Exodus 4:18

“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, etc.] With his flock of sheep he kept, (<020301>Exodus 3:1): and said unto him, let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren which are in Egypt; the Israelites, who were so by nation and religion; as Jethro had been kind and beneficent to him, he did not choose to leave him without his knowledge and consent, and especially to take away his wife and children without it: and see whether they be yet alive; it seems by this that Moses had heard nothing of them during the forty years he lived in Midian, which may be thought strange, since it was not very far from Egypt; and besides the Midianites traded in Egypt, as we learn from…”

“Moses . . . returned to Jethro--Being in his service, it was right to obtain his consent, but Moses evinced piety, humility, and prudence, in not divulging the special object of his journey.”

“4:18 Moses was now eighty years old (see 7:7), but he was still formally subject to his father-in-law.”

“Jethro: Heb. Jether, Exo 3:1 Let me go: Ti1 6:1 and see: Gen 45:3; Act 15:36 Go in peace: Sa1 1:17; Luk 7:50; Act 16:36; In the LXX and Coptic, the following addition is made to this verse: Μετα δε τας ημερας τας πολλας εκεινας ετελευτησεν ο βασιλευς Αιγυπτου, "After these many days, the king of Egypt died." This was probably an ancient side-note, which crept into the text, as it appeared to throw light on the next verse. Exodus 4:19”