Many teachers of the Bible teach that Moses married a daughter of a Kenite, however we read in Exodus 3:1; Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb." Notice that Jethro is a title, while Midian is the tribe that Moses' father in law was part of.
Then in Exodus 18:1: "When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses..." This is also a second witness to the fact that Moses' Father-in-law was a Midian priest; and for his real name it is given in Exodus 2:18, and Numbers 10:29. Moses' father in law's name was "Reuel", and the fact that he was a priest of Midian, shows he was from the stock of Abraham. For Midian was the son of Abraham, through his wife "Keturah".
So we see that Moses married a daughter of Abraham, by Katurah, and not some Kenite, who are the offspring of Satan, through Cain. "Reuel" lived in the land of the Kenites, and held the title of Jethro. Just because Abraham lived in the land of the "Canaanites" did not make Abraham a Canaanite.
It is important that we understand whether the name is attached from a geographic location, or from their birthright. Anyone who challenges the bloodline of Jesus Christ is ignorant of the Word of God, and is taking liberties that makes him a heretic, placing themself in a dangerous position before the Lord. Mark him well.
Let me point out that this is not the first time in the Bible that a person is known under two names. One that everyone is familiar with is Peter who was called Simon.
Matt 10:2
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; (KJV)
As regarding Moses' Father in Law, we actually only have two different names,
not three. I know how the English reads, but both
Reuel and
Raguel are the same Hebrew word
Re`uw'el, Strong's # 7467. Below we supply every occurrence of #7467 in the Old Testament (they are not all the same people though they have the same name).
Reuel and Raguel:Hebrew word #7467
Re` uw'el (reh-oo-ale'); from the same as 7466 and 410; friend of God; Reuel, the name of Moses' father-in-law, also of an Edomite and an Israelite: KJV-- Raguel, Reuel.
Every occurrence of Hebrew word #7467 (KJV)
Gen 36:4
4 And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel; (KJV)
Gen 36:10
10 These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. (KJV)
Gen 36:13
13 And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. (KJV)
Gen 36:17
17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. (KJV)
Exod 2:18
18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? (KJV)
Num 10:29
29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel. (KJV)
1 Chr 1:35
35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. (KJV)
1 Chr 1:37
37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. (KJV)
1 Chr 9:8
8 And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; (KJV)
So that explains two out of the three. As far as
Jethro, it is just another name that the man was called. Why? Perhaps the answer lies in the name-meanings. We know that in the Hebrew every name has a meaning,
i.e., Lo-Ammi = "not my people,"
i.e., " Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God." (Hosea 1:9). And Moses means "drawn from the water," for he was 'drawn from the water' by Pharaoh's Daughter,
i.e., "And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water." (Exod 2:10).
Further light is shed on the subject by
Smith's Bible Dictionary which gives the meanings of the two (three) names as:
Reuel and Raguel: = Friend of God.
Jethro: = Excellence.
- Dr. Smith handles the situation with a footnote as follows: "Reuel was probably his proper name, and Jethro his official title." — Smith's Bible Dictionary, 1979 edition, pg. 309
- In his commentary on Exodus 18:1, also states that the name Jehtro was a title (His Excellency), and Reuel being Moses' Father in law's proper name. — (another Ministry on TV) Exodus Tapeset.
- E.W. Bullinger, in his Companion Bible, states of Jethro that he is Reuel with no further comment except a reference to Ex 2:18. At Ex 2:18, under the name Reuel, Bullinger notes that the name in Hebrew means "friend of God," and that he is the same man as the Raguel of Num 10:29 and that he was "a true worshipper" (of Jehovah), referencing Ex 18:12 (where Jethro dutifully sacrifices to Jehovah). — Companion Bible, ppg. 75, 98.
That Jethro is his
title name make sense, for the very definition of
Jethro means means "his excellence." May we read it therefore as "his excellency" in title form?
Jethro: Hebrew word #3503
Yithrow (yith-ro');
from # 3499 with pron. suffix;
his excellence; Jethro, Moses' father-in-law: KJV-- Jethro. Compare 3500.
#3499 yether (yeh'-ther); from 3498; properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free): KJV-- + abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy (-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with.
Another example of a title being used as a proper name in Scripture would be with Herod, for there are seven different "Herods" in the New Testament (See
Appendix # 109). It therefore may be said that Herod was somewhat of a family
title. Also, there are many different Pharaohs,
Pharaoh being a title just as
King is a title.
One thing is sure, the Holy Spirit made certain that we would know whom it was that was being spoken of, for in addition to the man's name, several additional identifiers were given in the Scriptures, i.e.,
Exod 2:16-18
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? (KJV)
Exod 3:1
1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. (KJV)
Num 10:29
29 And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel. (KJV)
These notes are taken from a couple of different place so I would be more then happy to show where if anyone cares.