Exodus 4 · Verse 18

Exodus 4:18

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
Exodus 4:18, King James Version

Exodus 4:18 in other translations

BSBThen Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.
WEBMoses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
ASVAnd Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
YLTAnd Moses goeth and turneth back unto Jethro his father-in-law, and saith to him, ‘Let me go, I pray thee, and I turn back unto my brethren who are in Egypt, and I see whether they are yet alive.' And Jethro saith to Moses, ‘Go in peace.'
DARBYAnd Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, that I may see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
BBEAnd Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go back now to my relations in Egypt and see if they are still living. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
WebsterAnd Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

What does Exodus 4:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. Moses ... returned to Jethro--Being in his service, it was right to obtain his consent, but Moses evinced piety, humility, and prudence, in not divulging the special object of his journey.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren - Moses, having received his commission from God, and directions how to execute it, returned to his father-in-law, and asked permission to visit his family and brethren in Egypt, without giving him any intimation of the great errand on which he was going. His keeping this secret has been attributed to his singular modesty: but however true it might be that Moses was a truly humble and modest man, yet his prudence alone was sufficient to have induced him to observe silence on this subject; for, if once imparted to the family of his father-in-law, the news might have reached Egypt before he could get thither, and a general alarm among the Egyptians would in all probability have been the consequence; as fame would not fail to represent Moses as coming to stir up sedition and rebellion, and the whole nation would have been armed against them. It was therefore essentially necessary that the business should be kept secret. In the Septuagint and Coptic the following addition is made to this verse: Μετα δε τας ἡμερας τας πολλας εκινας ετελευτησεν ὁ βασιλευς Αιγυπτου· After these many days, the king of Egypt died. This was probably an ancient gloss or side note, which in process of time crept into the text, as it appeared to throw light on the following verse.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 4:18-23
After God had appeared in the bush, he often spake to Moses. Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against the groans and cries of the oppressed Israelites; and now God, in the way of righteous judgment, hardens his heart against the teaching of the miracles, and the terror of the plagues. But whether Pharaoh will hear, or whether he will forbear, Moses must tell him, Thus saith the Lord. He must demand a discharge for Israel, Let my son go; not only my servant, whom thou hast no right to detain, but my son. It is my son that serves me, and therefore must be spared, must be pleaded for. In case of refusal I will slay thy son, even thy first-born. As men deal with God's people, let them expect so to be dealt with.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 4:18 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.

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
מֹשֶׁ֜הmo.ShehMosesH4872
וַיָּ֣שָׁב\׀vai.Ya.shovand he returnedH7725
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יֶ֣תֶרYe.terJethroH3500
חֹֽתְנ֗וֹcho.te.Nofather-in-law hisH2859
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לוֹ֙loto <the> him
אֵ֣לְכָה'E.le.khahlet me goH1980
נָּ֗אNa'pleaseH4994
וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ve.'a.Shu.vahso I may returnH7725
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אַחַ֣י'a.Chairelatives myH251
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whoH834
בְּמִצְרַ֔יִםbe.mitz.Ra.yim[are] in EgyptH4714
וְאֶרְאֶ֖הve.'er.'Ehso I may seeH7200
הַעוֹדָ֣םha.'o.Dam¿ [are] still theyH5750
חַיִּ֑יםchai.YimlivingH2416
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יִתְר֛וֹyit.RoJethroH3503
לְמֹשֶׁ֖הle.mo.Shehto MosesH4872
לֵ֥ךְlekhgoH1980
לְשָׁלֽוֹם\׃le.sha.Lomto peaceH7965

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

Cross references for Exodus 4:18

  • Exodus 3:1

    Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

  • Luke 7:50

    And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

  • 1 Timothy 6:1

    Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

  • Acts 16:36

    And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

  • Genesis 45:3

    And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

  • 1 Samuel 1:17

    Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

  • Acts 15:36

    And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jethro. Heb. Jether.
3:1
Let me go.
1Ti 6:1
and see.
Ge 45:3; Ac 15:36
Go in peace.
1Sa 1:17; Lu 7:50; Ac 16:36In the LXX. and Coptic, the following addition is made to this verse: [Meta de tas Lemeras tas pollas ekeinas eteleutésen ho basileus Aigyptou,] "After these many days, the king of Egypt died." This was probably an ancient side-note, which crept into the text, as it appeared to throw light on the next verse.

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

Context

  • Exodus 4:17

    And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

  • Exodus 4:18

    And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

  • Exodus 4:19

    And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

Read all of Exodus 4

Exodus 4:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así se fué Moisés, y volviendo á su suegro Jethro, díjole: Iré ahora, y volveré á mis hermanos que están en Egipto, para ver si aun viven. Y Jethro dijo á Moisés: Ve en paz.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Moïse s’en alla, et retourna vers Jéthro, son beau-père, et lui dit: Je te prie, laisse-moi m’en aller, et retourner vers mes frères qui sont en Égypte, afin que je voie s’ils vivent encore. Et Jéthro dit à Moïse: Va en paix.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Mose ging hin und kehrte zu Jethro, seinem Schwiegervater, zurück und sprach zu ihm: Laß mich doch gehen und zu meinen Brüdern zurückkehren, die in Ägypten sind, daß ich sehe, ob sie noch leben. Und Jethro sprach zu Mose: Gehe hin in Frieden!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Abiit Moyses, et reversus est ad Jethro socerum suum, dixitque ei: Vadam et revertar ad fratres meos in Ægyptum, ut videam si adhuc vivant. Cui ait Jethro: Vade in pace.