Reuel

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

REUEL . 1 . A son of Esau ( Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10; Genesis 36:13; Genesis 36:17 , 1 Chronicles 1:35; 1 Chronicles 1:37 ). 2 . Exodus 2:18 , Numbers 10:29 (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] in the latter Raguel ). See Hobab and Jethro. 3 . The father of Eliasaph ( Numbers 2:14; called [probably by mistaking r for d ] Deuel in Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42; Numbers 7:47; Numbers 10:20 ). 4 . A Benjamite ( 1 Chronicles 9:8 ).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Re-u'el. (friend of God).

1. One of the sons of Esau, by his wife Bashemath, sister of Ishmael. Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10; Genesis 36:13; Genesis 36:17; 1 Chronicles 1:36-37. (B.C. about 1790).

2. One of the names of Moses' father-in-law. Exodus 2:18. (B.C. 1530).

3. Father of Eliasaph, the leader of the tribe of Gad, at the time of the census at Sinai. Numbers 2:14. (B.C. 1490).

4. A Benjamite, ancestor of Elah. 1 Chronicles 9:8.

Holman Bible Dictionary

Genesis 36:436:1036:1336:171 Chronicles 1:372Exodus 2:18 Numbers 10:29 Exodus 2:16Exodus 3:1Judges 1:16Judges 4:11Numbers 2:1441 Chronicles 9:8

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Esau by his wife Bashemath. Genesis 36:4,10,13,17; 1 Chronicles 1:35,37 .

2. Priest of Midian and father or grandfather of Zipporah, Moses' wife. Exodus 2:18 . Called RAGUEL in Numbers 10:29 . See JETHRO.

3. Father of Eliasaph, the captain or prince of Gad. Numbers 2:14 . Called DEUEL in Numbers 1:14 , etc.

4. Son of Ibnijah, a Benjamite. 1 Chronicles 9:8 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See RAGUEL.)

1. Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10; Genesis 36:13; Genesis 36:17.

2. The father-in-law of Moses, Zipporah's father (Exodus 2:18). (See HOBAB.)

3. Numbers 2:14. DEUEL in Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42.

4. 1 Chronicles 9:8.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Numbers 2:14 , called also Deuel (1:14; 7:42).

Copyright StatementThese dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. Entry for 'Reuel'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/r/reuel.html. 1897.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Son of Esau, (Genesis 36:4) The name is from Reuah, friend—and El, God.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Reiel', רְעוּאֵל , friend of God; Sept. ῾Ραγουήλ; A.V. Raguel [Numbers 10:29]), the name of three or four men.

1. A son of Esau by Bashemath (Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10; 1 Chronicles 1:35; 1 Chronicles 1:37); his four sons (Genesis 36:13) were princes, i.e. chiefs of the Edomites (Genesis 36:17). B.C. post 1963. (See Esau).

2. A Midianitish priest and nomadic herdsman in the wilderness, to whom Moses fled from Egypt, and whose daughter Zipporah he married (Exodus 2:16 sq.); but in Exodus 3:1; Exodus 4:18, JETHRO is called father-in-law of Moses, and in 3:1 is made priest and herdsman. Various methods are suggested for meeting the difficulty:

(1.) Josephus (Ant. ii, 12,1) considers Reuel and Jethro as two names of one man. So Lengerke (Kenaan, i, 393) and Bertheau (Isr. Gesch. p. 242).

(2.) Aben-Ezra, followed by Rosenmiiller, understands by father in Exodus 2:18, grandfather.

(3.) Ewald (Isr. Gesch. ii, 14) thinks "Jethro son of" has fallen out of the text before Reuel in Exodus ii, 18.

(4.) Ranke (Pentat. ii, 8) understands the word chothen', חֹתֵו, rendered father-in-law, to mean brother-in-law, and compares the ambiguous use of the Greek γαμβρός . We must then suppose that Jethro had succeeded to the priesthood and flocks of his deceased father (Exodus 3:1).

(5.) Others find a double genealogical tradition (Hartmann, Pentat. p. 223 sq.; comp. De Wette, Einleit. ins A. T. p. 196). On this supposition the "compiler" must have been very careless. The third explanation derives no support from the fact that the Sept., in Exodus 2:16, twice mentions Jethro as father of seven daughters. The translators might have considered Reuel as the grandfather, and this would support No. 2. The fourth supposition is forced. If we must decide for any particular view, it seems simplest to understand grandfather for father (Exodus 2:18), since Reuel was the father of the house until Jethro acquired independence. (See Hobab); (See Raguel).

3. Father of Eliasaph, the leader of the tribe of Gad at the time of the census at Sinai (Numbers 2:14). In the parallel passages (Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42; Numbers 7:47; Numbers 10:20) the name is given DEUEL (See Deuel) (q.v.).

4. Son of Ibnijah, father of Shephatiah (1 Chronicles 9:8), of the tribe of Benjamin. B.C. ante 1618.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

rōō´el ( רעוּאל , re‛ū'ēl , "God is his friend"; the Septuagint Ῥαγουήλ , Rhagouḗl ):

(1) In the genealogical system Reuel is both a son of Esau by Basemath (Genesis 36:4 , Genesis 36:10 , Genesis 36:13 , Genesis 36:17; 1 Chronicles 1:35 , 1 Chronicles 1:37 ) and the father of the father-in-law of Moses, Hobab (Numbers 10:29 ). In the account of the marriage of Zipporah to Moses (Exodus 2:16-21 ) Jethro seems to be called Reuel (compare Hobab ). The various names of Jethro perplexed the Talmudists, too; some held that his real name was "Hobab," and that Reuel was his father. Reuel is probably a clan name (Gray, "Nu," ICC ), and Hobab is a member of the clan ("son") of Reuel (Numbers 10:29 , the King James Version reads "Raguel").

(2) The father of Eliasaph, the prince of Gad (Numbers 2:14 ), called (by some copyist's mistake) "Deuel" in Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42 , Numbers 7:47; Numbers 10:20 . The Septuagint has uniformly Rhagouēl .

(3) A B enjamite (1 Chronicles 9:8 ).