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 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, then 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. 21Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with 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

• then teachזָהַרzâhar · to warnH2094
• them the statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• and the lawsתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• and makeיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• in which they are to walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• and the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• they are to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Exodus 18:20

• Exodus 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.”
• Deuteronomy 4:1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.
• Deuteronomy 6:1“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it,
• Deuteronomy 7:11Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.
• Nehemiah 9:13Then You came down on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments.
• 1 Samuel 12:23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
• Psalms 32:8I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
• Psalms 143:8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul.
• Isaiah 30:21Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
• Jeremiah 6:16Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
• Jeremiah 42:3that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.”
• Micah 4:2Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
• Deuteronomy 1:18I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do.
• Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from 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