English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 16:18
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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
Context of Deuteronomy 16:18
16"Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. "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. 19You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Read all of Deuteronomy 16Deuteronomy 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 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 17:9And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.
- Deuteronomy 19:17then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.
- Deuteronomy 21:2then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities.
- 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.
- Exodus 21:6then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
- 1 Chronicles 23:4"Twenty-four thousand of these," David said, "shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges,
- 1 Chronicles 26:29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to external duties for Israel, as officers and judges.
- 2 Chronicles 19:5He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
- Psalms 82:2"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
- Romans 13:1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by 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
In the dictionaries
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
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