Exodus 18:19
in Exodus 18Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people to God-ward, and bring thou the causes unto God:
KJV
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
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This verse in Exodus 18
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Counsel - Jethro draws the distinction between the functions of the legislator and the judge. To God-ward - Literally, “before God,” standing between them and God, both as His minister or representative and also as the representative of the people, their agent, so to speak, or deputy before God.
This site's exposition
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel
on Exodus 18:19-20
Jethro keeps two things in the hands of Moses and hands the rest away. Moses is to stand for the people to God-ward and bring the causes unto God, and he is to teach them ordinances and laws and shew them the way wherein they must walk. What goes to other men is the volume of ordinary cases, and what stays with Moses is access to God and the teaching of what God has said.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Augustine of Hippo354–430
ON CHRISTIAN TEACHING, PROLOGUE 7 · Written before 430.
proposed
God spoke to Moses, did he not? Yet Moses very prudently and humbly yielded to the advice of his father-in-law, foreigner though he was, with regard to governing and directing such a mighty nation. For he realized that from whatever intellect right counsel proceeded, it should be attributed not to him who conceived it but to the One who is the Truth, the immutable God.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoON CHRISTIAN TEACHING, PROLOGUE 7 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
God spoke to Moses, did he not? Yet Moses very prudently and humbly yielded to the advice of his father-in-law, foreigner though he was, with regard to governing and directing such a mighty nation. For he realized that from whatever intellect right counsel proceeded, it should be attributed not to him who conceived it but to the One who is the Truth, the immutable God.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): Be thou for them to God-ward; that was an honour in which it was not fit any other should share with him, Num. xii. Also whatever concerned the whole congregation in general must pass through his hand,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For judgment and resolution, able men: men of good sense, that understood business; and bold men, that would not be daunted by frowns or clamours. Clear heads and stout hearts make good Judges. For piety, such as fear God, who believe there is a God above them, whose eye is upon them, to whom they are accountable, and whose judgment they stand in awe of.
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee - Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting such measures before, but he chose in this case to help man by man, and in the present instance a permanent basis was laid to consolidate the union of the two families, and prevent all future misunderstandings.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַתָּ֞ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| שְׁמַ֤ע | shema' | listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּקֹלִי֙ | bekoli | to voice my | H6963 → | 506 times |
| אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ | ʾiatzekha | let me advise you | H3289 → | |
| וִיהִ֥י | vihi | and may he be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עִמָּ֑ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| הֱיֵ֧ה | heyeh | be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לָעָ֗ם | laam | for the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| מ֚וּל | mul | in front of | H4136 → | 36 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ | veheveta | and you will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אַתָּ֛ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֖ים | hadevarim | the matters | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
עַתָּ֞הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
שְׁמַ֤עlisten
shema'H8085 →1159 times
בְּקֹלִי֙to voice my
bekoliH6963 →506 times
אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔let me advise you
ʾiatzekhaH3289 →
וִיהִ֥יand may he be
vihiH1961 →3559 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
עִמָּ֑ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
הֱיֵ֧הbe
heyehH1961 →3559 times
אַתָּ֣הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
לָעָ֗םfor the people
laamH5971 →1873 times
מ֚וּלin front of
mulH4136 →36 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְהֵבֵאתָ֥and you will bring
vehevetaH935 →2568 times
אַתָּ֛הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדְּבָרִ֖יםthe matters
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 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
Genesis 39:2And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:14
and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Jeremiah 15:20
Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver…
- Genesis 26:28
“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
- Acts 7:9–10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- 1 Samuel 18:14
Through
Exodus 3:12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will…
it leads to
- Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Deuteronomy 31:23
Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with…
- Joshua 1:5
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON CHRISTIAN TEACHING, PROLOGUE 7; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.