Deuteronomy 1:15
in Deuteronomy 1So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
KJV
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 1
Commentary
4 notes on this verseCaptains over thousands, etc. - What a curious and well-regulated economy was that of the Israelites! See its order and arrangement: 1. God, the King and Supreme Judge; 2. Moses, God’s prime minister; 3. The priests, consulting him by Urim and Thummim; 4. The chiefs or princes of the twelve tribes; 5. Chilliarchs, or captains over thousands; 6. Centurions, or captains over hundreds; 7. Tribunes, or captains over fifty men; 8. Decurions, or captains over ten men; and, 9. Officers, persons who might be employed by the different chiefs in executing particular commands.
This site's exposition
How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance
on Deuteronomy 1:12-15
The people choose and Moses appoints, which is the order set out in verse 13, take you wise men and I will make them rulers over you. Exodus 18:21 has Moses doing the choosing, and it asks for men who fear God and hate covetousness where verse 13 asks for men wise, understanding and known among their tribes. The grades are identical in both places, thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. Barnes separates these officers from the seventy elders of Numbers 11:16, who were a smaller and later body.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known,....
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.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֶקַּ֞ח | vaekach | and I took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רָאשֵׁ֣י | rashei | [the] chiefs of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם | shivteikhem | tribes your | H7626 → | 190 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֤ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| חֲכָמִים֙ | chakhamim | wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וִֽידֻעִ֔ים | viduim | and known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| וָאֶתֵּ֥ן | vaeten | and I appointed | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹתָ֛ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רָאשִׁ֖ים | rashim | chiefs | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם | ʾaleikhem | over you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָׂרֵ֨י | sarei | leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| אֲלָפִ֜ים | ʾalafim | thousands | H505 → | 505 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֣י | vesarei | and leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| מֵא֗וֹת | meot | hundreds | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֤י | vesarei | and leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| חֲמִשִּׁים֙ | chamishim | fifties | H2572 → | |
| וְשָׂרֵ֣י | vesarei | and leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת | ʾasarot | tens | H6235 → | 176 times |
| וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים | veshoterim | and officials | H7860 → | 25 times |
| לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃ | leshivteikhem | of tribes your | H7626 → | 190 times |
וָאֶקַּ֞חand I took
vaekachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רָאשֵׁ֣י[the] chiefs of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗םtribes your
shivteikhemH7626 →190 times
אֲנָשִׁ֤יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
חֲכָמִים֙wise
chakhamimH2450 →138 times
וִֽידֻעִ֔יםand known
viduimH3045 →945 times
וָאֶתֵּ֥ןand I appointed
vaetenH5414 →2011 times
אֹתָ֛ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
רָאשִׁ֖יםchiefs
rashimH7218 →599 times
עֲלֵיכֶ֑םover you
ʾaleikhemH5921 →5755 times
שָׂרֵ֨יleaders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
אֲלָפִ֜יםthousands
ʾalafimH505 →505 times
וְשָׂרֵ֣יand leaders of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
מֵא֗וֹתhundreds
meotH3967 →581 times
וְשָׂרֵ֤יand leaders of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
חֲמִשִּׁים֙fifties
chamishimH2572 →
וְשָׂרֵ֣יand leaders of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
עֲשָׂרֹ֔תtens
ʾasarotH6235 →176 times
וְשֹׁטְרִ֖יםand officials
veshoterimH7860 →25 times
לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃of tribes your
leshivteikhemH7626 →190 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Ephesians 4:11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
it leads to
- Jeremiah 3:15
Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:28–29
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
- Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- 2 Timothy 4:5
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
- Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- Jeremiah 3:15
Through
Deuteronomy 16:18You 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.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 23:4
“Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,
- 1 Chronicles 23:4
Through
1 Samuel 17:18Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
it leads to
- Genesis 37:14
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when…
- 1 Samuel 16:20
And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.
- Genesis 37:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
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.
