Exodus Confusion

[PeteZaHut]

Exodus chapter 2 says:
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. As he was seated there by a well,
16
seven daughters of a priest of Midian came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17
But some shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses got up and defended them and watered their flock.
18
4 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, “How is it you have returned so soon today?”
19
5 They answered, “An Egyptian saved us from the interference of the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock!”
20
“Where is the man?” he asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him there? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21
Moses agreed to live with him, and the man gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.

Then in chapter 3, it says:
Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.

I thought Moses’ father-in-law was Reuel.

 

[garysibio]

Exodus chapter 2 says:
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. As he was seated there by a well,
16
seven daughters of a priest of Midian came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17
But some shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses got up and defended them and watered their flock.
18
4 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, “How is it you have returned so soon today?”
19
5 They answered, “An Egyptian saved us from the interference of the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock!”
20
“Where is the man?” he asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him there? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21
Moses agreed to live with him, and the man gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.

Then in chapter 3, it says:
Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.

I thought Moses’ father-in-law was Reuel.

The footnote in The New Catholic Answer Bible says that he went by both names.

I’m just speculating but maybe Ruell and Jethro mean the same thing in different languages.

Gary

 

[FPerito]

Exodus chapter 2 says:
But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. As he was seated there by a well,
16
seven daughters of a priest of Midian came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17
But some shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses got up and defended them and watered their flock.
18
4 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, “How is it you have returned so soon today?”
19
5 They answered, “An Egyptian saved us from the interference of the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock!”
20
“Where is the man?” he asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him there? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21
Moses agreed to live with him, and the man gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.

Then in chapter 3, it says:
Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian.

I thought Moses’ father-in-law was Reuel.

according to this website:

The different names of Jethro puzzled the Talmudists: some thought that his real name was “Hobab,” and that Reuel was his father (see Hobab); others thought that his name was “Reuel,” interpreting it “the friend of God” (see Jethro—Biblical Data, and comp. the view of some modern scholars, who hold that his name was “Reuel,” and that “Jethro” was a title, “his Excellency”). According to Simeon b. Yoḥai, he had two names, “Hobab” and “Jethro” (Sifre, Num. 78). It is, however, generallyaccepted that he had seven names: “Reuel,” “Jether,” “Jethro,” “Hobab,” “Heber,” “Keni” (comp. Judges i. 16, iv. 11), and “Putiel”; Eleazar’s father-in-law (Ex. vi. 25) being identified with Jethro by interpreting his name either as “he who abandoned idolatry” or as “who fattened calves for the sake of sacrifices to the idol” (Ex. R. xxvii. 7; Mek., Yitro, 'Amaleḳ, 1; Tan., Shemot, 11; comp. Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Ex. vi. 25 and Soṭah 44a).