Exodus 18:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who embrace the ancient accounts eventually come to acknowledge that God is indeed the sole deity, deserving of our offerings. Upon hearing Moses’ narrative, the Midianite proclaimed, "Now I have learned that the Lord is greater than all the gods, in that very thing which they exalted over the Israelites." Consequently, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, presented burnt offerings and sacrifices to the Lord (Ex. 18:11-12). Thus, Moses serves as the foundational instructor through the ancient texts, guiding us toward the origins of genuine divinity. Indeed, it is true. However, Christ brings fulfillment to those educated by the law; when I refer to the law, I mean the Old Testament.

The individual who had not learned from the divine word throughout the four decades of his time with Moses is now enlightened through the recounting of miraculous events. He proclaims: ‘Now I have witnessed how magnificent is the Lord, who has performed these wonders for you, surpassing all the idols that are powerless to aid their followers.’ Jethro articulated this in light of the schemes devised by the Egyptians against the Hebrews, which included the massacre of infants to reduce their population, the denial of straw to provoke them against Moses, and their conspiracies to annihilate them in the wilderness, aspiring to seize not only their possessions but also what was rightfully theirs.

Who was Moses? He was a prophet, a giver of the Law, and a bearer of divine truth. And who was Jethro? He was a priest of a worship that remains unknown, not among God's chosen people, and only recently introduced to the true understanding of God through Moses. "Now," he declares, "I have seen that the Lord is greater than all gods."

Jethro’s acknowledgment of the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is illustrated by his participation in offering a sacrifice alongside the Israelites. It is quite likely that his declaration of "I have now learnt" pertains to the name Jehovah, which was unfamiliar to the nations related to Israel. The mention of the Egyptian deities in comparison to Jehovah serves a similar purpose as in the eleventh verse of chapter 15 in the song of Moses, implying that he has come to know Jehovah and understands the futility of all other gods. The latter part of his statement seems to allude to the plagues that fell upon Egypt and the downfall of Pharaoh himself.