Exodus 18:27

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, ¹  and so Jethro ²  went ³  to his own land. ⁴ 

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

Soon after this, Moses said good–bye to his father–in–law, who returned to his own land.

Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.

And Moses let his father-in-law go away, and he went back to his land.

Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.

Then Moses let his father–in–law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, ¹  and so Jethro ²  went ³  to his own land. ⁴ 

¹ tn The verb וַיְשַׁלַּח (vayshallakh) has the same root and same stem used in the passages calling for Pharaoh to “release” Israel. Here, in a peaceful and righteous relationship, Moses sent Jethro to his home.

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jethro) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn The prepositional phrase included here Gesenius classifies as a pleonastic dativus ethicus to give special emphasis to the significance of the occurrence in question for a particular subject (GKC 381 §119.s).

⁴ sn This chapter makes an excellent message on spiritual leadership of the people of God. Spiritually responsible people are to be selected to help in the work of the ministry (teaching, deciding cases, meeting needs), so that there will be peace, and so that leaders will not be exhausted. Probably capable people are more ready to do that than leaders are ready to relinquish control. But leaders have to be willing to take the risk, to entrust the task to others. Here Moses is the model of humility, receiving correction and counsel from Jethro. And Jethro is the ideal adviser, for he has no intention of remaining there to run the operation.