They held him in custody because they did not know what to do with him.
When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”
Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God.
They kept the man in custody until the Lord’s will in the matter should become clear to them.
The people who found him doing this took him before Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community.
Moses answered, “Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the Lord.”