Deuteronomy 16:18

Deuteronomy 16:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
• New International Version (NIV)Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Context of Deuteronomy 16:18

16Three times in every year, all your men must go to the place that the Lord your God will choose. They must go there for the Passover festival, the festival of Weeks and the festival of Huts. Each man must bring with him gifts to offer to the Lord. 17Give to the Lord as much as you are able to. Your gifts may be large or small, as much as the Lord has blessed you. Each tribe must choose judges and officers in every town that the Lord gives you. They must judge the people in a way that is fair. 19Judges must do what is right for every person, rich or poor. They must not accept any bribes. A bribe may hide the truth even from a wise man. It can make honest people tell lies. 20Make sure that there is justice for everyone in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you. Then the land will belong to you and you will enjoy life in it.

Deuteronomy 16:18 word by word

שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• and officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
• shalt thou makeנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• thee in all thy gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
• which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thee, throughout thy tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• with justצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
• judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 16:18

• Deuteronomy 1:15So I chose men that you knew were wise to be the leaders in your tribes. I gave them authority to rule over you. Some were leaders of groups of 1,000 men. Some led groups of 100 men, or 50 men, or ten men. I also chose other officers for each tribe.
• Deuteronomy 17:9You must go to the Levite priests and to the judge who has authority at that time. Ask them to decide what is right and true.
• Deuteronomy 19:17Then both of them must stand in front of the judges that the Lord has chosen. Those are the priests and the judges who have authority at that time.
• Deuteronomy 21:2Your leaders and your judges must then go to the field. They must measure how far the place is from the nearest towns.
• Exodus 18:25Moses chose wise men from all the Israelites. He made them officers to lead 1,000 people, or 100 people, or 50 people, or 10 people.
• Exodus 21:6Then his master must take the slave to stand in front of the judges. He must lead the slave to stand beside the door, or the wood that holds the door. Then the master must push the sharp point of a tool through the slave's ear. After that, he will serve his master for all his life.
• 1 Chronicles 23:4David said, ‘24,000 of these Levite men must have authority for the work of the Lord's temple. 6,000 of them will be officers and judges.
• 1 Chronicles 26:29There were also descendants of Izhar: Kenaniah and his sons did not work in the temple. Instead they served as judges and officers in different places in Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 19:5He chose men to be judges. He put them everywhere in Judah, in each strong city.
• Psalms 82:2He asks them, ‘How long will you continue to judge people in a way that is not fair? How long will you say that wicked people are right? Selah.
• Romans 13:1Everyone must obey the government officers. It is God who gives the authority to rule. The people who rule have received their authority from God.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Judges and officers shalt thou make - Judges, שפטים shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. Officers, שטרים shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, etc., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, etc., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 These verses are closely connected in subject with the following chapter, and introduce certain directions for the administration of justice and the carrying on of the civil government of the people in Canaan. During the lifetime of Moses, he himself, especially inspired and guided by God, was sufficient, with the aid of the subordinate judges (compare Exodus 18:13 ff), for the duties in question. But now that Moses was to be withdrawn, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 Care is taken for the due administration of justice. All personal regards must be laid aside, so that right is done to all, and wrong to none. Care is taken to prevent following the idolatrous customs of the heathen. Nothing belies God more, or tends more to corrupt the minds of men, than representing and worshipping, by an image, that God, who is an almighty and eternal Spirit, present every where. Alas! even in gospel days, and under a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18judges and officials: The use of both words together may mean that they had similar roles. The word officials usually refers to public leaders in general. Here, however, it likely refers to people who helped carry out the law. They may have served as administrators of justice or as officers who enforced the law. with righteous judgment: This phrase means judging by a clear and just standard. Decisions were to be based on what was right. They were not to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2018-20. Judges and officers shalt thou make--These last meant heralds or bailiffs, employed in executing the sentence of their superiors. in all thy gates--The gate was the place of public resort among the Israelites and other Eastern people, where business was transacted and causes decided. The Ottoman Porte derived its name from the administration of justice at its gates.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 16:18

• Bribery
• Gates
• Judge
• Justice
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Gate
• Gift
• Inherit
• Atonement, Day of
• Calendar
• Courts, Judicial
• Criticism
• Elder in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16

• 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