Meaning of JETHRO

"excellence".
Priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses (Ex. 3:1). In Ex. 2:18 he is called Reuel (cf. Josephus, Ant. 2:12, 1). The name Reuel means "friend of God"; The name Jethro was, it seems, his title.

Jethro's seven daughters tended his flocks. Moses, who had arrived fleeing from Egypt, provided his services to these shepherdesses. Jethro welcomed him and gave him Zipporah, one of the seven, in marriage.

Moses cared for the flocks of his father-in-law for forty years (Ex. 3:1, 2; Acts 7:30). Called by God to return to Egypt to be the liberator of the Hebrews, Moses obtained Jethro's permission to leave it, his wife Zipporah and his two sons accompanied him (Ex. 4: 18-20 ); He later provisionally sent his wife with the two sons to Jethro (Ex. 4:24-26; 18:2) (see ZIPORAH).

After crossing the Red Sea, which brought the Israelites near the country of Jethro, the priest of Midian returned Zipporah and her two sons to Moses (Ex. 18:1-7).

Jethro thanked God for having freed the Israelites, and offered sacrifices to the Lord. Seeing that Moses spent a lot of time judging minor disputes, Jethro advised him to appoint judges.