sacrifices mentioned here were such that, after the blood had been poured out before God, the officers and assistants might feed on the flesh. Thus, in ancient times, contracts were made and covenants sealed; See Clarke's note on Gen 15:13, etc. It is very likely, therefore, that the sacrifices offered on this occasion, were those on the flesh of which Aaron and the elders of Israel feasted with Jethro. Before God - Before the tabernacle, where God dwelt; for it is supposed that the tabernacle was now erected. See Clarke's note on Exo 18:5; and see Deu 12:5-7, and 1Chr 29:21, 1Chr 29:22, where the same form of speech, before the Lord, is used, and plainly refers to his manifested presence in the tabernacle.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 18:7-12

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. Standers-by 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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 18:7-12 →

Exodus 18:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקַּ֞חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
יִתְר֨וֹyit.RoJethroH3503
חֹתֵ֥ןcho.Ten[the] father-in-law ofH2859
מֹשֶׁ֛הmo.ShehMosesH4872
עֹלָ֥ה'o.Laha burnt offeringH5930
וּזְבָחִ֖יםu.ze.va.Chimand sacrificesH2077
לֵֽאלֹהִ֑יםle.lo.Himto GodH430
וַיָּבֹ֨אvai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
אַהֲרֹ֜ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
וְכֹ֣ל\׀ve.Kholand allH3605
זִקְנֵ֣יzik.Nei[the] elders ofH2205
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לֶאֱכָל\־le.'e.khol-to eatH398
לֶ֛חֶםLe.chemfoodH3899
עִם\־'im-withH5973
חֹתֵ֥ןcho.Ten[the] father-in-law ofH2859
מֹשֶׁ֖הmo.ShehMosesH4872
לִפְנֵ֥יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הָאֱלֹהִֽים\׃ha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 18:12

  • Deuteronomy 12:7

    And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

  • Genesis 31:54

    Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

  • Exodus 24:11

    And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

  • Exodus 24:5

    And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.

  • Job 1:5

    And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

  • Luke 14:15

    And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

  • Exodus 2:20

    And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

  • Job 42:11

    Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

  • Luke 14:1

    And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:21

    Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

  • 1 Chronicles 29:21-22

    And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel: And did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:18

    Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
took.
24:5; Ge 4:4; 8:20; 12:7; 26:25; 31:54; Job 1:5; 42:8
Aaron.
24:11; Le 7:11-17; De 12:7; 27:7; 1Ch 29:21,22; 2Ch 30:22
1Co 10:18,21,31
eat bread.
2:20; Ge 43:25; 2Sa 9:7; Job 42:11; Da 10:3; Lu 14:1,15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 18:11

    Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.

  • Exodus 18:12

    And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.

  • Exodus 18:13

    And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

Read all of Exodus 18

Exodus 18:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y tomó Jethro, suegro de Moisés, holocaustos y sacrificios para Dios: y vino Aarón y todos los ancianos de Israel á comer pan con el suegro de Moisés delante de Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jéthro, beau-père de Moïse, prit un holocauste et des sacrifices pour Dieu; et Aaron et tous les anciens d’Israël vinrent pour manger le pain avec le beau-père de Moïse, en la présence de Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jethro, der Schwiegervater Moses, nahm ein Brandopfer und Schlachtopfer für Gott; und Aaron und alle Ältesten Israels kamen, um mit dem Schwiegervater Moses zu essen vor dem Angesicht Gottes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Obtulit ergo Jethro cognatus Moysi holocausta et hostias Deo: veneruntque Aaron et omnes seniores Israël, ut comederent panem cum eo coram Deo.