Father-in-Law of Moses

WHO WAS THE FATHER-IN-LAW OF MOSES?

In Exodus 2:18, the father (Hebrew = av) of Moses' wife, Zipporah, is called Reuel. However, in Exodus 3:1, the family patriarch is identified as Jethro, the "father-in-law (Hebrew = htn, hoten with vowels) of Moses. Yet another man, Hobab son of Ruel the Midianite, is identified as Moses' "father-in-law/htn (hoten) in Numbers 10:29.

Most Bible commentators conclude that Jethro and Reuel are the same man. However, why the Biblical text would call Moses' hoten Reuel in Exodus 2, Jethro in Exodus 3, and Hobab in Numbers 10 is either left unexplained or as a suggested inaccuracy in the text. The popular theory since the 19^th, when German Protestant Biblical scholars proposed the Documentary Hypothesis Theory, is that Hobab is the father of Zipporah in the "J" (Jahwist/Yahweh) source; Jethro, in the "E" (Elohist) source, and in Numbers 10:29, Reuel is explained as a "misreading."¹

Solving the problem revolves around the accurate meaning of the Hebrew word hoten. The question is: "Did ancient Hebrew even have a word that equated to the English term "father-in-law"? Most Western Biblical translators tend to assume that the structure of ancient society and family relationships were the same as their contemporary relationships: husband, wife, aunt, uncle, cousin, father-in-law, mother-in-law, etc.). However, those familiar with non-Western languages recognize that other nationalities often use different relationship terms (Arabic, for example).

Although htn/hoten is translated as "father-in-law" in most English Bible translations, a careful study of the usage of the Hebrew word suggests that it refers to relationships outside a family blood relationship created through marriage to a woman's male family members. In his studies, Terrence C. Mitchell, a former director of Western Asiatic antiquities at the British Museum, concluded in his research on the subject: "Indeed, I would here suggest that htn in the Old Testament, instead of carrying only particular meanings such as father-in-law,' or son-in-law,' which vary according to context, has some such general meaning as relation-by-marriage,' which it bears in every context in relation to a male ego."²

Biblical scholar Ernst Kutsch agrees, noting that the root htn refers to relationships of affinity rather than blood relationships. He wrote: "This relationship is brought into being by marriage between one spouse (or by extension the spouse's family) and the blood relatives (cognates) of the other spouse."³ Scholar Robert O'Connell agreed, noting that the form hoten refers to the husband's male relative by marriage (i.e., "father-in-law" or "brother-in-law").⁴

If htn/hoten is translated as "in-law," the problem with Reuel and Jethro is resolved. Reuel is clearly identified as Zipporah's father (Exodus 2:16-21); therefore, he is Moses' actual father-in-law. Then, the reference to Jethro as hoten in Exodus 3:1 simply means that he belongs to the same Midianite family. Since the passage notes that he is a priest and the flock belongs to him, the implication is that Jethro has become the new family patriarch, having inherited the position as the eldest son of Reuel. Therefore, Jethro would be Moses' brother-in-law. Hobab, another hoten of Moses, is also identified as the son of Reuel (Numbers 10:29) and is probably a younger brother-in-law. However, Jethro could also be a cousin, uncle, or nephew. The term "hoten of Moses" refers to Jethro 16 times. The term stresses not who Jethro is but who Moses is and his relationship with his wife's band of Midianites. They are his kinfolk by marriage, and he has a formal alliance with them.

Another aspect of Moses' relationship with his male relatives by marriage is revealed in Exodus when he encounters Yahweh for the first time while tending Jethro's sheep. Yahweh reveals Himself to Moses in the "burning bush" and commands Moses to return to Egypt to deliver Yahweh's people from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 3:2-10). Moses agrees to accept the mission, but first, he asks Jethro, his hoten, for permission (Exodus 4:18). Because of the binding relationship with his wife's family and their chieftain, Moses acknowledges the necessity of obtaining Jethro's permission to undertake the mission.

Endnotes:
1. According to the Documentary Hypothesis Theory, the Pentateuch (the five books Moses wrote) consists of at least four different textual strands woven together over time to make one continuous narrative. The various sources are "J," the Yahwist (German Jahwist) source, designated after the personal name of God (YHWH or Yahweh with vowels); "E," or the Elohist source, which uses the general term for "God" plural; "P," the Priestly Code, which makes up most of the Book of Leviticus; and "D," which stands for Deuteronomy and is found in the Book of Deuteronomy. While many Protestant scholars still use this approach, its popularity has waned and was never embraced by the Catholic Church.

2. Terence C. Mitchell, "The Meaning of the Noun HTN in the Old Testament," Vetus Testamentum 19, 1969, page 105.

3. Htm in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, editor G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren, translator J. T. Willis, G. W. Bromiley and D. E. Green, Grand Rapids, MI; Eerdmans, 1974, vol. 5, page 270.

4. O'Connell, HTM in The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, Editor W.A. VanGermeren, Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan, 1997, vol, 2, page 325.