Exodus 18:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Although it was the Lord who communicated with Moses, He, being omniscient and humble, sought guidance for the leadership of such a vast nation from his non-Israelite father-in-law. This individual understood that true gratitude should not be directed towards those who offer wise counsel, but rather towards the One who embodies truth, namely, the eternal God.

Who exactly was Moses? He was a prophet, a lawgiver, and a divine messenger. And who was Jethro? He was a priest of an unfamiliar faith, not part of God's chosen ones, but he had come to some understanding of the true God through Moses. “Now,” he declared, “I have seen that the Lord is greater than all gods” (Ex. 18:11). Can we really believe that this Jethro could assist Moses? Yet, Jethro witnessed Moses overwhelmed by the challenges posed by the people, empathized with him, and readily offered his support. He indeed helped by advising Moses to implement a system for managing the judgments more effectively.

Jethro offers profound guidance, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing the role of the legislator from that of the judge in the execution of the law. It appears that Moses had not previously recognized this separation. As the legislator, he was called to act as the mediator between the people and God, receiving divine instructions for legislative matters and conveying them to the people as codified laws. As we shall explore further, he maintained for himself the authority to make final judgements in his capacity as a judge.