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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they cross the Jordan. He commands the tribes to establish local courts in every town God gives them.

The words — The text commands the appointment of שֹׁפְטִים (shoftim, judges) and שֹׁטְרִים (shotrim, officials) in every gate. The verb תַּתֵּן (tattein) carries the imperative force to establish these authorities.

The thread — This appointment pattern echoes Moses’ earlier delegation of leadership to capable men in Exodus 18:25 and David’s later organization of 6,000 officers and judges in 1 Chronicles 23:4.

Why it lands — The verse requires establishing local judicial authority in every settlement before demanding impartiality and rejecting bribes in the following verse. It places the responsibility of righteous governance on the community rather than leaving it to a distant central power.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

שֹׁפְטִ֣יםsho.fe.Timjudges וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗יםve./sho.te.Rimand/ officials תִּֽתֶּן־ti.ten-you will appointלְךָ֙le./Khafor/ yourselfבְּכָל־be./kholin/ all שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָshe.'a.Rei./khagates/ your אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich יְהוָ֧הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your נֹתֵ֥ןno.Ten[is] about to giveלְךָ֖le./Khato/ youלִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָli/sh.va.Tei./khafor/ tribes/ your וְשָׁפְט֥וּve./sha.fe.Tuand/ they will judge אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָעָ֖םha./'Amthe/ people מִשְׁפַּט־mish.pat-judgment of צֶֽדֶק׃Tze.dekrighteousness

King James Version

Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Cross-references

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,
Exodus 18:25 So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Exodus 21:6 then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
Deuteronomy 1:15 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.
Deuteronomy 17:9 You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
Deuteronomy 17:12 But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Deuteronomy 19:17 both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
Deuteronomy 21:2 your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.
1 Chronicles 26:29 From the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties as officers and judges over Israel.
2 Chronicles 19:5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.