Topic: Persons Of The Bible - Jethro

The name Jethro is from the Hebrew name יִתְרוֹ (Yitro), which was derived from the Hebrew word יֶתֶר (yeter) meaning "abundance". The name also means "his excellence, or gain."

Jethro was a prince or priest of Midian, who succeeded his father Reuel. Moses married Jethro's daughter Zipporah. (B.C. 1530.) Moses spent forty years after Moses' exile from the Egyptian court as keeper of Jethro's flocks. While the Israelites were encamped at Sinai, and soon after their victory over Amalek, Jethro came to meet Moses, bringing with him Zipporah and her two sons. They met at the "mount of God," and "Moses told Jethro all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh" (Ex. 18:8). On the following day Jethro, observing the multiplicity of the duties devolving on Moses, advised him to appoint subordinate judges, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, to decide smaller matters, leaving only the weightier matters to be referred to Moses, to be laid before the Lord. This advice Moses adopted (Ex. 18). Jethro was also called Hobab (q.v.), which was probably Jethro's personal name, while Jethro was an official name.

On account if Jethro's local knowledge he was entreated to remain with the Israelites throughout their journey to Canaan. (Numbers 10:31,33) (He is called Raguel, Or Reuel, Reuel in (Exodus 2:18) And Raguel, Or Reuel in (Numbers 10:29), The same word in the original for both). Reuel is probably his proper name, and Jethro his official title.--ED.)

Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries

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