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 a year all your men must come into the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. But no one may come into the presence of the Lord without an offering. 17Each man must bring a gift in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given him. Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city that the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly. 19Never pervert justice. Instead, be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right. 20Strive for nothing but justice so that you will live and take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

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 took the heads of your tribes who were wise and experienced men and made them officers for each of your tribes. I put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.
• Deuteronomy 17:9Go to the Levitical priests and the judge who is serving at that time. Ask for their opinion, and they will give you their verdict
• Deuteronomy 19:17The two people involved must stand in the Lord’s presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
• Deuteronomy 21:2your leaders and judges must go and measure the distance from the body to each of the neighboring cities.
• Exodus 18:25Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.
• Exodus 21:6then his master must bring him to God. The master must bring him to the door or the doorframe and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his slave for life.
• 1 Chronicles 23:4Of these, 24,000 were appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple, 6,000 were appointed to be officers and judges,
• 1 Chronicles 26:29From Izhar’s descendants Chenaniah and his sons were assigned duties. They served as officials and judges outside ⌞the temple⌟ in Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 19:5He appointed judges in the country, in each fortified city of Judah.
• Psalms 82:2“How long are you going to judge unfairly? How long are you going to side with wicked people?” Selah
• Romans 13:1Every person should obey the government in power. No government would exist if it hadn’t been established by God. The governments which exist have been put in place 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

• 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