Jethro rebukes his daughters for their breach of hospitality while teaching them cultural and spiritual values. By asking why rather than simply stating their error, he engages their conscience and invites self-examination. The question also elevates the stranger’s dignity by calling him simply “the man,” treating Moses as someone worthy of honor despite his unknown identity.

The daughters obeyed their father’s implied command, called Moses, and brought him to their home where he ate bread with them (Exodus 2:20-21).

This second question shifts from inquiry to moral challenge, making explicit what the first question implied. The Hebrew lammah zeh (why is it that) intensifies the interrogative force, expressing not just curiosity but disapproval. Jethro frames his daughters’ inaction as inexplicable, how could they possibly have left without inviting their benefactor? By referring to Moses as simply “the man” rather than using a more dismissive term like “this Egyptian” (as they called him in verse 19), Jethro models the respect due to strangers, especially those who act righteously. The question form allows the daughters to feel the weight of their oversight without explicit condemnation, a teaching method that builds character more effectively than harsh rebuke. The theological significance lies in recognition and response, when God sends deliverers, those who encounter them bear responsibility to honor and receive them appropriately.