Exodus 18:19

Exodus 18:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
• New International Version (NIV)Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.

Context of Exodus 18:19

17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you [to bear]; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me; I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputes and causes to Him. 20You shall teach them the decrees and laws. You shall show them the way they are to live and the work they are to do. 21Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

Exodus 18:19 word by word

עַתָּ֞ה שְׁמַ֤ע בְּקֹלִי֙ אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ וִיהִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּ֑ךְ הֱיֵ֧ה אַתָּ֣ה לָעָ֗ם מ֚וּל הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ אַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• now unto my voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• I will give thee counselיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
• and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• with thee: Be thou for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• to God-wardמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
• that thou mayest bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• the causesדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697

Cross-references for Exodus 18:19

• Exodus 18:24So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said.
• Proverbs 9:9Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser; Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
• Exodus 3:12And God said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve and worship God at this mountain.”
• Exodus 4:12Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and will teach you what you shall say.”
• Genesis 39:2The Lord was with Joseph, and he [even though a slave] became a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
• Deuteronomy 20:1“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
• Joshua 1:9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• 2 Samuel 14:17Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for my lord the king is as the angel of God to discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’ ”
• Matthew 28:20teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
• Exodus 18:15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to ask [about the will] of God.
• Exodus 4:16Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; he will act as a mouthpiece for you, and you will be as God to him [telling him what I say to you].
• Exodus 20:19Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us or we will die.”
• Deuteronomy 5:5I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,
• Numbers 27:5So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee - Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Counsel - Jethro draws the distinction between the functions of the legislator and the judge. To God-ward - Literally, “before God,” standing between them and God, both as His minister or representative and also as the representative of the people, their agent, so to speak, or deputy before God.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-27Verses 13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care and kindness. The meanest…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-22Moses needed to distinguish between his teaching function, in which he received and declared God’s decrees and instructions (18:19–20), and his administrative function, in which he applied all of those decrees and instructions (18:21–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2613-26. on the morrow ... Moses sat to judge the people, &c.--We are here presented with a specimen of his daily morning occupations; and among the multifarious duties his divine legation imposed, it must be considered only a small portion of his official employments. He appears in this attitude as a type of Christ in His legislative and judicial characters. the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening, &c.--Governors in the East seat…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 18:19

• Government
• Moses
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Appeal
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Jethro
• Matter
• Wear
• Blindness, Judicial

Commentaries on Exodus 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings