Exodus 18:22

Exodus 18:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

Context of Exodus 18:22

20Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. 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. Have 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.” 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.

Exodus 18:22 word by word

וְשָׁפְט֣וּ אֶת־הָעָם֮ בְּכָל־עֵת֒ וְהָיָ֞ה כָּל־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדֹל֙ יָבִ֣יאוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְכָל־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַקָּטֹ֖ן יִשְׁפְּטוּ־הֵ֑ם וְהָקֵל֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְנָשְׂא֖וּ אִתָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Have these men judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• at allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• timesעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• Thenהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• they can bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• youאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• majorגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• issueדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• minorקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• on their ownהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
• so that your load may be lightenedקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• so that your load may be lightenedעַל‛al · uponH5921
• as they shareנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• it with youאֵת'êth · withH854

Cross-references for Exodus 18:22

• Exodus 18:26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
• Romans 13:6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
• Leviticus 24:11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
• Numbers 15:33Those who found the man gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation,
• Numbers 27:2the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
• Numbers 36:1Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them,
• Deuteronomy 1:17Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
• Deuteronomy 17:8If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
• Exodus 18:18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
• Numbers 11:17And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:22

• 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 18:22

• Court
• Government
• Judge
• Moses
• Prudence
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Appeal
• Burden
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Jethro
• Matter
• Wear
• Blindness, Judicial
• Courts, 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