The Masoretic Text Reading

Exodus 18:6 in the Masoretic Text (MT) reads as follows:

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲנִ֛י חֹתֶנְךָ֥ יִתְר֖וֹ בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּשְׁנֵֽי־בָנֶ֖יהָ עִמָּֽהּ׃

“And he said to Moses, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons with her.’”

This is the clear Hebrew reading preserved in the Masoretic tradition. The speaker is explicitly identified as Jethro himself, who informs Moses through a message or word that he is approaching together with Moses’ wife Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (cf. Exodus 18:2–4).

The subject of the verb וַיֹּאמֶר (“and he said”) is grammatically straightforward within the MT context, since verse 5 already states that Jethro came to Moses “with his sons and his wife.” Verse 6 naturally follows as the words of Jethro himself, directed toward Moses. The MT therefore preserves a coherent narrative flow.

The Variant Reading of the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Syriac Peshitta

The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), Septuagint (LXX), and Syriac Peshitta (SYR) diverge from the MT at this point. Instead of Jethro speaking directly, they read:

“Then it was said to Moses, ‘Behold, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you…’”

This rephrasing shifts the speaker from Jethro to an unnamed messenger, introducing the exclamation הִנֵּה (“behold”) into the narrative. The LXX employs the phrase καὶ εἴρηται πρὸς Μωυσῆν· Ἰδοὺ, indicating a passive construction: “And it was said to Moses, ‘Behold…’”

This alteration seems designed to remove a perceived difficulty in the text. Verse 7 reports that Moses himself goes out to meet Jethro. Some copyists or translators may have thought it unusual that Jethro would first send a message identifying himself before Moses personally greeted him. By making an anonymous messenger announce Jethro’s arrival, the LXX and its allied witnesses smoothed the narrative sequence.

The Vulgate Witness

The Latin Vulgate (VG) follows the MT more closely but includes a clarifying addition. It reads: qui nuntiauit Mosi: ego Iethro socer tuus venio ad te… (“and he sent word to Moses, saying: ‘I, Jethro your father-in-law, am coming to you…’”). Jerome retains Jethro as the subject but explicitly states that he “sent word” rather than directly spoke. This suggests a mediating approach: Jethro did not walk up and say this personally but dispatched a message ahead of him, consistent with the MT wording but harmonized with ancient narrative practice.

Evaluating the Readings

The key issue is whether Exodus 18:6 should be understood as Jethro himself speaking directly, or as a message sent to Moses through an intermediary. The MT unambiguously reads “and he said,” with Jethro as the subject. The LXX, SP, and SYR replace this with a passive construction, removing Jethro as the speaker and introducing “behold.”

From a textual-critical perspective, the MT must be given priority. Its direct and unembellished reading is the more difficult one, which is usually preferred in textual criticism. The MT preserves a first-person speech that may initially seem redundant, since Moses goes out immediately in verse 7 to meet Jethro. However, such redundancy is not uncommon in Hebrew narrative. Ancient Hebrew writers often reported actions and speeches with some overlap or repetition for emphasis and transition.

By contrast, the LXX and related versions clearly reflect a harmonizing tendency. They perceived a problem and attempted to resolve it by inserting a messenger or by shifting the statement into an impersonal report. This demonstrates secondary development, not originality. The Vulgate’s clarification also confirms that the MT was regarded as the authentic base, though Jerome sought to smooth the presentation.

Internal Considerations

Within the flow of Exodus 18, the MT is internally consistent. Verse 5 describes Jethro’s arrival; verse 6 presents Jethro’s self-introduction via a sent message; verse 7 narrates Moses going out to meet him. There is no genuine contradiction. Verse 6 does not require Jethro to have already been face-to-face with Moses; rather, he announces his presence in the vicinity, prompting Moses to come out.

Moreover, the use of the first-person pronoun אֲנִי (“I”) adds authenticity and immediacy to the report. Jethro asserts his identity directly, underscoring his familial relationship to Moses (“I, your father-in-law Jethro”). This directness would naturally motivate Moses’ immediate response in verse 7.

Conclusion

The Masoretic Text of Exodus 18:6 preserves the original wording: Jethro himself is the speaker, and he announces his arrival to Moses along with Moses’ wife and children. The variants in the LXX, SP, and SYR reflect later attempts to harmonize or simplify the passage for readers uncomfortable with its phrasing. The Vulgate confirms the MT reading but seeks to clarify the narrative mechanics by explicitly stating that Jethro “sent” the message.

The MT is textually superior because it is supported by internal coherence, linguistic directness, and the principle that the harder reading is more likely to be original. There is no need to emend or replace the MT; its rendering is historically and philologically sound.

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