The Meaning of Exodus 18:12 Explained

Exodus 18:12

KJV: And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.

YLT: And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron cometh in, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses, before God.

Darby: And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

ASV: And Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses father-in-law before God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jethro,  Moses'  father in law,  took  a burnt offering  and sacrifices  for God:  and Aaron  came,  and all the elders  of Israel,  to eat  bread  with Moses'  father in law  before  God. 

What does Exodus 18:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 18:1-12 - Moses Tells Jethro Of God's Goodness
The names that Moses gave his two sons betray the drift of his thoughts during the forty years of his shepherd life. May we ever remember that we are strangers here, and our only help is in God. How humble Moses was in attributing to God all the glory of the Exodus! This is the sure cure of pride; and what are we but the axe that lies at the tree-foot, or the dry jaw-bone of an ass! Jethro belonged to another type of the religious life. He was not one of the chosen people, nor did he follow the methods of Jewish worship. But holy souls recognize their kinship the world over, and in loving embrace disregard the minor disagreements. "Grace be with all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 18

1  Jethro brings his wife and two sons to Moses
7  Moses entertains him, and relates the goodness of the Lord
9  Jethro rejoices, blesses God, and offers sacrifice
13  He gives good counsel, which is accepted
27  Jethro departs

What do the individual words in Exodus 18:12 mean?

And took Jethro father-in-law Moses' a burnt offering and [other] sacrifices [to offer] to God and came Aaron and with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' before God
וַיִּקַּ֞ח יִתְר֨וֹ חֹתֵ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֛ה עֹלָ֥ה וּזְבָחִ֖ים לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וַיָּבֹ֨א אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכֹ֣ל ׀ זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֶאֱכָל־ לֶ֛חֶם עִם־ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הָאֱלֹהִֽים

וַיִּקַּ֞ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
יִתְר֨וֹ  Jethro 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִתְרֹו  
Sense: father-in-law of Moses; also ‘Jether’.
חֹתֵ֥ן  father-in-law 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָתַן 
Sense: to become a son-in-law, make oneself a daughter’s husband.
מֹשֶׁ֛ה  Moses' 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
עֹלָ֥ה  a  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
וּזְבָחִ֖ים  and  [other]  sacrifices  [to  offer] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים  to  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיָּבֹ֨א  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אַהֲרֹ֜ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וְכֹ֣ל ׀  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זִקְנֵ֣י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֶאֱכָל־  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֛חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
מֹשֶׁ֖ה  Moses' 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאֱלֹהִֽים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).