Exodus 18:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

NIV: Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

NASB: Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.

CSB: They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you.

NLT: They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you.

KJV: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

NKJV: And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

Exodus 18:13–27 contains Jethro's helpful advice to Moses. Jethro advises his son-in-law not to take on the burden of resolving every dispute or question among the Israelites. Instead, he advises Moses to appoint a series of leaders. Each can pass a difficult judgment up to the next level. Only those which cannot be resolved by the lower levels should be brought to Moses. This frees Moses from trivial questions and lets him focus on larger concerns.

Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Exodus 4:18) has heard everything which happened to free the Hebrews from slavery (Exodus 12:40–41). He visits Israel, bringing Moses' family along. The two men share a happy reunion. After hearing more about the Lord's work, Jethro offers sacrifices. The next day, he notices that Moses is overwhelmed by making decisions for the people. Jethro suggests Moses appoint levels of leaders who can make lesser verdicts. Moses can then focus on teaching the people God's primary commands and resolving disputes which others cannot judge. This frees Moses to only arbitrate difficult situations.

Through God's power, Israel has just defeated an Amalekite attack (Exodus 17:8–13). Now Moses' father-in-law (Exodus 2:16–22) makes a visit. This man is Jethro, also known as Reuel. He sees Moses' burden as a leader and suggests ways to ease the pressure. Next, Israel will arrive at Mount Sinai. There they will receive God's instructions in the form of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19—20) and other specific components of God's covenant with them.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.