Wednesday 11 January 2017

Was Moses' Father-in-law his Grandfather-in-Law?



When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" ( Exodus 2:18)



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."
(Numbers 10:29)

(From the above passages we take it his father-in-laws name was Reuel? Maybe not łets read more passages..)

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Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  (Exodus 3:1)


Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." (Exodus 4:18)


(Wait a sec wasn't moses' father-in-laws name Reuel? Unless he has two names?? Well let's one more passage to get a better understanding of this mans name..)

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Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. (Judges 4:11)


Where did Hobab come from??? Is Hobab the son of Reuel ?


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What do schołars say about all this?? 


There seems to be some confusion in the traditions preserving—or creating as the case may be—the name of Moses’ father-in-law, Zipporah’s father.
The textual tradition identified as the Yahwist consistently refers to him as Reuel (Ex 2:18; Num 10:29), while the Elohist tradition uses the name Jethro (Ex 3:1, 3:18, 18:1-27).
To further complicate issues, another source names Hobab as the father-in-law of Moses (Judg 4:11), and Num 10:29 refers to Hobab as Reuel’s son, implying therefore that Reuel was Moses’ grandfather-in-law


In short Reuel could not have been moses' father-in-law according to judges 4:11.. The NIV goes a step further trying to fix the problem making Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses, with conflicts even more with judges!!!

So was Reuel Moses' father in law or grand father in law? And was Hobab the father in law of moses or brother in law of Moses?? You choose....

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