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

20Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. 23If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And let them judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• at all seasonsעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• every greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• they shall bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• unto thee, but every smallקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• so shall it be easierקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• for thyself, and they shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375

Cross-references for Exodus 18:22

• Exodus 18:26They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.
• Romans 13:6And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.
• Leviticus 24:11Her son cursed and blasphemed the Name, and they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, a daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.)
• Numbers 15:33Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the entire community.
• Numbers 27:2They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,
• Numbers 36:1The family heads from the clan of the descendants of Gilead — the son of Machir, son of Manasseh — who were from the clans of the sons of Joseph, approached and addressed Moses and the leaders who were heads of the Israelite families.
• Deuteronomy 1:17Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.
• Deuteronomy 17:8“If a case is too difficult for you — concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults — cases disputed at your city gates, then go up to the place the Lord your God chooses.
• Exodus 18:18“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.
• Numbers 11:17Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the 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