New English Translation
Exodus 18:21
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.
Exodus 18:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
- New International Version (NIV)But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Context of Exodus 18:21
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; 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. But 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. 22They will judge the people under normal circumstances, and every difficult case they will bring to you, but every small case they themselves will judge, so that you may make it easier for yourself, and they will bear the burden with you. 23If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:21 word by word
וְאַתָּ֣ה תֶחֱזֶ֣ה מִכָּל־הָ֠עָם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֜יִל יִרְאֵ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אַנְשֵׁ֥י אֱמֶ֖ת שֹׂ֣נְאֵי בָ֑צַע וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ עֲלֵהֶ֗ם שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֔וֹת שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י עֲשָׂרֹֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Moreover thou shalt provideחָזָהchâzâh · to seeH2372
- out of all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- ableחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- such as fearיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
- hatingשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
- covetousnessבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
- and placeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- rulersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- of hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- of fiftiesחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- of tensעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
Cross-references for Exodus 18:21
- Deuteronomy 1:13Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.”
- Acts 6:3But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.
- Exodus 18:25Moses chose capable men from all Israel, and he made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
- Deuteronomy 16:18You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.
- 1 Kings 3:9So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
- Proverbs 28:2When a country is rebellious it has many princes, but by someone who is discerning and knowledgeable order is maintained.
- Exodus 23:2“You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice,
- Genesis 22:12“Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
- Genesis 42:18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say and you will live, for I fear God.
- 2 Samuel 23:3The God of Israel spoke, the protector of Israel spoke to me. The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God,
- 1 Kings 18:3So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 19:5He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Nehemiah 5:9Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?
- Nehemiah 7:2I then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Luke 18:2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.
Commentaries on Exodus 18:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Able men - Persons of wisdom, discernment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can be a ruler without these qualifications? Such as fear God - Who are truly religious, without which they will feel little concerned either for the bodies or souls of the people. Men of truth - Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth. Hating covetousness - Doing all for God's sake, and love to man; laboring…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Able men - The qualifications are remarkably complete, ability, piety, truthfulness, and unselfishness. From Deuteronomy 1:13, it appears that Moses left the selection of the persons to the people, an example followed by the Apostles; see Acts 6:3. Rulers of thousands - The numbers appear to be conventional, corresponding nearly, but not exactly, to the military, or civil divisions of the people: the largest division (1,000) is used as an equivalent of…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 18:21
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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