Father-in-law of Moses, and a priest of Midian, with whom Moses spent forty years of his life. He brought to Moses his wife and their two sons soon after Israel had left Egypt. He advised Moses to appoint judges for minor cases. He rejoiced and blessed God for the deliverance He had given to His people, and said, "Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them." He also took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with him before God. He thus prefigures the joy of the Gentiles in the Lord's salvation and deliverance witnessed to them in His dealings with Israel. Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 67; Psalm 117 . He departed again to his own land. Exodus 3:1; Exodus 4:18; Exodus 18:1-12 .
He is apparently called REUELin Exodus 2:18; and HOBAB in Numbers 10:29 , where RAGUELis REUELin the Hebrew. This passage says that Raguel, the Midianite, was the father of HOBAB, the father-in-law of Moses (see also Judges 4:11 ), so that in Exodus 2:18 'father' may signify 'grandfather.' Hobab may have been the personal name, and Jethro an official name. In Judges 1:16 Moses' father-in-law is called a Kenite, but the exact signification of this term is not known.