Deuteronomy 1:15

Deuteronomy 1:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
• New International Version (NIV)So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

Context of Deuteronomy 1:15

13Obtain for yourselves men who are wise, discerning, and informed from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ 14And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have said to do is good.’ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and informed men, and appointed them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and officers for your tribes. 16“Then I ordered your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen and judge righteously between a person and his fellow countryman, or the stranger who is with him. 17You are not to show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You are not to be afraid of any person, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Deuteronomy 1:15 word by word

וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־רָאשֵׁ֣י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁ֤ים חֲכָמִים֙ וִֽידֻעִ֔ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שָׂרֵ֨י אֲלָפִ֜ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֗וֹת וְשָׂרֵ֤י חֲמִשִּׁים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• So I tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of your tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• and informedיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• appointedנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• overעַל‛al · uponH5921
• you, commandersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• fiftiesחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• tensעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• and officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 1:15

• Deuteronomy 16:18“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
• Exodus 18:25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
• Ephesians 4:11And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,
• Numbers 31:14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.
• 1 Samuel 8:12He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
• 1 Samuel 17:18Bring also these ten slices of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the well-being of your brothers and bring back confirmation from them.
• 1 Samuel 22:7Saul said to his servants who were standing in front of him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites! Will the son of Jesse really give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Captains over thousands, etc. - What a curious and well-regulated economy was that of the Israelites! See its order and arrangement: God, the King and Supreme Judge; Moses, God's prime minister; The priests, consulting him by Urim and Thummim; The chiefs or princes of the twelve tribes; Chilliarchs, or captains over thousands; Centurions, or captains over hundreds; Tribunes, or captains over fifty men; Decurions, or captains over ten men; and, Officers…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exodus 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only. A comparison between this passage and that in Exodus makes it obvious that Moses is only touching on certain parts of the whole history, without regard to order of time, but with a special purpose. This important arrangement for the good government of the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Moses reminds the people of the happy constitution of their government, which might make them all safe and easy, if it was not their own fault. He owns the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham, and prays for the further accomplishment of it. We are not straitened in the power and goodness of God; why should we be straitened in our own faith and hope? Good laws were given to the Israelites, and good men were to see to the execution of them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15thousands … hundreds … fifties … tens: These numbers describe a common way to organize an army. Soldiers were grouped under leaders of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. Because this was a normal military system, some of these officials were likely military officers (see 1 Samuel 8:12; 22:7; 2 Samuel 18:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-189-18. I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone--a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Ex 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 1:15

• Court
• Elder
• Government
• Israel
• Judge
• Moses
• Officer

In the dictionaries

• Wise men
• Captain
• Chief
• Dread
• Exodus
• Heaven
• Deuteronomy
• Head
• Judge
• Pentateuch

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1

• 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