Exodus 18:23

Exodus 18:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
• New International Version (NIV)If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace."
• New King James Version (NKJV)If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

Context of Exodus 18:23

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. 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. If 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.” 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said. 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.

Exodus 18:23 word by word

אִ֣ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְצִוְּךָ֣ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְיָֽכָלְתָּ֖ עֲמֹ֑ד וְגַם֙ כָּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־מְקֹמ֖וֹ יָבֹ֥א בְשָׁלֽוֹם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If thou shalt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• then thou shalt be ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• to endureעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• and all this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• shall also goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to their placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• in peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965

Cross-references for Exodus 18:23

• Exodus 18:18You 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.
• Genesis 21:10So she said to Abraham, “Banish that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
• 1 Samuel 8:6But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
• Acts 15:2When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate with them, the church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this point of disagreement.
• Galatians 2:2I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running – or had not run – in vain.
• Exodus 16:29See, because the Lord has given you the Sabbath, that is why he is giving you food for two days on the sixth day. Each of you stay where you are; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”
• Genesis 18:33The Lord went on his way when he had finished speaking to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home.
• Genesis 30:25After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country.
• 2 Samuel 18:3But the soldiers replied, “You should not do this! For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”
• 2 Samuel 19:39So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.
• 2 Samuel 21:17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”
• Philippians 1:24but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee - Though the measure was obviously of the utmost importance, and plainly recommended itself by its expediency and necessity; yet Jethro very modestly leaves it to the wisdom of Moses to choose or reject it; and, knowing that in all things his relative was now acting under the immediate direction of God, intimates that no measure can be safely adopted without a positive injunction from God himself. As the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23To their place - i. e. to Canaan, which is thus recognized by Jethro as the appointed and true home of Israel. Compare Numbers 10:29-30.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. 13-27Jethro’s wise advice shows another example of God’s care and guidance. This time, God did not act through a miracle. Instead, He used practical wisdom. Jethro taught Moses a new way to lead. He told Moses to share his authority with other capable leaders. This way of leadership is called delegation. It means giving responsibility to others. Before this, Moses seems to have followed an Egyptian style of leadership. That system was very strict and top-down…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 18:23

• Court
• Government
• Moses
• Prudence

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