Raguel

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

(friend of God).

1. Probably the same as Jethro. [JETHRO; HOBAB] (B.C. 1490.)

2. A pious Jew of "Ecbatane, a of Media," father of Sara, the wife of Tobias. Tob. 3:7,17, etc.

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 f; 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 (Nu 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 (Jud 4:11). See RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY. Moses' wife's father is called re`u'el in Ex 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 Nu 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 Ex 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