Reuel

From BibleEncyclopedia.Net

Friend of God.

(1.) A son of Esau and Bashemath (Gen_36:4, Gen_36:10; 1Ch_1:35).

(2.) “The priest of Midian,” Moses' father-in-law (Exo_2:18) = Raguel (Num_10:29). If he be identified with Jethro (q.v.), then this may be regarded as his proper name, and Jether or Jethro (i.e., “excellency”) as his official title.

(3.) Num_2:14, called also Deuel (Num_1:14; Num_7:42).

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 (Gen_36:4, Gen_36:10, Gen_36:13, Gen_36:17; 1Ch_1:35, 1Ch_1:37) and the father of the father-in-law of Moses, Hobab (Num_10:29). In the account of the marriage of Zipporah to Moses (Exo_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 (Num_10:29, the King James Version reads “Raguel”).

(2) The father of Eliasaph, the prince of Gad (Num_2:14), called (by some copyist's mistake) “Deuel” in Num_1:14; Num_7:42, Num_7:47; Num_10:20. The Septuagint has uniformly Rhagouēl.

(3) A Benjamite (1Ch_9:8).