The Wisdom of Exodus 18

At the foot of Mount Sinai, before attention is given to God’s covenant with his people and the giving of the law, Exodus 18 describes two interactions between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro. In the first interaction (vv1-12), Jethro hears of the wonderful works of God and confesses his faith in YHWH, the God of Israel. In the second interaction (vv13-27), Jethro gives wise counsel to Moses. Exodus 18 is theologically rich in many ways, but in this reflection I want to point out that Exodus 18 reflects the wisdom tradition of Israel. Both in the macrostructure of the chapter as well as its wording, this chapter prompts the reader to consider the value of wisdom.

Beginning with the macrostructure, Jethro himself is an example of wisdom in action. In the first half of Exodus 18, he confesses faith in YHWH and demonstrates his fear of YHWH in the sacrifice he offers to God and the fellowship meal he shares with the elders of Israel. Then, in the second half of the chapter, we see how he applies his fear of YHWH to a specific problem. Exodus 18:14 (ESV) begins, “When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people.” This language of seeing is important, for a “proverb has only a partial meaning until applied to a situation.”[1] Consequently, the observation of a situation to which a proverb can be appropriately applied is integral to wisdom. Jethro is, therefore, subtly presented as a wise man, whose observation of Moses’ actions leads him to apply the substance of Prov 11:14 (ESV), “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” It is noteworthy that Jethro is exclusively referred to us as “Moses’ father-in-law” in Exod 18:13-27 because that designation simultaneously distances Jethro from his Midianite ethnicity and occupation (priest) and closely connects him with God’s appointed mediator. This designation, I would argue, reinforces the value of Jethro’s wise counsel to Moses by setting it loose from a potentially pagan nuance. The point is that Jethro is an example of wisdom in action.

The connections with Israel’s wisdom tradition are not limited to this macrostructural point, though. Several words and concepts are also shared between this text and the book of Proverbs. In the first place, when Jethro counsels his son-in-law to “look for able men from all the people” (Exod 18:21 ESV), the word “able” is the same word used to describe the “excellent wife” of Proverbs 31. To be sure, an “able” man elsewhere means a valiant man who is ready for war. If this were the only connection, it would be weak. But it’s not. Secondly, the concept of God-fearing is integral to both the qualifications of elders in Exodus 18 and the pursuit of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 2:5), and Moses is to look for God-fearing men (Exod 18:21). Furthermore, those God-fearing men must be those who hate unjust gain, or a “bribe,” and so also for a wise man. Proverbs 15:27 (ESV) says, “Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live” (cf. Prov 1:19; 28:16). Finally, the consequence of having these “able men” helping Moses is that then he “will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace” (Exod 18:23 ESV). Unsurprisingly, the characteristics of wisdom are quite similar: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Prov 3:17 ESV). The point is that a reader of Exodus, who is familiar with the book of Proverbs, would appreciate the wisdom of Jethro’s advice to Moses.

At least one takeaway from this reflection is that good leadership in the church depends on the leaders having a heart of wisdom. Those who fear God will entrust their affairs to the Lord with a hope and expectation that their plans will be stable and durable (Prov 16:3); those who are trustworthy witnesses will deliver souls (Prov 14:25); those who hate a bribe will by God’s grace prolong their ministry and preserve justice and righteousness. While these qualities do not exhaust the characteristics of and qualifications for good church leadership, they are certainly a sound starting point.

More broadly, a recognition of wisdom in action in Exodus 18 should be a general encouragement to everyone who reads this chapter that reading and applying Israel’s wisdom literature is useful and helpful. May we all seek to gain a heart of wisdom for the good of Christ’s church and the glory of God.

[1] Suzanna R. Millar, Genre and Openness in Proverbs 10:1-22:16, Ancient Israel and Its Literature 39 (Atlanta: SBL Press, 2020), 193.