New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 1:15
15So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.
Deuteronomy 1:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
- New International Version (NIV)So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
Context of Deuteronomy 1:15
13Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’ 14“Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten. 16“At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 17and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’
Read all of Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 1:15 word by word
וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־רָאשֵׁ֣י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁ֤ים חֲכָמִים֙ וִֽידֻעִ֔ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שָׂרֵ֨י אֲלָפִ֜ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֗וֹת וְשָׂרֵ֤י חֲמִשִּׁים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So I tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- of your tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- and knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- and madeנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- over you, captainsשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- over thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- over hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- over fiftiesחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- over tensעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- and officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 1:15
- Deuteronomy 16:18“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
- Exodus 18:25He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.
- Ephesians 4:11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
- Numbers 31:14But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle.
- 1 Samuel 8:12Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.
- 1 Samuel 17:18And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”
- 1 Samuel 22:7“Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army?
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Captains over thousands, etc. - What a curious and well-regulated economy was that of the Israelites! See its order and arrangement: God, the King and Supreme Judge; Moses, God's prime minister; The priests, consulting him by Urim and Thummim; The chiefs or princes of the twelve tribes; Chilliarchs, or captains over thousands; Centurions, or captains over hundreds; Tribunes, or captains over fifty men; Decurions, or captains over ten men; and, Officers…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exodus 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only. A comparison between this passage and that in Exodus makes it obvious that Moses is only touching on certain parts of the whole history, without regard to order of time, but with a special purpose. This important arrangement for the good government of the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Moses reminds the people of the happy constitution of their government, which might make them all safe and easy, if it was not their own fault. He owns the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham, and prays for the further accomplishment of it. We are not straitened in the power and goodness of God; why should we be straitened in our own faith and hope? Good laws were given to the Israelites, and good men were to see to the execution of them…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15thousands … hundreds … fifties … tens: These numbers describe a common way to organize an army. Soldiers were grouped under leaders of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. Because this was a normal military system, some of these officials were likely military officers (see 1 Samuel 8:12; 22:7; 2 Samuel 18:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-189-18. I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone--a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Ex 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 1:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1
- 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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