Numbers 10:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moses encouraged Job, known as Jethro, the son of Regebel, to participate in the journey and partake in the blessings that had been promised to him.

This individual is referred to as the father-in-law of Moses, but he is, in fact, the father of Jethro, who is also Moses’ father-in-law. He holds the title of father-in-law due to his age, being the eldest in the family and the leader of the household.

Why did the divinely inspired Moses refer to his father-in-law Jethro as Raguel in the book of Numbers (Num. 10:29) after already calling him Jethro in Exodus? Just as Jacob and Israel had two names, as did Simon Peter, Thomas who is called Didymus, and Thaddeus alongside Levi, Jethro also bears this dual identity. It is important to note that Job was a descendant of Jethro.

It is often easier to convince those who hold a sense of pride to perform righteous deeds when we suggest that their virtues will serve our purposes more effectively than their own, that the advantages will accrue to us rather than them, and when we frame our requests as benefiting ourselves instead of them. Wise individuals frequently choose to act righteously when they recognize that such actions will positively impact others. A notable instance is found in the account of Moses, who, guided by God through the wilderness and led by the pillar of cloud, urged Hobab, his relative, not to depart from their company.