English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 1:15
15So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes.
Deuteronomy 1:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
- New International Version (NIV)So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.
Context of Deuteronomy 1:15
13Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.' 14And you answered me, 'The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.' So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. 16And I charged your judges at that time, 'Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. 17You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
Read all of Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 1:15 word by word
וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־רָאשֵׁ֣י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁ֤ים חֲכָמִים֙ וִֽידֻעִ֔ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שָׂרֵ֨י אֲלָפִ֜ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֗וֹת וְשָׂרֵ֤י חֲמִשִּׁים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So I tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- of your tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- and knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- and madeנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- over you, captainsשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- over thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- over hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- over fiftiesחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- over tensעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- and officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 1:15
- Deuteronomy 16:18"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.
- Exodus 18:25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Ephesians 4:11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
- Numbers 31:14And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.
- 1 Samuel 8:12And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
- 1 Samuel 17:18Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them."
- 1 Samuel 22:7And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds,
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Captains over thousands, etc. - What a curious and well-regulated economy was that of the Israelites! See its order and arrangement: God, the King and Supreme Judge; Moses, God's prime minister; The priests, consulting him by Urim and Thummim; The chiefs or princes of the twelve tribes; Chilliarchs, or captains over thousands; Centurions, or captains over hundreds; Tribunes, or captains over fifty men; Decurions, or captains over ten men; and, Officers…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exodus 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only. A comparison between this passage and that in Exodus makes it obvious that Moses is only touching on certain parts of the whole history, without regard to order of time, but with a special purpose. This important arrangement for the good government of the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Moses reminds the people of the happy constitution of their government, which might make them all safe and easy, if it was not their own fault. He owns the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham, and prays for the further accomplishment of it. We are not straitened in the power and goodness of God; why should we be straitened in our own faith and hope? Good laws were given to the Israelites, and good men were to see to the execution of them…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15thousands … hundreds … fifties … tens: These numbers describe a common way to organize an army. Soldiers were grouped under leaders of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. Because this was a normal military system, some of these officials were likely military officers (see 1 Samuel 8:12; 22:7; 2 Samuel 18:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-189-18. I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone--a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Ex 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 1:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1
- 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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