Exodus 18:18

Exodus 18:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
• New International Version (NIV)You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

Context of Exodus 18:18

16When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

Exodus 18:18 word by word

נָבֹ֣ל תִּבֹּ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֕ה גַּם־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל עֲשֹׂ֖הוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

• You will surelyנָבֵלnâbêl · to witherH5034
• out, bothגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• yourselfאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
• theseזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• taskדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• is tooמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• heavyכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
• you cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• you cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• it aloneבַּדbad · aloneH905

Cross-references for Exodus 18:18

• 2 Corinthians 12:15I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
• Philippians 2:30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:8Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
• Numbers 11:14I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me.
• Deuteronomy 1:9“I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.
• Acts 6:1Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Thou wilt surely wear away - תבל נבל nabol tibbol, in wearing way, thou wilt wear away - by being thus continually employed, thou wilt soon become finally exhausted. And this people that is with thee; as if he had said, "Many of them are obliged to wait so long for the determination of their suit that their patience must be soon necessarily worn out, as there is no one to hear every cause but thyself."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Thou wilt surely wear away - From decay and exhaustion.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. 17-18This kind of approach focuses too much on one leader. That is not good for the leader or for the people (see also 18:23).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 18:18

• Government
• Moses
• Prudence

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