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Exodus 18:13

in Exodus 18

The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening.

KJV

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

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This verse in Exodus 18

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
From the morning unto the evening - It may be assumed as at least probable that numerous cases of difficulty arose out of the division of the spoil of the Amalekites Exo 17:13, and causes would have accumulated during the journey from Elim.

This site's exposition

Moses sat to judge the people

on Exodus 18:13-14

This is the first court in Israel and it has one judge in it, with the people standing from the morning unto the evening. The cases themselves are never described, and chapter 17 has just recorded a battle with Amalek and the division of what came out of it. Jethro's question is about the shape of the arrangement rather than the rulings, why sittest thou thyself alone.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

) that the occasion of his giving that advice was on the morrow, yet it does not follow but that Moses's settlement of that affair might be some time after, when the law was given, as it is placed, Deut. i.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And it came to pass on the morrow,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Moses sat to judge the people, &c.--We are here presented with a specimen of his daily morning occupations; and among the multifarious duties his divine legation imposed, it must be considered only a small portion of his official employments.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

To judge the people - To hear and determine controversies between man and man, and to give them instruction in things appertaining to God. From the morning unto the evening - Moses was obliged to sit all day, and the people were continually coming and going.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW, i.e., on the morrow of the day on which they held the above-mentioned [feast], THAT MOSES SAT TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE. In the Mechilta, the Rabbis have said: 81 Mechilta on the verse here. “ On the morrow.
Ramban: Spain, 1194–1270 · Ramban on Exodus 18:13:1, via Sefaria, Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
All this took place before they came to Mount Sinai. 78 See above at the beginning of this Seder, where Ramban develops at length his explanation that Jethro, having arrived at the mount of G-d, sent a messenger to Moses in Rephidim, informing him of his arrival.
Ramban: Spain, 1194–1270 · Ramban on Exodus 18:12:1, via Sefaria, Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

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. 3 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

15 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.

  • וַיְהִי֙and it was

    vayhiH1961 →3559 times

  • מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔תfrom [the] next day

    mimochoratH4283 →32 times

  • וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבand he sat

    vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times

  • מֹשֶׁ֖הMoses

    moshehH4872 →765 times

  • לִשְׁפֹּ֣טto judge

    lishpotH8199 →202 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָעָ֑םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • וַיַּעֲמֹ֤דand it stood

    vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times

  • הָעָם֙the people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • עַל־at

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses

    moshehH4872 →765 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H4480 →1188 times

  • הַבֹּ֖קֶרthe morning

    habokerH1242 →214 times

  • עַד־until

    ʾad-H5704 →1261 times

  • הָעָֽרֶב׃the evening

    haarevH6153 →134 times

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

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joel 3:12Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.2 worksRomans 12:8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.2 worksJob 29:7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,2 worksRomans 13:6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.2 worksMatthew 23:2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.2 worksIsaiah 16:5in loving devotion a throne will be established in the tent of David. A judge seeking justice and hastening righteousness will sit on it in faithfulness.2 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Judges 5:10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder2 worksJudges 4:5And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.2 worksJeremiah 21:12O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.2 works1 Kings 3:16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.-1 works

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

    Romans 12:8

    if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 9:7

      Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

    • 1 Timothy 5:17

      Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

    • 1 Corinthians 12:28

      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.

    • 1 Timothy 3:4–5

      An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.

  • Through

    Matthew 23:2

    “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

    it leads to

    • Luke 20:46

      “Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

  • Through

    Romans 13:6

    This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 22:17–21

      So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

    • Luke 23:2

      And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

  • Through

    Joel 3:12

    Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.

    it leads to

    • Joel 3:2

      I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among…

About Exodus

The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Exodus: the study guide →Read Exodus 18 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Exodus 18 →