Exodus 18:16

Exodus 18:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
• New International Version (NIV)Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws."
• New King James Version (NKJV)When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Context of Exodus 18:16

14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the decrees of God and his laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good! 18You will surely wear out, both you and these people who are with you, for this is too heavy a burden for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

Exodus 18:16 word by word

כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם דָּבָר֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י וְשָׁ֣פַטְתִּ֔י בֵּ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ וּבֵ֣ין רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְהוֹדַעְתִּ֛י אֶת־חֻקֵּ֥י הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים וְאֶת־תּוֹרֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When they have a matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• they comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto me; and I judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• between oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• and anotherרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and his lawsתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451

Cross-references for Exodus 18:16

• Exodus 23:7Keep your distance from a false charge – do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify the wicked.
• Exodus 24:14He told the elders, “Wait for us in this place until we return to you. Here are Aaron and Hur with you. Whoever has any matters of dispute can approach them.”
• Deuteronomy 17:8If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, legal claim, or assault – matters of controversy in your villages – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses.
• 2 Samuel 15:3Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.”
• Job 31:13“If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed with me,
• Acts 18:14But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, I would have been justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews,
• 1 Corinthians 6:1When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?
• Exodus 2:13When he went out the next day, there were two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your fellow Hebrew?”
• Leviticus 24:15Moreover, you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If any man curses his God he will bear responsibility for his sin,
• Numbers 15:35Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; the whole community must stone him with stones outside the camp.”
• Numbers 27:6The Lord said to Moses:
• Numbers 36:6This is what the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘Let them marry whomever they think best, only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe.
• Deuteronomy 4:5Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!
• Deuteronomy 6:1Now these are the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed
• 1 Samuel 12:23As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws - These words are so very particular that they leave little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such words would scarcely have been used had not the statutes and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the proofs that the transaction mentioned here stands out of its due chronological order; See Clarke's note on Exodus 18:5.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. 13-16Moses had begun to take a role similar to Pharaoh’s. He was making himself necessary for every decision the people faced.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 18:16

• Government
• Moses
• Rulers

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