^18:2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah after he had sent her back, ^18:3and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses⁴ had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”), ^18:4and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said,⁵ “The God of my father has been my help⁶ and delivered⁷ me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

^18:5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’⁸ sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by⁹ the mountain of God.¹⁰

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Footnotes

4 Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity (also in the following verse).
5 The referent (Moses) and the verb have been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 Now is given the etymological explanation of the name of Moses’ other son, Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר, ’eli’ezer), which means “my God is a help.” The sentiment that explains this name is אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי (’elohe ’avi bé’ezri, “the God of my father is my help”). The preposition in the sentiment is the bet (ב) essentiae (giving the essence—see §119.i). Not mentioned earlier, the name has become even more appropriate now that God has delivered Moses from Pharaoh again. The word for “help” is a common word in the Bible, first introduced as a description of the woman in the Garden. It means to do for someone what he or she cannot do for himself or herself. Samuel raised the “stone of help” (Ebenezer) when Yahweh helped Israel win the battle (1 Sam 7:12).
7 The verb “delivered” is an important motif in this chapter (see its use in vv. 8, 9, and 10 with reference to Pharaoh).
8 Heb “his”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 This is an adverbial accusative that defines the place (see §118.g).
10 The mountain of God is Horeb, and so the desert here must be the Sinai desert by it. But chap. 19 suggests that they left Rephidim to go the 24 miles to Sinai. It may be that this chapter fits in chronologically after the move to Sinai, but was placed here thematically. W. C. Kaiser defends the present location of the story by responding to other reasons for the change given by Lightfoot, but does not deal with the travel locations (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” 2:).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”) and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”).

Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, along with Moses’s wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.

NLTNew Living Translation

Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. (Moses’ first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away, and her two sons—the one whose name was Gershom, for he had said, “I have been an alien in a foreign land,” and the one whose name was Eliezer, for “the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there at the mountain of God.

KJV 1900King James Version

Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

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