Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses implements the judicial restructuring Jethro recommended, acting upon the entire Israelite population. He establishes a tiered command structure to manage the growing community.
The words — The text emphasizes חַיִל (cha.yil), literally "ability" or "strength," to describe the men Moses selects. It follows with וַיִּתֵּן (va/i.yi.Ten), meaning "and he appointed," to formalize their authority over the people.
The thread — This delegation framework reappears in Deuteronomy 1:15 when Moses recalls appointing wise and respected tribal leaders. The pattern of selecting capable individuals for communal oversight also surfaces in Acts 6:5 during the early church's administrative arrangement.
Why it lands — The verse presents the factual establishment of distributed leadership rather than centralized control. It demands recognition that large-scale governance requires systematic delegation and the appointment of qualified officials.
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 Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Exodus 18:21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Acts 6:5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, as well as Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.