Tree of Life Version
Exodus 18:21
21But you should seek out capable men out of all the people—men who fear God, men of truth, who hate bribery. Appoint them to be rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and 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 my voice—I will give you advice, and may God be with you! You, represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God. 20Enlighten them as to the statutes and the laws, and show them the way by which they must walk and the work they must do. But you should seek out capable men out of all the people—men who fear God, men of truth, who hate bribery. Appoint them to be rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22Let them judge the people all the time. Then let every major case be brought to you, but every minor case they can judge for themselves. Make it easier for yourself, as they bear the burden with you. 23If you do this thing as God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their places in shalom.”
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 1:13Choose for yourselves wise and discerning men, well known to your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’
- Acts 6:3So, brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this duty.
- Exodus 18:25Moses chose capable men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
- Deuteronomy 16:18“Judges and officers you are to appoint within all your gates that Adonai your God is giving you, according to your tribes; and they are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 1 Kings 3:9So give Your servant a mind of understanding to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil—for who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
- Proverbs 28:2When a country is in rebellion, it has many rulers, but a man of discernment and knowledge maintains order.
- Exodus 23:2“Do not follow a crowd to do evil. Nor are you to testify in a case, to follow a crowd and pervert justice.
- Genesis 22:12Then He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the young man—do nothing to him at all. For now I know that you are one who fears God—you did not withhold your son, your only son, from Me.”
- Genesis 42:18Then Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and you will live. I fear God.
- 2 Samuel 23:3The God of Israel has said, the Rock of Israel has spoken to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, he who rules in the fear of God—
- 1 Kings 18:3Ahab summoned Obadiah who was the steward of the palace. Now Obadiah feared Adonai greatly—
- 2 Chronicles 19:5He also appointed judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.
- Nehemiah 5:9Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good! Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, in order to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?
- Nehemiah 7:2I put in charge over Jerusalem, my brother Hanani along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, for he was a man of integrity and feared God more than many.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13A final word, when all has been heard: Fear God and keep His mitzvot! For this applies to all mankind.
- Luke 18:2He said, “There was a judge in a certain city 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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