Raguel, also known as Reuel, is a biblical figure mentioned in the Old Testament. He is primarily recognized as the father-in-law of Moses and a priest of Midian. The name "Raguel" means "friend of God" or "God is a friend," reflecting a positive relationship with the divine.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 2:18 · Raguel is introduced in the context of Moses' flight from Egypt. After Moses defends the daughters of the priest of Midian from shepherds, they return to their father, Raguel, who invites Moses to stay with them. The Berean Standard Bible states: "When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, 'Why have you returned so early today?'"

2. Exodus 3:1 · Raguel is referred to as Jethro in this passage, which has led to some debate among scholars regarding his name. The BSB reads: "Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God."

3. Numbers 10:29 · Here, Raguel is again mentioned in connection with his son Hobab. The BSB states: "Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, 'We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, "I will give it to you." Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.'"

Role and Significance:

Raguel's role as a priest of Midian suggests he was a man of spiritual authority and influence. His relationship with Moses is significant, as he provides Moses with refuge and later becomes his father-in-law through the marriage of his daughter, Zipporah, to Moses. This connection between Moses and Raguel's family is pivotal, as it provides Moses with a period of preparation and growth before his return to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of bondage.

Cultural and Historical Context:

The Midianites were a nomadic people, and Raguel's position as a priest indicates a structured religious practice within their community. The Midianites are descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah, as noted in Genesis 25:1-2, which may explain the shared spiritual heritage and understanding between Moses and Raguel.

Theological Implications:

Raguel's interactions with Moses highlight themes of hospitality, divine providence, and the integration of different cultures and faiths under the sovereignty of God. His acceptance of Moses and the subsequent familial bond illustrate the broader biblical narrative of God's plan unfolding through diverse peoples and relationships.

Name Variations and Interpretations:

The dual names of Raguel and Jethro have led to various interpretations. Some scholars suggest that "Jethro" might be a title or an alternative name, while "Reuel" or "Raguel" is his given name. This duality is not uncommon in biblical texts and reflects the complexity of ancient naming conventions.

In summary, Raguel is a key figure in the life of Moses, providing both familial and spiritual support. His presence in the biblical narrative underscores the interconnectedness of God's people and the unfolding of divine purpose through human relationships.Raguel

shepherd, or friend of God

Raguel

Numbers 10:29, or REUEL, Exodus 2:15,18,21, the Hebrew word being the same in both places. These passages represent him as the father of Hobab and Zipporah, and he is generally supposed to be the same as Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. Some, however, think he was Jethro's father, and that he is called the father of the others as being the head of the family. Compare Genesis 31:43 2 Kings 14:3 16:2.

Friend of God, (Numbers 10:29)=Reuel (q.v.), Exodus 2:18, the father-in-law of Moses, and probably identical with Jethro (q.v.). RAGUEL (1)

ra-gu'-el, rag'-u-el (Rhagouel): "The friend of God," of Ecbatana, the husband of Edna, father of Sarah, and father-in-law of Tobias (Tobit 3:7, 17; 6:10; 7:2; 14:12). In Tobit 7:2 he is called cousin of Tobit, and in Tobit 6:10 the King James Version he is erroneously represented as "cousin" of Tobias = "kinsman" in the Revised Version (British and American). In Enoch 20:4 Raguel appears as one of the archangels, perhaps by confusion for Raphael (Tobit 3:17). Another form of the name is REUEL (which see). one of whom composed the Zardtusht-Namah.

RAGUEL (2)

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

7467. Reuel -- "friend of God," Moses' father-in-law, also an ...
... Raguel, Reuel. From the same as r'uw and 'el; friend of God; Reuel, the name of
Moses' father-in-law, also of an Edomite and an Israelite -- Raguel, Reuel. ...
/hebrew/7467.htm - 6k

How Raguel Suggested to Moses to Set his People in Order, under ...
... CHAPTER 4. How Raguel Suggested To Moses To Set His People In Order, Under Their
Rulers Of Thousands, And Rulers Of Hundreds, Who Lived Without Order Before ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how raguel suggested.htm

After Saying a Few Words About Tobit He Demonstrates that Raguel ...
... Chapter XVI. After saying a few words about Tobit he demonstrates that Raguel surpassed
the philosophers in? ... And Raguel is a still brighter example. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvi after saying a.htm

How Holy Charity Produces the Love of Our Neighbour.
... The young Tobias, accompanied by the angel Raphael, having met with Raguel his relative,
by whom, however, he was unknown,"Raguel had no sooner set eyes upon ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xi how holy charity.htm

That Moses Kindly Received-His Father-In-Law, Jethro, when He came ...
... Now when Raguel, Moses's father-in-law, understood in what a prosperous
condition his affairs were, he willingly came to meet him. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 that moses kindly.htm

How Moses and Aaron Returned into Egypt to Pharaoh.
... 1. So Moses, when he understood that the Pharaoh, in whose reign he fled away, was
dead, asked leave of Raguel to go to Egypt, for the benefit of his own people ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 13 how moses and.htm

Here Followeth the History of Tobit
... The same day it happed that Sara, daughter of Raguel in the city of Medes, that
she was rebuked and heard reproof of one of the handmaidens of her father. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here followeth the history of 2.htm

Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
... On their way to Rages they come to Ecbatane, a city of Media, where resides Raguel,
the cousin of Tobias, whose only daughter, Sara, has lost seven husbands on ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/appendix the apocryphal books of.htm

Section 26-36. That the Son is the Co-Existing Word
... For so also in Numbers we shall find, Moses said to Raguel the Midianite, the
father-in-law of Moses; for there was not one Moses who spoke, and another whose ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 26-36 that the son.htm

Doctrines of Various Other Gnostic Sects, and Especially of the ...
... [2965] Thelesis, again, is united to the second luminary, whom they also name Raguel;
Synesis to the third, whom they call David; and Phronesis to the fourth ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxix doctrines of various other.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... CHAPTER 4. How Raguel Suggested To Moses To Set His People In Order, Under Their
Rulers Of Thousands, And Rulers Of Hundreds, Who Lived Without Order Before ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Raguel (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. RAGUEL (1). ... In Enoch 20:4 Raguel appears as one
of the archangels, perhaps by confusion for Raphael (Tobit 3:17). ...
/r/raguel.htm - 9k

Reuel (14 Occurrences)
... (1.) A son of Esau and Bashemath (Genesis 36:4, 10; 1 Chronicles 1:35). (2.) "The
priest of Midian," Moses' father-in-law (Exodus 2:18)=Raguel (Numbers 10:29). ...
/r/reuel.htm - 12k

Tobit
... Now it happened that at this time another Jewish family, equally loyal to the ancestral
faith, had fallen into similar distress-Raguel, his wife Edna and his ...
/t/tobit.htm - 34k

Anaharath (1 Occurrence)
... Now it happened that at this time another Jewish family, equally loyal to the ancestral
faith, had fallen into similar distress-Raguel, his wife Edna and his ...
/a/anaharath.htm - 87k

Rags (6 Occurrences)

/r/rags.htm - 8k

Rahab (14 Occurrences)

/r/rahab.htm - 16k

Jethro (10 Occurrences)
... and in Ant, III, iii; V, ii, 3), we must connect "Moses' father-in-law" in Numbers
10:29 immediately with "Reuel" (the King James Version "Raguel"), and make ...
/j/jethro.htm - 17k

Raphael
... The purpose of his mission is, in accordance with his name, to cure Tobit of blindness,
and to deliver Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, from the power of the ...
/r/raphael.htm - 8k

Edna
... ed'-na (Edna): Wife of Raguel and mother of Sarah who married Tobias (Tobit 7:2,
etc.; 10:12; 11:1). "Edna" in Hebrew means "pleasure" and corresponds to Latin ...
/e/edna.htm - 6k

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