Exodus 18:22

Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jethro addresses Moses at the Sinai camp, advising him to delegate judicial authority to appointed leaders to manage the ongoing disputes of the Israelites.

The words — The Hebrew verb שָפְטוּ (sha.fetu) means "they will judge," paired with בְּכָל עֵת (be.khol 'et) for "at all times," establishing a continuous, non-stop judicial duty.

The thread — This delegation pattern repeats in Exodus 18:26, where the appointed men consistently judge the people and refer difficult cases to Moses, and structurally parallels the Spirit-sharing model in Numbers 11:17.

Why it lands — The text commands Moses to distribute judicial responsibility so that major cases are escalated while minor matters are resolved locally, directly lightening his administrative burden through shared authority.

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

King James Version

And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

Cross-references

Numbers 11:17 And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.
Exodus 18:26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
Leviticus 24:11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
Numbers 15:33 Those who found the man gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation,
Numbers 27:2 the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
Numbers 36:1 Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them,
Deuteronomy 1:17 Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
Exodus 18:18 Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
Deuteronomy 17:8 If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
Romans 13:6 This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.