King James Bible
"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them."
Jethro, Moses' Midianite father-in-law, declares his recognition of Yahweh's supremacy over all deities. This statement comes after hearing of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt, marking a pivotal moment where a non-Israelite priest acknowledges the universal sovereignty of Israel's God. This refers to Egypt's arrogant oppression of Israel, particularly Pharaoh's defiant refusal to release the Hebrews and his cruel treatment of them. The phrase captures how the Egyptians' hubris became the very arena where God demonstrated His power. God turned Egypt's instruments of pride—the Nile, their military might, their firstborn—into the means of their judgment. The poetic justice emphasizes that God's superiority was proven precisely through defeating the Egyptians in the areas where they felt most powerful.