Jethro

Jethro is a Midianite priest in the Hebrew Bible and the father-in-law of Moses. He advises Moses to delegate judicial duties among capable leaders.

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Jethro’s advice to Moses: Jethro’s counsel that Moses appoint subordinate judges to share the work of resolving disputes. This episode gives Jethro his defining role as an adviser on leadership and justice.
Midian: An ancient region and people associated with areas east and south of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the setting from which Jethro comes and where Moses lives before the Exodus.
Delegation: The assignment of authority or tasks by one person to others while retaining overall responsibility. Jethro urges Moses to share the work of judging disputes.
Hobab: A Midianite associated with Moses’ family who is named as a guide or relative in biblical passages. Numbers names Hobab in a role near Moses’ family that other passages associate with Jethro.
Moses and Jethro at Mount Sinai: The meeting in Exodus 18 where Jethro visits Moses, hears of Israel’s deliverance, and offers sacrifice. It places Jethro’s counsel within his visit to the Israelite camp.
Hebrew Bible: The collection of ancient Israelite scriptures that forms the Jewish canon and much of the Christian Old Testament. Jethro’s identity and actions are known through its narratives.
Biblical judges: Leaders who hear disputes and administer judgment in biblical Israelite narratives and legal texts. Jethro proposes appointing capable judges at several levels beneath Moses.
Kenites: A group appearing in biblical traditions as associated with Midian and with Israel’s southern neighbors. Some biblical genealogies and narratives connect Jethro’s family with the Kenites.
Zipporah: The wife of Moses and daughter of Jethro in the biblical narrative. Her marriage to Moses makes Jethro Moses’ father-in-law.
Book of Exodus: The biblical book recounting Israel’s departure from Egypt, wilderness journey, and covenant at Sinai. Exodus 18 contains the principal account of Jethro’s visit and advice.