Exodus 18:19

Exodus 18:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
• New International Version (NIV)Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.

Context of Exodus 18:19

17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you’re doing is not good. 18You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can’t do it alone! Now listen to me, and I’ll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people’s representative to God and bring their disagreements to him. 20You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings, show them how to live, and tell them what to do. 21“But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.

Exodus 18:19 word by word

עַתָּ֞ה שְׁמַ֤ע בְּקֹלִי֙ אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ וִיהִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּ֑ךְ הֱיֵ֧ה אַתָּ֣ה לָעָ֗ם מ֚וּל הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ אַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• now unto my voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• I will give thee counselיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
• and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• with thee: Be thou for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• to God-wardמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
• that thou mayest bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• the causesדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697

Cross-references for Exodus 18:19

• Exodus 18:24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
• Proverbs 9:9Give ⌞advice⌟ to a wise person, and he will become even wiser. Teach a righteous person, and he will learn more.
• Exodus 3:12God answered, “I will be with you. And this will be the proof that I sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
• Exodus 4:12Now go, and I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
• Genesis 39:2The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. He worked in the house of his Egyptian master.
• Deuteronomy 20:1When you go to war against your enemies, you may see horses, chariots, and armies larger than yours. Don’t be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you.
• Joshua 1:9“I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ ”
• 2 Samuel 14:17I thought that you would reassure me. You are like God’s Messenger, who is able to distinguish right from wrong. May the Lord your God be with you!”
• Matthew 28:20Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.”
• Exodus 18:15Moses answered his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to find out God’s will.
• Exodus 4:16Aaron will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be like God.
• Exodus 20:19Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we’ll die!”
• Deuteronomy 5:5I stood between the Lord and you to tell you the Lord’s word, because you were afraid of the fire and didn’t go up on the mountain. The Lord said:
• Numbers 27:5So Moses brought their case to the Lord,

Commentaries on Exodus 18:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee - Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Counsel - Jethro draws the distinction between the functions of the legislator and the judge. To God-ward - Literally, “before God,” standing between them and God, both as His minister or representative and also as the representative of the people, their agent, so to speak, or deputy before God.Read the comment
• 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 18:19

• Government
• Moses
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Appeal
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Jethro
• Matter
• Wear
• Blindness, 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