Exodus 18:16
in Exodus 18“Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
KJV
When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
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This verse in Exodus 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseI do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws - These words are so very particular that they leave little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such words would scarcely have been used had not the statutes and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the proofs that the transaction mentioned here stands out of its due chronological order; See Clarke’s note on Exo 18:5.
This site's exposition
Because the people come unto me to enquire of God
on Exodus 18:15-16
Moses describes two tasks, deciding between one man and another, and making them know the statutes of God, and his laws. Adam Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read that mention of statutes and laws, together with Deuteronomy 1:9 to 1:15, as evidence that the chapter sits out of chronological order and belongs after Sinai. Others keep the sequence as written, since Exodus 15:25 had already made a statute and an ordinance at Marah, before any law was given from the mountain. The chapter itself gives no date for the visit.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty nor over-task ourselves with that which is beyond our strength. He advised him to such a model of government as would better answer the intention, which was, (1.) That he should reserve to himself all applications to God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But now it was past dispute that God had made him one; and they humbly attend him whom they had then proudly rejected. Such was the business Moses was called to, and it appears that he did it, (1.) With great consideration, which, some think, is intimated in his posture: he sat to judge (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
When they have a matter, they come unto me,....
His business was, not to make laws, but to make known God's laws; his place was but that of a servant. (2.) He was to decide controversies, and determine matters in variance, judging between a man and his fellow,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִהְיֶ֨ה | yihyeh | it will be[long] | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָהֶ֤ם | lahem | to them | ||
| דָּבָר֙ | davar | a matter | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | [it is] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְשָׁ֣פַטְתִּ֔י | veshafati | and I judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| בֵּ֥ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וּבֵ֣ין | uvein | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| רֵעֵ֑הוּ | reehu | neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
| וְהוֹדַעְתִּ֛י | vehoda'ti | and I make known | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֻקֵּ֥י | chukei | [the] statutes of | H2706 → | 127 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תּוֹרֹתָֽיו׃ | torotav | laws his | H8451 → | 219 times |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִהְיֶ֨הit will be[long]
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
לָהֶ֤םto them
lahem
דָּבָר֙a matter
davarH1697 →1440 times
בָּ֣א[it is] coming
ba'H935 →2568 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
וְשָׁ֣פַטְתִּ֔יand I judge
veshafatiH8199 →202 times
בֵּ֥יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
אִ֖ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וּבֵ֣יןand between
uveinH996 →407 times
רֵעֵ֑הוּneighbor his
reehuH7453 →188 times
וְהוֹדַעְתִּ֛יand I make known
vehoda'tiH3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֻקֵּ֥י[the] statutes of
chukeiH2706 →127 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
תּוֹרֹתָֽיו׃laws his
torotavH8451 →219 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
Deuteronomy 4:5See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:1
Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2
Finally, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live in a way that is pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live,…
- Hebrews 3:5
Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.
- Proverbs 22:19–20
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you.
- Deuteronomy 4:1
Through
1 Corinthians 6:1If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
it leads to
- Matthew 18:15–17
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
- Matthew 18:15–17
Through
Exodus 24:14And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.”
it leads to
- Exodus 17:12
When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his…
- Exodus 17:12
Through
Deuteronomy 5:1Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I declare in your hearing this day. Learn them and observe them carefully.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:3
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
- Matthew 23:3
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.