^10:29³⁵ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,³⁶ “We are journeying to the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well,³⁷ for the Lord has promised good things³⁸ for Israel.” ^10:30But Hobab³⁹ said to him, “I will not go, but I will go instead to my own land and to my kindred.” ^10:31Moses⁴⁰ said, “Do not leave us,⁴¹ because you know places for us to camp in the wilderness, and you could be our guide.⁴²^10:32And if you come with us, it is certain⁴³ that whatever good things the Lord will favor us with, we will share with you as well.”

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Footnotes

35 For additional bibliography for this short section, see W. F. Albright, “Jethro, Hobab, and Reuel in Early Hebrew Tradition,” 25 (1963): 1–11; G. W. Coats, “Moses in Midian,” 92 (1973): 3–10; B. Mazar, “The Sanctuary of Arad and the Family of Hobab the Kenite,” 24 (1965): 297–303; and T. C. Mitchell, “The Meaning of the Noun ḥtn in the Old Testament,” 19 (1969): 93–112.
36 There is a problem with the identity of Hobab. The says that he is the son of Reuel, making him the brother-in-law of Moses. But Judg 4:11 says he is the father-in-law. In Judg 1:16; 4:11 Hobab is traced to the Kenites, but in Exod 3:1 and 18:1 Jethro (Reuel) is priest of Midian. Jethro is identified with Reuel on the basis of Exod 2:18 and 3:1, and so Hobab becomes Moses’ חֹתֵן (khoten), a relative by marriage and perhaps brother-in-law. There is not enough information to decide on the identity and relationships involved here. Some suggest that there is one person with the three names (G. B. Gray, Numbers [], ); others suggest Hobab is a family name (R. F. Johnson, 2:615), and some suggest that the expression “the son of Reuel the Midianite” had dropped out of the genealogy of Judges, leading to the conflict (J. Crichton, 2:). If Hobab is the same as Jethro, then Exod 18:27 does not make much sense, for Jethro did go home. On this basis many conclude Hobab is a brother-in-law. This would mean that after Jethro returned home, Moses conversed with Hobab, his brother-in-law. For more discussion, see the articles and the commentaries.
37 The verb is the Hiphil of the root “to be good” (יָטַב, yatav); it may be translated “treat well, deal favorably, generously with.” Here it is a perfect tense with vav (ו) following the imperative, showing a sequence in the verbal ideas.
38 The Hebrew text simply has “has spoken good” for Israel.
39 Heb “he”; the referent (Hobab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40 Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 The form with אַל־נָא (’al-na’) is a jussive; negated it stresses a more immediate request, as if Hobab is starting to leave, or at least determined to leave.
42 In the Hebrew text the expression is more graphic: “you will be for us for eyes.” Hobab was familiar with the entire Sinai region, and he could certainly direct the people where they were to go. The text does not record Hobab’s response. But the fact that Kenites were in Canaan as allies of Judah (Judg 1:16) would indicate that he gave in and came with Moses. The first refusal may simply be the polite Semitic practice of declining first so that the appeal might be made more urgently.
43 Heb “and it shall be.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.” But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. And if you do go with us, whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Moses said to Hobab, descendant of Reuel the Midianite and Moses’s relative by marriage, Reuel the Midianite, “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

But he replied to him, “I don’t want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”

“Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. If you come with us, whatever good the Lord does for us we will do for you.”

NLTNew Living Translation

One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!”

But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.”

“Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, “We are setting out to the place that Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you’; go with us, and we will treat you well because Yahweh promised good concerning Israel.” But he said to him, “I will not go. I will only go to my land and to my family.” He said, “Please, do not abandon us because you know our encampment in the desert, and you should be our guide. Moreover, if you go with us, the good that Yahweh will do to us we will do to you.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

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