Exodus 18:7 Commentary: Moses Bows to Jethro

The scene in Exodus 18:7 opens after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Jethro, priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, had brought Zipporah and her two sons back to Moses at the mountain of God (Exodus 18:5, 6). To understand Moses’ actions, one must picture ancient Near Eastern greetings. A host of status would go out to meet an arriving guest, the further out, the greater the honour (Genesis 14:17; 18:2; 19:1). Bowing, literally prostration, was standard when meeting someone of higher rank, or as display of solidarity and respect between equals. The kiss, often on both cheeks or the beard, signified affection and family intimacy (Genesis 29:13; 31:28). The exchange of shalom was more than a casual “How are you?”: it asked after one’s whole condition, health, family, prosperity, relationship with God. Jethro and Moses are equals in the sense of older and younger, host and guest, but also priest and prophet. The tent they enter is most likely Moses’ own dwelling, though the Targum of Jonathan and some Christian commentators (Clarke mentions a view) suggest the tabernacle had already been erected and Moses led Jethro there first. Either way, the entry into a private space shows intimacy and readiness for continued conversation. This entire greeting, described in economical Hebrew prose, matches what we know of hospitality norms among wandering shepherds and tribal leaders.

The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 18:7. The verse is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions (Greek, Latin, Syriac). Where translations differ (Douay-Rheims renders the greeting as “saluted one another with words of peace”), the variations represent interpretive choices for the same Hebrew text.

This verse has been used throughout church history to illustrate the virtue of humility in Christian leaders. Matthew Henry (1710) drew from it a maxim: “Religion does not destroy good manners.” John Calvin (1564) stressed that the mutual kindness between Moses and Jethro models the affectionate duties of relationships. In Eastern Christian tradition, the prostration (proskynesis) was distinguished from worship (latreia), a distinction important in the iconoclastic debates. Modern readers have returned to the verse as a corrective to authoritarian leadership; Moses remains the great deliverer, yet he bows. The scene quietly rebukes any notion that spiritual authority justifies dismissiveness toward family.

Three-point outline

1. Humility marks great leaders. Moses, whom God spoke to face-to-face, does not stay seated; he goes out to meet Jethro, bows, and kisses him.
2. Family honour honours God. Moses treats his father-in-law not as a subordinate but as a guest worthy of highest respect, even though he is the prophet of the Exodus.
3. Greetings can be acts of worship. The language of peace, shalom, is a word charged with covenant significance; the exchange points beyond courtesy to the peace God gives.

Five-point outline

1. Going out: Initiative in honour, Moses does not wait for Jethro to find him.
2. Bowing: Acknowledging the other’s worth, not asserting one’s own status.
3. Kissing: Warmth, not mere formality, the embrace of family.
4. Asking of welfare: Genuine interest in another’s whole life, not just surface politeness.
5. Coming into the tent: Hospitality extended; a space for listening and sharing.

Illustration hooks

• A parent or elder visits you at work. Do you stay at your desk, or do you walk out to meet them in the lobby? The distance you travel is a measure of the honour you give.
• A newly promoted manager invites her former supervisor (now a subordinate) to coffee and asks “How are you really doing?”, that moment of genuine inquiry echoes this verse.
• A church leader who pauses a board meeting to welcome a visitor personally embodies Moses’ example without a word being said.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “If Moses can bow to his father-in-law, why do I feel awkward about showing deference to older family members?”
• “I am busy with ‘God’s work.’ Does honouring family really matter that much?”
• “How do I greet someone when I don’t feel close to them, can the form still convey genuine respect?”

This scene takes place at a pivotal moment: the exodus is complete, the people are encamped at Sinai, and Moses’ family is restored to him. The greeting is not a throwaway detail; the narrator draws our attention to every movement. Why? Because the way we meet one another reveals what we believe about God, about others, and about ourselves.

Discussion questions

1. What strikes you most in this verse: the bowing, the kissing, the asking of welfare, or the going into the tent? Why?
2. How does Moses’ position as leader of Israel make his act of bowing significant? Does it change how you think of leadership?
3. The Hebrew for “asked each other of their welfare” literally says they asked “each man of his neighbour concerning shalom.” In our culture, what would a genuine “shalom greeting” look like?
4. Jethro is Moses’ father-in-law, a relationship that may come with tension in some families. How does this text speak to the honour we owe in-laws and elders even when our roles have changed?
5. Compare this greeting with Genesis 18:2 (Abraham bowing to the three visitors) and Genesis 33:3 (Jacob bowing to Esau). What common threads do you see about honour and humility in Scripture?
6. Moses “went out to meet” Jethro. What does initiative in honouring others cost us, and what does it say about our confidence in God?
7. How can your small group or family practice a more intentional, “Moses-style” welcome next time someone visits your home or church?