The meaning of Raguel (2) in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
ra-gu'-el, rag'-u-el (re'u'-el; Septuagint: Rhagouel): The Midianite chothen, i.e. either father-in-law or brother-in-law of Moses (Numbers 10:29 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "Reuel"), the father of Hobab, called a Kenite, who is likewise described as a chothen of Moses (Judges 4:11). See RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY. Moses' wife's father is called re'u'el in Exodus 2:18 where Lucian reads "Iothor" and English Versions of the Bible "Reuel," which transliteration is adopted in the Revised Version (British and American) in Numbers 10:29 also. In other passages the chothen of Moses is called "Jether" or "Jethro." Among the harmonizations suggested the following are worthy of consideration: (a) that all are names or perhaps titles of one man (Rashi); (b) that Reuel was the father of Hobab and Jethro, that Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses, and that the word "father" is used for grandfather in Exodus 2:18; (c) that Reuel was the father-in-law and Jethro and Hobab brothers-in-law; (d) that either Reuel or Hobab is to be identified with Jethro. None of these views is free from difficulty, nor is the view of those who would give Jethro as the name in the Elohist (E) and Reuel as that in the Jahwist (Jahwist) and (J-E).
See also REUEL.
Nathan Isaacs
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