Exodus 18:17
And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Original Language Analysis
חֹתֵ֥ן
father in law
H2859
חֹתֵ֥ן
father in law
Strong's:
H2859
Word #:
2 of 10
to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
לֹא
H3808
לֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
5 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
טוֹב֙
is not good
H2896
טוֹב֙
is not good
Strong's:
H2896
Word #:
6 of 10
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good
הַדָּבָ֔ר
unto him The thing
H1697
הַדָּבָ֔ר
unto him The thing
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
7 of 10
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
Historical Context
Jethro's organizational wisdom likely derived from governing Midianite tribes. His outside perspective identified structural problems Moses' immersion in daily ministry obscured.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jethro's honesty ('not good') model that true counsel speaks truth, not merely encouragement?
- What does the warning of 'wearing away' teach about sustainability in ministry?
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Analysis & Commentary
And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good—Jethro's blunt assessment 'not good' (לֹא־טוֹב, lo-tov) uses the same phrase God used at creation: 'not good that man should be alone' (Gen 2:18). Both situations require help. Jethro's directness shows that true counsel speaks honestly, not merely affirmingly. His reasoning 'Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee' predicts burnout—the Hebrew נָבֹל תִּבֹּל (navol tibol, literally 'fading you will fade') intensifies the warning. The phrase 'for this thing is too heavy for thee' (כִּי־כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר, ki-khaved mimm'kha hadavar) echoes Moses' earlier complaint to God (Num 11:14). Jethro diagnoses organizational problem Moses hasn't recognized.