רְעוּאֵל
𐤓𐤏𐤅𐤀𐤋
Reuel
H7467 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'El (God) is friend' or 'companion of El.' The name designates several individuals: the father-in-law of Moses (Midianite/Priest of Midian), an Edomite chieftain, and a member of the tribe of Simeon. In each instance, the name likely carries the theophoric sense of a special relationship with the deity El, emphasizing 'comradeship' or 'friendship.'
Semantic Range
personal name meaning 'El is friend' or 'companion of El'; theophoric name; used of a Midianite priest, an Edomite chieftain, an Israelite individual; appears as Reuel or Raguel in various traditions
Root / Etymology
Compound of the roots רֵעַ (rēa‘, 'friend, companion') and אֵל (’ēl, '[the] god, El'). The form רְעוּ appears as an alternate construct or variant of רֵעַ. Thus, רְעוּאֵל = 'El is friend' or 'friend/companion of El.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Exodus and Numbers, רְעוּאֵל is named as Moses' father-in-law, a Midianite priest. There are translation and textual traditions that alternatively name this figure as Jethro (יִתְרוֹ) or Hobab (חֹבָב), reflecting either alternate names, titles, or possible conflation of individuals; this has led to much scholarly discussion. In Genesis 36:4, Reuel is an Edomite chieftain, a descendant of Esau, emphasizing the personal name's use beyond strictly Israelite contexts. In 1 Chronicles 9:8, the name appears for an Israelite of the tribe of Simeon. The name's theophoric construction with 'El' reflects the ancient West Semitic (not strictly Israelite) tradition of invoking an association with a high god through personal names. Standard English translations usually leave the name transliterated as 'Reuel' or 'Raguel' in some Greek traditions; occasionally, confusion with the term 'Jew' in translations arises when assigning ethnic or religious identity to Old Testament figures. The name does not directly convey 'friend of God' as a moral commendation but rather marks relationship or proximity, consistent with patterns of personal names from the period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as רְעוּ and אֵל; friend of God; Reuel, the name of Moses' father-in-law, also of an Edomite and an Israelite; Raguel, Reuel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רעה + אל (r-ʿ-h + ʾ-l) — associate with, befriend, shepherd; god, deity
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7467-01 |
רְעוּאֵֽל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend | 11 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7467-01 |
Genesis 36:4 | רְעוּאֵֽל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Genesis 36:10 | רְעוּאֵ֕ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Genesis 36:13 | רְעוּאֵ֔ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Genesis 36:17 | רְעוּאֵל֙ | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Genesis 36:17 | רְעוּאֵל֙ | reuel-2 | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Exodus 2:18 | רְעוּאֵ֖ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Numbers 2:14 | רְעוּאֵֽל | reuel | HNp |
of Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
Numbers 10:29 | רְעוּאֵ֣ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:35 | רְעוּאֵ֥ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |
H7467-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:37 | רְעוּאֵ֑ל | reuel | HNp |
Reuel | El-is-Friend |