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New Living Translation

Exodus 18:21

But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Court;   Covetousness;   Fear of God;   Government;   Integrity;   Judge;   Moses;   Prudence;   Rulers;   Truth;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   Magistrates;   Nation, the;   Rulers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Covetousness;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Kenites, the;   Magistrates;   Prudence;   Truth;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jethro;   Justice;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judge;   Moses;   Number;   Ruler;   Truth;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Wages;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Captain;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jehoshaphat;   Judges;   Rephidim;   War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Exodus, Book of;   Fear;   Hundreds;   Judge (Office);   Rephidim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Jethro;   Judges;   Justice;   Moses;   Truth;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Snare;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Judges;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covetousness;   Decision;   Gate, East;   Government;   Jethro;   Judge;   Judging;   Moses;   Prince;   Ruler;   Truth;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Appeal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bribery;   Captain;   Conferences, Rabbinical;   Covetousness;   Didascalia;   Essenes;   ḥanina B. Dosa;   Hatred;   Jethro;   Judge;   Titles of Honor;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
King James Version
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:
Lexham English Bible
And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain, and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.
New Century Version
But choose some capable men from among the people—men who respect God, who can be trusted, and who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men officers over the people, to rule over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
New English Translation
But you choose from the people capable men, God-fearing, men of truth, those who hate bribes, and put them over the people as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Amplified Bible
"Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
New American Standard Bible
"Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Moreouer, prouide thou among al the people men of courage, fearing God, men dealing truely, hating couetousnesse: and appoynt such ouer them to be rulers ouer thousandes, rulers ouer hundreths, rulers ouer fifties, and rulers ouer tennes.
Legacy Standard Bible
But you shall select excellent men out of all the people, those who fear God, men of truth, those who hate greedy gain; and you shall place these men over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Contemporary English Version
You will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest. Then put them over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand.
Complete Jewish Bible
But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Darby Translation
But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [them] over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens,
Easy-to-Read Version
But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders. "Choose good men you can trust—men who respect God. Choose men who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men rulers over the people. There should be rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and even over ten people.
English Standard Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men who fear God, truthful men who hate bribes and deceit; and appoint such over them to be officers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Good News Translation
But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed.
Christian Standard Bible®
But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Literal Translation
And you, you shall look out men of ability out of all the people, who fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain. And you place these over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But loke out amonge all the people, for honest men, that feare God, soch as are true, & hate couetousnes: make these rulers ouer them, some ouer thousandes, ouer hundredes, ouer fiftie, and ouer ten,
American Standard Version
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Bible in Basic English
But for the rest, take from among the people able men, such as have the fear of God, true men hating profits wrongly made; and put such men over them, to be captains of thousands, captains of hundreds and of fifties and of tens;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer, thou shalt seeke out among all the people, men of actiuitie [and] such as feare God, true men hating couetousnes, and place [of these] ouer the [people] rulers of thousandes, rulers of hundrethes, rulers of fiftithes, and rulers of tennes,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
King James Version (1611)
Moreouer thou shalt prouide out of all the people able men, such as feare God, men of trueth, hating couetousnesse, and place such ouer them, to bee rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tennes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And do thou look out for thyself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and thou shalt set over the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens.
English Revised Version
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Berean Standard Bible
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people-God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe puruey thou of al the puple myyti men, and dredynge God, in whiche is treuthe, and whiche haten auarice; and ordeyne thou of hem tribunes, and centuriouns, and quinquagenaries, and deenys,
Young's Literal Translation
`And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and hast placed [these] over them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,
Update Bible Version
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Webster's Bible Translation
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:
World English Bible
Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
New King James Version
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.
New Life Bible
Also, you should choose from the people able men who fear God, men of truth who hate to get things by doing wrong. Have these men rule over the people, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
New Revised Standard
You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou thyself, therefore shalt look out, from among all the people - men of ability, reverers of God, men of fidelity, haters of extortion, - and place them over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, in whom there is truth, and that hate avarice, and appoint of them rulers of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens,
Revised Standard Version
Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

Contextual Overview

13 The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people's disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?" 15 Moses replied, "Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God's decrees and give them his instructions." 17 "This is not good!" Moses' father-in-law exclaimed. 18 "You're going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God's decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Moreover: Deuteronomy 1:13-17, Acts 6:3

able men: Exodus 18:25, Deuteronomy 16:18, 1 Kings 3:9-12, Proverbs 28:2

such as: Exodus 23:2-9, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 42:18, 2 Samuel 23:3, 1 Kings 18:3, 1 Kings 18:12, 2 Chronicles 19:5-10, Nehemiah 5:9, Nehemiah 7:2, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Luke 18:2, Luke 18:4

men: Job 29:16, Job 31:13, Isaiah 16:5, Isaiah 59:4, Isaiah 59:14, Isaiah 59:15, Jeremiah 5:1, Ezekiel 18:8, Zechariah 7:9, Zechariah 8:16

hating: Exodus 23:8, Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 16:19, 1 Samuel 8:3, 1 Samuel 12:3, 1 Samuel 12:4, Psalms 26:9, Psalms 26:10, Isaiah 33:15, Ezekiel 22:12, Acts 20:33, 1 Timothy 3:3, 1 Timothy 6:9-11, 2 Peter 2:14, 2 Peter 2:15

rulers of thousands: Whatever matter the decarch, or ruler over ten, could not decide, went to the pentecontarch, or ruler of fifty, and thence by degrees to the hecatontarch, or ruler over a hundred, to the chiliarch, or ruler over a thousand, to Moses, and at length to God himself. Each magistrate had the care or inspection of only ten men; the decarch superintended ten private characters; the hecatontarch ten decarchs; and the chiliarch, ten hecatontarchs. Numbers 10:4, Deuteronomy 1:15, Joshua 22:14, 1 Samuel 8:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:6 - rulers Exodus 21:6 - the judges Exodus 22:9 - the cause of both parties Leviticus 4:22 - a ruler hath sinned Leviticus 19:15 - General Numbers 1:16 - heads Numbers 25:5 - judges Joshua 22:21 - heads Judges 6:15 - my family is poor Ruth 4:2 - the elders 1 Kings 4:2 - the princes 1 Chronicles 12:20 - captains 2 Chronicles 19:7 - let the Ezra 7:25 - set magistrates Psalms 82:1 - God Psalms 119:36 - and not to Proverbs 15:27 - but Proverbs 28:16 - he that Isaiah 3:3 - captain Jeremiah 22:17 - covetousness Daniel 6:1 - an Micah 5:2 - thousands Malachi 3:5 - fear Ephesians 5:3 - covetousness

Cross-References

Genesis 11:5
But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.
Genesis 11:7
Come, let's go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other."
Genesis 18:1
The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.
Genesis 18:24
Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes?
Exodus 3:8
So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.
Exodus 33:5
For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, "You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you."
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.
Deuteronomy 13:3
do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.
Joshua 22:22
"The Lord , the Mighty One, is God! The Lord , the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord . If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day.
Job 34:22
No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people,.... Or look out t from among them; see Acts 6:3,

able men; or "men of power" u; meaning not so much men of strong and robust constitutions, who, as Aben Ezra says, are able to bear labour; but men that have strength of heart, as Ben Gersom expresses it, men of spirit and courage, and are not afraid to do justice, to repress vice, and countenance virtue; or, as Maimonides says w, have a strong heart, or courage and boldness to deliver the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor. Jarchi interprets it of rich men, of men of substance, who have no need to flatter, or play the hypocrite, and to know the faces of men:

such as fear God; who have the fear of God before their eyes, and on their hearts, in all they do, and therefore cannot do those things that others do, who are destitute of it; cannot give a cause the wrong way wilfully, or pervert judgment, and are the reverse of the character of the unjust judge, that neither feared God nor regarded man, Luke 18:2:

men of truth; true men, sincere, upright, and faithful men, that love truth and hate lies and falsehood, and will take some pains to get at the truth of a cause, to inquire where it lies, and pursue and encourage it where it is found, and discourage to the uttermost falsehood, lies, and perjury: hating covetousness; in themselves and others, filthy lucre, dishonest gain, mammon of unrighteousness, and so not to be bribed and corrupted, and execute wrong judgment for the sake of money:

and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; meaning not courts of judicature, consisting of such a number of judges, for such a court was never known to have a thousand judges upon the bench at once; the highest court of judicature that ever was among the Jews, which was long after this time, consisted but of seventy or seventy one: but the sense is, that each of these should have such a number of persons, or rather families, under their care, who, when they applied unto them for justice, should faithfully administer it to them;

Luke 18:2- :.

t תחזה "videbis", Montanus; "tu prospice", Tigurine version; "tu videto", Drusius. u אנשי חיל "viros virtutis", Montanus, Vatablus; "viros fortitudinis", Cartwright.

w Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Able 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 a gens under one head, Numbers 1:16; Numbers 10:4; Joshua 22:14.

The word “rulers,” sometimes rendered “princes,” is general, including all ranks of officials placed in command. The same word is used regularly on Egyptian monuments of the time of Moses.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 18:21. Able 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; labouring to promote the general good; never perverting judgment, or suppressing the testimonies of God, for the love of money or through a base, man-pleasing spirit, but expecting their reward from the mercy of God in the resurrection of the just.

Rulers of thousands, c.Millenaries, centurions, quinquagenaries, and decurions each of these, in all probability, dependent on that officer immediately above himself. So the decurion, or ruler over ten, if he found a matter too hard for him, brought it to the quinquagenary, or ruler of fifty; if, in the course of the exercise of his functions, he found a cause too complicated for him to decide on, he brought it to the centurion, or ruler over a hundred. In like manner the centurion brought his difficult case to the millenary, or ruler over a thousand; the case that was too hard for him to judge, he brought to Moses; and the case that was too hard for Moses, he brought immediately to GOD. It is likely that each of these classes had a court composed of its own members, in which causes were heard and tried. Some of the rabbins have supposed that there were 600 rulers of thousands, 6000 rulers of hundreds, 12,000 rulers of fifties and 60,000 rulers of tens; making in the whole 78,600 officers. But Josephus says (Antiq., lib. iii., chap. 4) that Moses, by the advice of Jethro, appointed rulers over myriads, and then over thousands; these he divided into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties; and appointed rulers over each of these, who divided them into thirties, and at last into twenties and tens; that each of these companies had a chief, who took his name from the number of persons who were under his direction and government. Allowing what Josephus states to be correct, some have supposed that there could not have been less than 129,860 officers in the Israelitish camp. But such computations are either fanciful or absurd. That the people were divided into thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, we know, for the text states it, but we cannot tell precisely how many of such divisions there were, nor, consequently, the number of officers.


 
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