Exodus 2:16

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, etc.] Who being a descendant of Abraham might have retained the knowledge of the true God, and might be a priest of his, as Melchizedek was, or otherwise it may be thought improbable that Moses would have married his daughter, as he afterwards did; and so Aben Ezra says, he was a priest of God; though the word is sometimes used of a prince, ruler, and governor; and is so rendered here by the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; and Artapanus f90, an Heathen writer, expressly calls him arcwn, a “prince” of those places, that is, of Arabia; he might be both prince and priest, as Melchizedek before mentioned was, and as has been the usage of many…”

“the priest of Midian--or, "prince of Midian." As the officers were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people in that early age, he still retained the faith and worship of the true God. seven daughters--were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favorably introduced by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from the rude shepherds of some neighboring tribe at a well. He afterwards formed a close and permanent alliance with this family by marrying one of the daughters, Zipporah, "a little bird," called a Cushite or Ethiopian (Num 12:1), and whom Moses doubtless obtained in the manner of Jacob by…”

“The Priest of Midian - Reuel Exodus 2:18. His name, and the detailed notices in Exodus 18:0, prove that he was a priest of the one true God who was known to the patriarchs especially under the name El. The great bulk of his tribe, certainly those who lived farther north and more closely in contact with the Hamites of Canaan, were already plunged in idolatry. The conduct of the shepherds Exodus 2:17 may indicate that his person and office were lightly regarded by the idolatrous tribes in his immediate neighborhood. return to 'Top of Page'”

“2:16-25 This passage further reveals Moses’ concern for the oppressed and tells of his transition to a new land (2:18-22). He married, had a child, and lived there for forty years (Acts 7:30). From a human perspective, there was no way for the Israelites to be rescued through Moses, but it is the divine perspective that matters. The end of this section (Exod 2:23-25) tells us that God had not forgotten his people; he was only waiting for the time to act (2:25). 2:16 The priest of Midian was named Reuel (2:18), but later he is called Jethro (18:1). It was common for a person to have both an official name and a personal name, though in this case it is not clear which is which. Perhaps, like…”

“the priest: or, prince, Exo 3:1; Gen 14:18, Gen 41:45 \*marg. they came: Gen 24:11, Gen 24:14-20, Gen 29:6-10; Sa1 9:11 Exodus 2:17”

“Here Moses secured for himself a hospitable reception from a priest of Midian, and a home at his house, by doing as Jacob had formerly done ( Gen 29:10), viz., helping his daughters to water their father's sheep, and protecting them against the other shepherds. - On the form יושׁען for יושׁען vid., Gen 19:19; and for the masculine suffixes to יגרשׁוּם and צאנם, Gen 31:9. תּדלנה for תּדלינה, as in Job 5:12, cf. Ewald, 198a. - The flock of this priest consisted of nothing but צאן, i.e., sheep and goats (vid., Exo 3:1). Even now there are no oxen reared upon the peninsula of Sinai, as there is not sufficient pasturage or water to be found. For the same reason there are no horses kept there, but…”