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Deuteronomy 1:15

in Deuteronomy 1

So 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.

This verse in Deuteronomy 1

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Captains 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 & Brown

1802–1910

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 words

Every 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.

  • וָאֶקַּ֞חand I took

    vaekachH3947966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • רָאשֵׁ֣י[the] chiefs of

    rasheiH7218599 times

  • שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗םtribes your

    shivteikhemH7626190 times

  • אֲנָשִׁ֤יםmen

    ʾanashimH582566 times

  • חֲכָמִים֙wise

    chakhamimH2450138 times

  • וִֽידֻעִ֔יםand known

    viduimH3045945 times

  • וָאֶתֵּ֥ןand I appointed

    vaetenH54142011 times

  • אֹתָ֛ם<obj.> them

    ʾotamH85310935 times

  • רָאשִׁ֖יםchiefs

    rashimH7218599 times

  • עֲלֵיכֶ֑םover you

    ʾaleikhemH59215755 times

  • שָׂרֵ֨יleaders of

    sareiH8269421 times

  • אֲלָפִ֜יםthousands

    ʾalafimH505505 times

  • וְשָׂרֵ֣יand leaders of

    vesareiH8269421 times

  • מֵא֗וֹתhundreds

    meotH3967581 times

  • וְשָׂרֵ֤יand leaders of

    vesareiH8269421 times

  • חֲמִשִּׁים֙fifties

    chamishimH2572

  • וְשָׂרֵ֣יand leaders of

    vesareiH8269421 times

  • עֲשָׂרֹ֔תtens

    ʾasarotH6235176 times

  • וְשֹׁטְרִ֖יםand officials

    veshoterimH786025 times

  • לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃of tribes your

    leshivteikhemH7626190 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 4:11

    And 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.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 16:18

    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.

    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,

  • Through

    1 Samuel 17:18

    Take 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.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

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.