New International Version
Exodus 18:18
18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
Exodus 18:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.
Context of Exodus 18:18
16Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” 17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19Listen 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. 20Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.
Read all of Exodus 18Exodus 18:18 word by word
נָבֹ֣ל תִּבֹּ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֕ה גַּם־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל עֲשֹׂ֖הוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 18:18
- 2 Corinthians 12:15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?
- Philippians 2:30because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
- Numbers 11:14I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.
- Deuteronomy 1:9At that time I said to you, “You are too heavy a burden for me to carry alone.
- Acts 6:1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
Commentaries on Exodus 18:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Thou wilt surely wear away - תבל נבל nabol tibbol, in wearing way, thou wilt wear away - by being thus continually employed, thou wilt soon become finally exhausted. And this people that is with thee; as if he had said, "Many of them are obliged to wait so long for the determination of their suit that their patience must be soon necessarily worn out, as there is no one to hear every cause but thyself."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Thou wilt surely wear away - From decay and exhaustion.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. 17-18This kind of approach focuses too much on one leader. That is not good for the leader or for the people (see also 18:23).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 18:18
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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