Berean Standard Bible
Exodus 18:21
21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Exodus 18:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
- New International Version (NIV)But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Context of Exodus 18:21
19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. 20Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. 23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:21 word by word
וְאַתָּ֣ה תֶחֱזֶ֣ה מִכָּל־הָ֠עָם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֜יִל יִרְאֵ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אַנְשֵׁ֥י אֱמֶ֖ת שֹׂ֣נְאֵי בָ֑צַע וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ עֲלֵהֶ֗ם שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֔וֹת שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י עֲשָׂרֹֽת׃Read the interlinear
- Furthermoreאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
- selectחָזָהchâzâh · to seeH2372
- capableחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- from amongכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- God-fearingיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
- God-fearingאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- trustworthy menאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
- who are averseשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
- to dishonest gainבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
- Appoint themשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- overעַל‛al · uponH5921
- as leadersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- of hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- of fiftiesחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- and of tensעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
Cross-references for Exodus 18:21
- Deuteronomy 1:13Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
- Acts 6:3Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will assign this responsibility to them
- Exodus 18:25So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Deuteronomy 16:18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 1 Kings 3:9Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
- Proverbs 28:2A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
- Exodus 23:2You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
- Genesis 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
- Genesis 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
- 2 Samuel 23:3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
- 1 Kings 18:3and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD,
- 2 Chronicles 19:5He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Nehemiah 5:9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
- Nehemiah 7:2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Luke 18:2“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.
Commentaries on Exodus 18:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Able men - Persons of wisdom, discernment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can be a ruler without these qualifications? Such as fear God - Who are truly religious, without which they will feel little concerned either for the bodies or souls of the people. Men of truth - Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth. Hating covetousness - Doing all for God's sake, and love to man; laboring…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Able men - The qualifications are remarkably complete, ability, piety, truthfulness, and unselfishness. From Deuteronomy 1:13, it appears that Moses left the selection of the persons to the people, an example followed by the Apostles; see Acts 6:3. Rulers of thousands - The numbers appear to be conventional, corresponding nearly, but not exactly, to the military, or civil divisions of the people: the largest division (1,000) is used as an equivalent of…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 18:21
In the dictionaries
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
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