Exodus 18:23
in Exodus 18If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.
KJV
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
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This verse in Exodus 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To their place - i. e. to Canaan, which is thus recognized by Jethro as the appointed and true home of Israel. Compare Num 10:29-30.
This site's exposition
let them judge the people at all seasons
on Exodus 18:22-23
The plan sorts cases by weight, with every small matter settled below and every great matter carried up, and the stated aim is that they shall bear the burden with thee. Jethro then puts his own advice under review in the same breath he gives it, if thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so. He also names the destination as their place, which is the land, so a Midianite priest speaks of Canaan as Israel's home before Israel has a law.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
To congratulate the happiness of Israel, and particularly the honour of Moses his son-in-law; and now Jethro thinks himself well paid for all the kindness he had shown to Moses in his distress, and his daughter better matched than he could have expected. Jethro could not but hear what all the country rang of, the glorious appearances of God for his people Israel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
): If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so. Jethro knew that Moses had a better counsellor than he was, and to his counsel he refers him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
If thou shall do this thing,....
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.
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee - Though the measure was obviously of the utmost importance, and plainly recommended itself by its expediency and necessity; yet Jethro very modestly leaves it to the wisdom of Moses to choose or reject it; and, knowing that in all things his relative was now acting under the immediate direction of God, intimates that no measure can be safely adopted without a positive injunction from God himself. As the counsel was doubtless inspired by the Divine Spirit, we find that it was sanctioned by the same, for Moses acted in every respect according to the advice he had received.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִ֣ם | ʾim | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֤ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּה֙ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְצִוְּךָ֣ | vetzivekha | and he will command you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְיָֽכָלְתָּ֖ | veyakhalta | and you will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| עֲמֹ֑ד | ʾamod | to endure | H5975 → | 521 times |
| וְגַם֙ | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מְקֹמ֖וֹ | mekomo | place its | H4725 → | 401 times |
| יָבֹ֥א | yavo' | it will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ | veshalom | in peace | H7965 → | 236 times |
אִ֣םif
ʾimH518 →1069 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֤רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּה֙<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֔הyou will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
וְצִוְּךָ֣and he will command you
vetzivekhaH6680 →494 times
אֱלֹהִ֔יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
וְיָֽכָלְתָּ֖and you will be able
veyakhaltaH3201 →194 times
עֲמֹ֑דto endure
ʾamodH5975 →521 times
וְגַם֙and also
vegamH1571 →769 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מְקֹמ֖וֹplace its
mekomoH4725 →401 times
יָבֹ֥אit will go
yavo'H935 →2568 times
בְשָׁלֽוֹם׃in peace
veshalomH7965 →236 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
Exodus 18:18Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
it leads to
- Numbers 11:14–17
I cannot carry all these people by myself; it is too burdensome for me.
- Acts 6:1–4
In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
- Philippians 2:30
because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.
- 2 Corinthians 12:15
And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?
- Numbers 11:14–17
Through
2 Samuel 18:3But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 21:17
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the…
- 2 Samuel 21:17
Through
1 Samuel 8:22“Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as…
- Hosea 13:11
So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.
- 1 Samuel 8:7
Through
Genesis 18:33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
it leads to
- Genesis 32:26
Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
- Genesis 32:26
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.