Exodus 2:18 records a father, Reuel, noticing that his daughters have come home from the well earlier than usual and asking why. The verse is a simple question, but it opens the door to a larger story about hospitality, a stranger’s kindness, and how God brings unexpected people into our lives. Reuel is speaking to his seven daughters, who have just returned to their home in Midian after drawing water for their father’s flock.
When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”
Exodus 2:18 (WEB)
What Exodus 2:18 Means
The phrase “When they came to Reuel, their father” tells us the daughters went home to a family setting, where their father was waiting. Reuel is also called the priest of Midian in verse 16, so this is a household that knows the value of work, faithfulness, and the rhythms of daily life. The question that follows, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”, is not an accusation. It is the ordinary curiosity of a parent who expected a longer day and wants to know what happened.
The verse does not explain the events in full, and it does not promise anything about the future. It simply records a moment of conversation at the end of a day. What the verse does show is that the daughters had a reason to come home early, and that reason is about to come out in their answer in verse 19. The meaning here is found in the openness of a family willing to ask, and in the story that is being set up for the reader.
The Context of Exodus 2:18
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, who wrote it for the people of Israel as they were shaped into a nation with God’s law and promises. Chapter 2 introduces Moses as a fugitive who has fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian and is now living in Midian. Verses 15 through 17 describe Moses sitting by a well, then standing up to defend the daughters of the priest against shepherds who were driving them away. So when Reuel asks his question, the reader already knows that a stranger has stepped in to help.
That context changes how we read the question. What seemed like a small domestic moment becomes the setting for a new chapter in Moses’ life, one where he is welcomed into a family and eventually given a place to belong. Verse 21 tells us that Moses is content to stay with Reuel and receives Zipporah as his wife. The early return of the daughters is the hinge on which that welcome turns.
Key Phrases in Exodus 2:18
Ruth 2:10
Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”
(WEB)
Ruth’s story also turns on an unexpected welcome, as a foreign woman finds grace and provision in a new community. Like Moses in Midian, she is received by someone who notices her and speaks kindly to her. Read together, these passages show how God often works through ordinary hospitality to bring outsiders into a place of belonging.
Hebrews 13:2
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
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This verse encourages believers to welcome strangers, reminding them that some of those guests may be blessed in unexpected ways. Exodus 2:18 gives a concrete picture of that principle in action, as a family opens its door to a man who once had nowhere to go. The two passages reinforce each other in calling readers toward open-handed hospitality.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 2:18
Lord, thank You for the families where we are noticed, asked about, and welcomed home. Thank You that You see the days that do not go as planned and that You are able to use even small disruptions to shape our lives. Help me to be attentive to the people You have placed near me, and to ask questions that open the door to real connection. Give me patience to listen when someone comes back to me with a story I did not expect, and remind me that You are at work in every ordinary conversation. Amen.
