New English Translation
Exodus 18:19
19Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God;
Exodus 18:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
- New International Version (NIV)Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
Context of Exodus 18:19
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. Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God; 20warn them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21But you choose from the people capable men, God-fearing, men of truth, those who hate bribes, and put them over the people as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:19 word by word
עַתָּ֞ה שְׁמַ֤ע בְּקֹלִי֙ אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ וִיהִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּ֑ךְ הֱיֵ֧ה אַתָּ֣ה לָעָ֗ם מ֚וּל הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ אַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
- now unto my voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- I will give thee counselיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
- and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- shall beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- with thee: Be thou for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- to God-wardמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
- that thou mayest bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- the causesדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
Cross-references for Exodus 18:19
- Exodus 18:24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said.
- Proverbs 9:9Give instruction to a wise person, and he will become wiser still; teach a righteous person and he will add to his learning.
- Exodus 3:12He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.”
- Exodus 4:12So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say.”
- Genesis 39:2The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master.
- Deuteronomy 20:1When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry and troops who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
- Joshua 1:9I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”
- 2 Samuel 14:17So your servant said, ‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!’”
- Matthew 28:20teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- Exodus 18:15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
- Exodus 4:16He will speak for you to the people, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were his God.
- Exodus 20:19They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”
- Deuteronomy 5:5(I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:
- Numbers 27:5So Moses brought their case before the Lord.
Commentaries on Exodus 18:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee - Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Counsel - Jethro draws the distinction between the functions of the legislator and the judge. To God-ward - Literally, “before God,” standing between them and God, both as His minister or representative and also as the representative of the people, their agent, so to speak, or deputy before God.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 18:19
In the dictionaries
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
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