Literary Devices – Shemot 18/0

Literary Devices – Shemot 18

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Structure of Chapter 18

Chapter 18 splits into two main scenes – The Reunion (18:1-12) and Yitro's Advice (18:13-27). For more on the structural units of the chapter and their relationship, see Structure.

Parallels & Contrasts – 18:1-12

The Reunion Scene of Chapter 18 (18:1-12) divides into two subscenes – Yitro's arrival in 18:1-7 and his conversation with Moshe in 18:8-12.¹ An examination of the parallels and contrasts between the two subscenes highlights several points:

Additionally, within the first subscene (18:1-7) there is a threefold repetition of Yitro's coming and taking of wife and children. See Who Accompanied Yitro for a comparison table of these verses and an analysis of their variations.

Two Accounts

Taking and Coming

Location

Parallels & Contrasts – 18:13-27

Problem and Solution (Subscenes A + B)

Solution and Implementation (Subscenes B + C)

Keywords

הציל

The word הציל (deliver/save) appears five times in various forms² in the Reunion Scene (18:1-12). In 18:4 it describes the saving of Moshe on a personal level, while in 18:8-9 it is used to refer to the deliverance of the entire nation. As noted by RashbamShemot 18:1About Rashbam, Yitro's blessing in 18:10 then combines the two, reflecting his joy over the salvation of both Moshe and the nation – see Two Accounts.³

שפט

The verb שפט (judge) appears twice in each subscene of the second half of the chapter (18:13-27). In subscene A, Moshe is the subject of the verbs as he judges alone,⁴ while in subscenes B and C, the appointees are the subject of the verbs, highlighting the transfer of the judicial burden.

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה

Variations of the phrase הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה (the thing that you are doing) repeat several times in verses 14, 17 and 23, revealing how Yitro's critique was carefully considered. He first observed a problem ("saw all that he did"), he continued by probing to get to the heart of the matter ("What is this thing that you are doing"), then he evaluated the situtation ("The thing that you are doing is not good"), and finally he offered a solution ("If you will do this thing…").

God's role

Yitro's advice (18:19-23) is framed by two parallel phrases "and may God be with you" (וִיהִי אֱ-לֹהִים עִמָּךְ) in 18:19 and "and God command you so" (וְצִוְּךָ אֱ-לֹהִים) in 18:23, creating an inclusio and indicating Yitro's sensitivity to the need for his advice to be sanctioned by God.⁵

Character Titles

Chapter 18 refers to each of God, Yitro, and the Children of Israel by various names. In some instances, these variations reflect a fundamental difference of meaning, while in others they serve a literary function. See here for a general discussion of Character Titles in Tanakh.

God

• The names used – Chapter 18 uses two different names to refer to God, depending on the speaker and the role of God being described:
  • אֱ-לֹהִים (Elohim) – 18:1a,⁶ 12a, 12b,⁷ 15, 16, 19a, 19b, 19c,⁸ 21,⁹ 23.¹⁰ This is the generic name for God used universally.
  • '‎ה (Hashem, the tetragrammaton) – 18:1b, 8a, 8b, 9, 10, 11.¹¹ This is the name of God used when describing Him as the God of Israel, or when focusing on his relationship with the Children of Israel.¹²
• Accounting for the variations verse by verse:¹³
  • 18:1a-18:1b – In 18:1a, Elohim, the generic name for God is used since Yitro is hearing an account, presumably, from a Gentile.¹⁴ 18:1b, however, adds that what prompted this report was Hashem's taking Israel out of Egypt.¹⁵ This parenthetical explanation is given using the Torah's own narrative voice, and thus 18:1b switches to use the proper name of Hashem.¹⁶
  • 18:8-11 – In contrast to the original report in 18:1a which spoke of the deeds of a generic God, in 18:8-11 Moshe and Yitro discuss the events which displayed Hashem's supremacy over all gods and His special relationship with the Children of Israel. Thus, in these verses, both Moshe and Yitro use the special Israelite name of Hashem.¹⁷
  • 18:12 – In 18:12, the topic is no longer Hashem's special bond with Israel, but rather Yitro's personal offering of sacrifices, and thus the name Elohim reappears. Also, see Yitro's Sacrifices for the approach that Yitro never converted or became fully monotheistic, despite his recognition of Hashem's preeminence.¹⁸ Also see there for R. D"Z Hoffmann's suggestion that the sacrifices were part of a diplomatic (and not a religious) ceremony.
  • 18:15-21 – These verses continue to use the generic name Elohim,¹⁹ as they do not discuss God's connection to the Children of Israel or actions on their behalf.²⁰ U. CassutoShemot 18:13About Prof. U. Cassuto adds that the generic name of Elohim is the one generally used in conversations with Gentiles.

Israel

• The names used – In Chapter 18, the Israelite nation is called by two different names:
  • יִשְׂרָאֵל (Israel) – 18:1(2x), 8, 9, 12, 25a.
  • הָעָם (the people) – 18:10, 13(2x), 14(3x), 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25b, 26.²¹
• Accounting for the variations verse by verse – This task is a considerable challenge, as any approach must be consistent with the use of these terms in the rest of the Torah as well. If you have a working hypothesis, please email us at: resources@alhatorah.org. In the absence of a complete theory, here are some basic patterns which can be discerned:
  • 18:1 – This verse opens a new unit, and thus the proper noun Israel is used as it is more formal and clearer as to its designee.
  • 18:8-9 – Generally, when the text contrasts two nations, the name Israel is used to prevent ambiguity.
  • 18:10 – In our chapter, the formal name Israel is utilized only by the narrative voice, while the characters in direct dialogue use only "the people" and not the proper name.²² This is not surprising as Moshe and Yitro are standing in the midst of the nation, and are not viewing it as an external body. For this reason, throughout Torah, Moshe almost always refers to the nation as "the people" or "the congregation."²³ Alternatively, according to Rashbam, "the people" may be in contrast to Moshe, as "the people" and Moshe together make up all of Israel.
  • 18:12 – The Torah almost always refers to the "Elders" by their formal name "Elders of Israel."²⁴
  • 18:13-14a – Moshe is judging the masses of "the people."
  • 18:14b-23 – In direct dialogue "the people" is almost always used, as noted above.
  • 18:25a – The formal name Israel is used at the beginning of the text's description of the implementation of Yitro's advice.
  • 18:25b-26 – The rulers/judges are chosen to lead and judge the masses, and thus "the people" is used.

Yitro

• The names used – Chapter 18 refers to Yitro in four different ways.²⁵ These reflect the various capacities in which he functions:²⁶
  • יִתְרוֹ (Yitro) without designating his relationship to Moshe – 18:9, 10. The Torah employs just Yitro's name²⁷ when describing an action of Yitro which is unconnected to Moshe or his family.
  • חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, חֹתְנוֹ (Moshe's father-in-law) without his proper name – 18:7, 8, 12b, 14,²⁸ 15, 17, 24, 27. This is how the Torah refers to Yitro when describing his interactions with Moshe.²⁹
  • יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה (Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law) – 18:2, 5, 6, 12a. This combination description³⁰ is used when Yitro is functioning in the role of Moshe's father-in-law, but is not interacting exclusively with or engaged in direct dialogue with Moshe himself.³¹
  • יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה (Yitro, kohen of Midyan, Moshe's father-in-law) – 18:1. This is the fullest version, giving Yitro's name, his occupation, and his relationship to his co-protagonist, Moshe. It appears only at the beginning of the story when Yitro is first mentioned.
• Accounting for the variations verse by verse:
  • 18:1 – At the outset of the story, the Torah formally introduces Yitro with its fullest description. This is consistent with Tanakh's introduction of many other characters – see Character Titles.³²
  • 18:2-6 – In this section, Yitro acts in his capacity as Moshe's father-in-law, but is relating to other members of his family and not engaging Moshe directly.³³ They therefore refer to Yitro by both his name and his relationship to Moshe.
  • 18:7-8 – The title choteno suffices in these verses, as Moshe and Yitro are engaged in direct dialogue.³⁴
  • 18:9-10 – Yitro and his recognition of Hashem's miracles on behalf of the nation is the exclusive focus of these verses, and neither Moshe nor his family members are mentioned.³⁵ Thus, Yitro is referred to by name only, with no mention of his relationship to Moshe.³⁶
  • 18:12a-b – Yitro offers sacrifices and dines with Moshe's brother, Aharon, and the elders of Israel. While Yitro interacts with them in the role of Moshe's father-in-law, Moshe is in the background and not mentioned explicitly in the verse – see Where Was Moshe. Thus, 18:12a calls Yitro by his proper name as well as referring to him as choten Moshe, while 18:12b uses just choten Moshe as it is an abridgement of the earlier mention in the verse.³⁷
  • 18:14-27 – In the second half of the chapter, Moshe and Yitro are interacting face to face, and thus Yitro is referred to merely as Moshe's father-in-law. In 18:14 and 17, Yitro is the active participant mentioned first in the verse and thus choten Moshe is used. In contrast, in 18:15,24,27 Moshe is the active party mentioned prior to Yitro, and the shorter choteno suffices.

¹ For elaboration, see Structure.

² It appears in 1st person singular, 2nd person plural, and 3rd person singular and plural. See U. CassutoShemot 18:10About Prof. U. Cassuto who notes that it is repeated for emphasis.

³ According to Rashbam, the הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם in the first half of verse 10 refers to Moshe and Aharon, while the הִצִּיל אֶת הָעָם in the second half relates to the nation. Alternatively, the הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם in the first half of the verse refers already to both Moshe and the people, with "out of the hand of the Egyptians" referring to the salvation of the nation (as in 18:9 and the second half of 18:10), and "out of the hand of Paroh" speaking of the saving of Moshe from the personal clutches of Paroh (as in 18:4).

⁴ This is emphasized by the repetition of לְבַדֶּךָ in 18:4,18.

⁵ This is in accordance with the interpretation of Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Yitro Amalek 2 and Rashi 18:19,23. In contrast, see Did Moshe Need Yitro's Advice for the Akeidat Yitzchak's alternative explanation that Yitro is stipulating that God needs to give a code of civil law before the judges can function. See also Abarbanel who offers a third possibility that Yitro is merely saying that if Moshe appoints judges he will then have time to speak to God. Abarbanel notes that there would have been no need for Yitro to stipulate that Moshe should consult with God (as per the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael and Rashi), as this would have been obvious. [Support for Abarbanel's reading may be brought from the internal order of both verses. In each, Yitro mentions that Moshe should dialogue with God only after telling Moshe to implement the advice.]

⁶ The LXX reads Hashem in 18:1a.

⁷ Commentators disagree regarding the meaning of Elohim in 18:12b – see Yitro's Sacrifices.

⁸ In 18:15,19, some exegetes claim that the word Elohim refers to judges – see Elohim.

⁹ One fragment from Qumran (4Q11PaleoGen-Exodl Frg. 20) reads Hashem in 18:21.

¹⁰ In addition, Elohim appears as part of the phrase "God's mountain" (18:5).

¹¹ The LXX reads Hashem also in 18:1a, and one fragment from Qumran (4Q11PaleoGen-Exodl Frg. 20) has Hashem also in 18:21.

¹² Both MalbimShemot 18:1,8About Malbim and U. CassutoShemot 18:1,8About Prof. U. Cassuto apply this approach in Chapter 18.

¹³ See Names of God for approaches to understanding the Torah's usages of God's names in general. Also, see Keli Yekar 18:1 who attempts (with considerable difficulty) to apply to our chapter the general notion that the name Elohim represents the attribute of judgment, while the name of Hashem symbolizes the attribute of mercy.

¹⁴ The LXX, which employs the name of Hashem in both parts of verse 1, may be reflecting an attempted harmonization. See Textual Variants.

¹⁵ In his translation of the Septuagint, Charles Thomson goes even further in offering the intriguing possibility which completely separates 18:1b from the first part of 18:1, attaching it instead to 18:2-4. According to his reading, at the time that Hashem was working to take the Israelites out of Egypt, Yitro took Zipporah and her two sons home to Midyan, and 18:1b is the backdrop for the flashback in 18:2-4. His interpretation is very similar to that of R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 18:2Analysis of ApproachAbout R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, and has the advantage of eliminating the wordiness in 18:1 as well as the apparent redundancy in 18:2-4,5 – see Who Accompanied Yitro. Thomson himself, though, is not concerned with the change in the name of God in verse 1, as the LXX reads Hashem in both parts of the verse.

¹⁶ According to this interpretation, neither part of verse 1 reflects Yitro's own theological understandings, and all options are left open regarding Yitro's religious identity. In contrast, RambanShemot 18:1About Ramban and MalbimShemot 18:1About Malbim suggest that both parts of 18:1 reflect Yitro's thoughts from two different stages of his religious evolution.

¹⁷ Cf. U. Cassuto Shemot 18:1,8Shemot 18:1,8About Prof. U. Cassuto. Cassuto, however, assumes (like Ramban and Malbim in the note above) that Yitro had already heard about Hashem in the report described in verse 1. For more on the relationship between 18:1 and 18:8, see Two Accounts.

¹⁸ Commentators who think that Yitro converted (see Yitro's Religious Identity) struggle with why 18:12 reverts to the name Elohim.

¹⁹ According to a minority of commentators, some of these verses refer not to God but rather to judges. For elaboration, see Chukkei HaElokim – Statutes Before Sinai? and Moshe's Duties.

²⁰ This is true regardless of whether Yitro converted.

²¹ Israel appears six times and "the people" is used another fourteen times for a total of 20. U. CassutoEnd of Shemot 18About Prof. U. Cassuto attaches literary significance to the appearance of keywords either ten or twenty times in the chapters before the Decalogue. The examples he brings are the ten occurrences of דבר‎ (18:11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 22(2x), 23, 26(2x)), ten instances of each of the verbs עשה‎ (18:1, 8, 9, 14(2x), 17, 18, 20, 23, 24) and בוא‎ (18:5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23, 26), and the total of twenty times which Yitro and choten Moshe appear (in five of these cases they appear together; see below for the itemization). One can add to his list the twenty appearances of terms describing the nation (יִשְׂרָאֵל and הָעָם)‎ noted above and the twenty times that Moshe's name appears in the chapter (18:1(2x), 2 (2x), 5(2x), 6, 7, 8, 12(2x), 13(2x), 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27). However, whether or not any of this is statistically significant requires more systematic study.

²² In this case, the parallel language between 18:9 and 18:10 highlights the difference between the name Israel used by the narrator and "the people" used by Yitro.

²³ Vis a vis Moshe, the Israelites are his people of which he is part.

²⁴ "Elders of the people" appears only in Shemot 19:7 and Bemidbar 11:16,24, and in Bemidbar 11:16 it is immediately preceded by the formal name.

²⁵ Aside from Shemot 18, Yitro appears only in Shemot 3:1 and 4:18. See below regarding the titles used in these verses.

²⁶ This analysis provides a purely literary explanation for the various permutations. An alternative presented by the Melekhet MachshevetShemot 18:1About Melekhet Machshevet tries to account for the variations by suggesting that they reflect Yitro's state of constant religious flux throughout the chapter. His assumption is that the name Yitro is connected to Yitro's status as an idolater, and that the story reflects Yitro's ups and downs on his way to monotheism. This position faces significant hurdles in its attempt to explain 18:9,10. Cf. the similar (but more limited in scope) approaches of Ramban and Meshekh Chokhmah cited below.

²⁷ Most exegetes assume that Yitro is a proper name. However, see Nahum Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus (Philadelphia, 1991): 10-11, who suggests based on Bereshit 49:3 and Akkadian and Ugaritic cognates that Yeter/Yitro may be an honorific meaning "his Excellency" and not a proper name.

²⁸ The LXX reads Yitro in this verse, perhaps because it comes near the opening of the second scene.

²⁹ See below that choten Moshe is used when Yitro is the active party and is mentioned before Moshe, and choteno is used when Moshe precedes Yitro in the verse.

³⁰ Yitro choten Moshe is essentially the sum of both the Yitro and choten Moshe components.

³¹ According to this, in Shemot 4:18a-b, when Moshe asks Yitro for permission to return to Egypt, one might have expected the verse to use just choteno rather than Yeter choteno or Yitro. A possible explanation is that in Shemot 3-4 (as opposed to Shemot 18), Yitro is in the dominant position vis a vis Moshe, and thus Yitro is called by his proper name even when interacting with Moshe.

³² U. CassutoShemot 18:1About Prof. U. Cassuto notes that Yitro was similarly introduced already in Shemot 3:1, but the Torah reintroduces this information here because of its relevance to our story and the extended intervening break.

³³ Accordingly, Moshe and Yitro meet first in 18:7, and 18:6 means that Yitro relayed word of his impending arrival via messenger. However, see Yitro's Message that some exegetes maintain that 18:6 describes a face to face encounter. These commentators could explain that Yitro choten Moshe is used whenever Yitro is with both Moshe and other people, while choten Moshe is used when Yitro is interacting exclusively with Moshe.

³⁴ Since Moshe is the active party and is already mentioned before Yitro in these verses, Yitro is referred to as choteno rather than the fuller choten Moshe.

³⁵ See however RashbamShemot 18:10About Rashbam who interprets the "you" in the first half of 18:10 to refer to Moshe and Aharon.

³⁶ It should be noted that this explanation is not dependent on whether Yitro's actions in these verses reflect any theological transformation. Compare to both the Melekhet Machshevet in the note above and to R. Elhanan Samet.

³⁷ An interesting alternative for the switch in the midst of 18:12 from Yitro choten Moshe to merely choten Moshe is offered by the Ba'alei HaTosafotTosafot HaShalem Shemot 18:27:3About Ba'alei HaTosafot and independently by the Meshekh ChokhmahShemot 18:12About Meshekh Chokhmah. They suggest that the name Yitro was connected to Yitro's idolatry (see above for the Melekhet Machshevet's attempt at a broader application of this approach), and that since Yitro converted in 18:12 (see Yitro's Religious Identity) the name is never used again. The roots of this approach may be found in RambanShemot 2:16About Ramban who similarly suggests that after Yitro's conversion he is referred to as Chovav (see Who is Yitro), as the custom of converts is to take on a new name. Cf. the opposite attempt of R. Elhanan Samet who tries to suggest that the name Yitro in 18:12 is a sign of Yitro's new exalted religious status.