Deuteronomy 1:13
in Deuteronomy 1Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.
KJV
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 1
Commentary
6 notes on this verseTake you wise men - חכמים chachamim, such as had gained knowledge by great labor and study. Understanding נבנים nebonim, persons of discernment, judicious men. Known, ידעים yeduim, persons practiced in the operations of nature, capable of performing curious and important works.
This site's exposition
how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes
on Deuteronomy 1:12-15
Verse 13 has the people choose "wise, understanding, and respected men", and Moses appoints them. Exodus 18:21 has Moses doing the choosing and asks for men "God-fearing, trustworthy" and "averse to dishonest gain".
This site's exposition
wise, understanding, and respected men
Three qualities are asked for, and each is a matter of character and skill. Adam Clarke glosses the Hebrew words as men who had gained knowledge by labour, men of discernment, and men practised and known for their work.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The rise and origin of this nation were so late that none of them could pretend to antiquity of race, and nobility of birth, above their brethren; and, having all lately come out of slavery in Egypt, it is probable that one family was not much richer than another; so that their choice must be directed purely by the qualifications of wisdom, experience, and integrity.
Take ye wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes,.... Not only whose persons were well known, but their characters and qualifications, for their probity and integrity, for their wisdom and prudence in the management of affairs, for their skill and knowledge in things divine and human, civil and religious, and for their capacity in judging and determining matters in difference; see Exo 18:21. and I will make them rulers over you; the people were allowed to choose their own officers, whom they were to bring to Moses, and present before him, to be invested with their office.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Ex 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of subordinate officers, Moses, by a beautiful allusion to the patriarchal blessing, ascribed the necessity of that memorable change in the government to the vast increase of the population.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
VIDU’IM L’SHIVTEICHEM’ (AND KNOWN AMONG YOUR TRIBES) — “men who are known to you. For if he were to come before me [Moses] wrapped in his robe, I would not know who he is and of what tribe he is, but you know him for you have raised him.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
HOW CAN I MYSELF ALONE BEAR ‘TORCHACHEM’ (YOUR TROUBLE) ‘UMASA’ACHEM’ (AND YOUR BURDEN), V’RIVCHEM (AND YOUR STRIFE)? According to the simple meaning of Scripture, Moses our teacher alluded to them the three things which he told Jethro that he was doing for the people, as I have explained there.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָב֣וּ | havu | provide | H3051 → | |
| לָ֠כֶם | lakhem | for yourselves | ||
| אֲנָשִׁ֨ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| חֲכָמִ֧ים | chakhamim | wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וּנְבֹנִ֛ים | unevonim | and understanding | H995 → | 170 times |
| וִידֻעִ֖ים | viduim | and known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם | leshivteikhem | to tribes your | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וַאֲשִׂימֵ֖ם | vaasimem | so I may appoint them | H7760 → | 584 times |
| בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶֽם׃ | berasheikhem | <in> chiefs your | H7218 → | 599 times |
הָב֣וּprovide
havuH3051 →
לָ֠כֶםfor yourselves
lakhem
אֲנָשִׁ֨יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
חֲכָמִ֧יםwise
chakhamimH2450 →138 times
וּנְבֹנִ֛יםand understanding
unevonimH995 →170 times
וִידֻעִ֖יםand known
viduimH3045 →945 times
לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑םto tribes your
leshivteikhemH7626 →190 times
וַאֲשִׂימֵ֖םso I may appoint them
vaasimemH7760 →584 times
בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶֽם׃<in> chiefs your
berasheikhemH7218 →599 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 18:21Furthermore, 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.
it leads to
- Acts 6:3
Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them
- 2 Chronicles 19:5–10
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Deuteronomy 1:13–17
Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
- Deuteronomy 16:18–19
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 2 Samuel 23:3
The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
- Acts 6:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.