Exodus 18:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

NIV: They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

NASB: Then they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves.

CSB: They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

NLT: These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.

KJV: And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

NKJV: So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

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.

Accessed 6/16/2025 4:34:02 PM