Exodus 18:20

Exodus 18:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
• New International Version (NIV)Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

Context of Exodus 18:20

18You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can’t do it alone! 19Now 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. You 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. 22Let them be the ones who usually settle disagreements among the people. They should bring all important cases to you, but they should settle all minor cases themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them help you.

Exodus 18:20 word by word

וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֣ה אֶתְהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹ֑ת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֗ם אֶת־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔הּ וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֽׂוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thou shalt teachאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• And thou shalt teachזָהַרzâhar · to warnH2094
• them ordinancesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• and lawsתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• and shalt shewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• them the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• wherein they must walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• that they must doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Exodus 18:20

• Exodus 18:16Whenever they have a disagreement and bring it to me, I decide which person is right, and I tell them God’s laws and instructions.”
• Deuteronomy 4:1Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live and be able to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Israel, listen to the laws and rules I’m telling you today. Learn them and faithfully obey them.
• Deuteronomy 6:1These are the commands, laws, and rules the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. Obey them after you enter the land and take possession of it.
• Deuteronomy 7:11So obey the commands, laws, and rules I’m giving you today.
• Nehemiah 9:13You came from heaven to Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them fair rules, trustworthy teachings, and good laws and commandments.
• 1 Samuel 12:23It would be unthinkable for me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I will go on teaching you the way that is good and right.
• Psalms 32:8⌞The Lord says,⌟ “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.
• Psalms 143:8Let me hear about your mercy in the morning, because I trust you. Let me know the way that I should go, because I long for you.
• Isaiah 30:21You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left.”
• Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths. Ask which way leads to blessings. Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves. But you said that you wouldn’t live that way.
• Jeremiah 42:3Let the Lord your God tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
• Micah 4:2Then many nations will come and say, “Let’s go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.” The teachings will go out from Zion. The Lord’s word will go out from Jerusalem.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1Now then, brothers and sisters, because of the Lord Jesus we ask and encourage you to excel in living a God-pleasing life even more than you already do. Do this the way we taught you.
• Deuteronomy 1:18So I told you how to handle these situations.
• Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Thou shalt teach them ordinances - חקים chukkim, all such precepts as relate to the ceremonies of religion and political economy. And laws, התורת hattoroth, the instructions relative to the whole system of morality. And shalt show them the way - הדרך אה eth hadderech, That very Way, that only way, which God himself has revealed, and in which they should walk in order to please him, and get their souls everlastingly saved. And the work that they must do…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Teach them - The Hebrew word is emphatic, and signifies “enlightenment.” The text gives four distinct points: (a) the “ordinances,” or specific enactments, (b) “the laws,” or general regulations, (c) “the way,” the general course of duty, (d) “the works,” each specific act.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 18:20

• Government
• Moses
• Prudence
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Appeal
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Jethro
• Matter
• Wear
• Blindness, Judicial
• Courts, Judicial
• Decision

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