Exodus 18:16

Exodus 18:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
• New International Version (NIV)Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws."
• New King James Version (NKJV)When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Context of Exodus 18:16

14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What’s this you’re doing to the people? Why sit by yourself, alone, with all the people standing around from morning until evening?” 15Moses answered his father-in-law, “It’s because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have an issue, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, so I make them understand God’s statutes and His laws.” 17But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you’re doing is no good. 18You will surely wear yourself out, as well as these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone, by yourself.

Exodus 18:16 word by word

כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם דָּבָר֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י וְשָׁ֣פַטְתִּ֔י בֵּ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ וּבֵ֣ין רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְהוֹדַעְתִּ֛י אֶת־חֻקֵּ֥י הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים וְאֶת־תּוֹרֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When they have a matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• they comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto me; and I judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• between oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• and anotherרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and his lawsתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451

Cross-references for Exodus 18:16

• Exodus 23:7Stay far away from a false charge. Do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify the guilty.
• Exodus 24:14To the elders he said, “Wait for us here until we come back to you. See, Aaron and Hur are with you—whoever has a dispute should go to them.”
• Deuteronomy 17:8“Suppose a matter arises that is too hard for you to judge—over bloodshed, legal claims or assault—matters of controversy within your gates. Then you should go up to the place Adonai your God chooses,
• 2 Samuel 15:3Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear you.”
• Job 31:13“If I have denied justice to my male or female servant when they disputed with me,
• Acts 18:14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jewish people, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or a vicious crime, there would be a reason to put up with you, O Jews.
• 1 Corinthians 6:1Does any one of you, when he has a matter against his neighbor, dare to go to court before the unrighteous and not before the kedoshim?
• Exodus 2:13Then he went out the following day, and saw two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the guilty one, “Why are you beating your companion?”
• Leviticus 24:15“Then you will speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: Whoever curses his God will bear his sin.
• Numbers 15:35Adonai said to Moses, “The man has to die. The whole assembly is to stone him with stones outside the camp.”
• Numbers 27:6and Adonai spoke to Moses saying,
• Numbers 36:6This is the word that Adonai commands for the daughters of Zelophehad saying: They may become wives to whomever they please, as long as they marry within the family of the tribe of their father.
• Deuteronomy 4:5“See, just as Adonai my God commanded me, I have taught you statutes and ordinances to do in the land that you are about to enter to possess.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Moses called to all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances that I am speaking in your hearing today, learn them and make sure to do them.
• Deuteronomy 6:1“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and ordinances that Adonai your God commanded to teach you to do in the land you are crossing over to possess—
• 1 Samuel 12:23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Adonai by ceasing to pray for you! Yet I will keep instructing you in the good and straight way.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws - These words are so very particular that they leave little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such words would scarcely have been used had not the statutes and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the proofs that the transaction mentioned here stands out of its due chronological order; See Clarke's note on Exodus 18:5.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. 13-16Moses had begun to take a role similar to Pharaoh’s. He was making himself necessary for every decision the people faced.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 18:16

• Government
• Moses
• Rulers

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