Exodus 18:13 kjv
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Exodus 18:13 nkjv
And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.
Exodus 18:13 niv
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
Exodus 18:13 esv
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.
Exodus 18:13 nlt
The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people's disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
Exodus 18 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 18:17-18 | Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good... you will surely wear yourself out.” | Jethro identifies Moses’ unsustainable workload and exhaustion. |
| Deut 1:9-18 | I said to you at that time, 'I am not able to bear you alone...' | Moses recounts the delegation of judges from his perspective. |
| Num 11:10-17 | Moses heard the people weeping... he said to the Lord, "I cannot carry all this people alone." | Moses' later prayer showing the enduring burden of leadership. |
| Acts 6:1-7 | They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit... | Apostles delegate duties to address practical needs in early church. |
| Deut 16:18-20 | “You shall appoint judges and officers... that they may judge the people with righteous judgment.” | God's command for a structured and righteous judicial system. |
| 1 Kgs 3:9 | "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil." | Solomon's prayer for wisdom to judge God's people. |
| Ps 82:3-4 | Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. | God's call for righteous judgment for the vulnerable. |
| Isa 11:3-4 | "He shall not judge by what his eyes see... but with righteousness he shall judge the poor." | Messianic judgment characterized by perfect righteousness. |
| Jer 22:3 | “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness... rescue him who has been robbed." | God's instruction for righteous leadership and justice. |
| Mk 10:42-45 | "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant..." | Christ's teaching on humble servant leadership. |
| 2 Cor 11:28 | "...my daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches." | Apostle Paul describes the personal burden of ministry. |
| Heb 13:7 | "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God..." | Call to remember and respect spiritual leaders. |
| Ps 69:3 | "I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched." | Expression of physical weariness in earnest pursuit or distress. |
| Isa 40:29 | "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." | God's promise to strengthen those who are weary. |
| Gal 6:9 | "And let us not grow weary of doing good..." | Exhortation to perseverance in service despite challenges. |
| Exod 18:15-16 | Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God." | Moses explains why people seek his judgment – for God's word. |
| Lev 24:12 | "...put him in custody, that the decision of the Lord might be made clear to them." | Examples where people awaited Moses' ruling on complex matters. |
| Num 15:33-34 | They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. | Further instances of awaiting Moses' divine interpretation. |
| Rom 12:12 | "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." | Call for endurance and constancy. |
| 1 Cor 14:40 | "But all things should be done decently and in order." | Principle of order and structure in community matters. |
| Tit 1:5 | "This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order." | Paul's instruction for establishing orderly leadership. |
Exodus 18 verses
Exodus 18 13 Meaning
Exodus 18:13 portrays Moses' demanding role as the singular judge and interpreter of God's law for the immense Israelite community. The verse highlights his relentless diligence in this task, dedicating his entire day, from sunrise to sunset, to adjudicate disputes and provide divine counsel for a constant stream of people, thus underscoring the overwhelming burden of his leadership.
Exodus 18 13 Context
Exodus chapter 18 details the visit of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, to the Israelite camp after their departure from Egypt and the revelation at Sinai. The immediate context of verse 13 follows Jethro's arrival and observations. The Israelites, newly formed into a nation, had no pre-existing comprehensive judicial system. Moses, divinely appointed as their leader, naturally became the sole point of appeal for all legal disputes and spiritual questions regarding God's will. This verse vividly illustrates the impracticality and overwhelming strain of this centralized system on Moses and the people, setting the stage for Jethro's pivotal counsel to delegate judicial responsibilities.
Exodus 18 13 Word analysis
- The next day (וַיְהִי מִֽמָּֽחֳרָת֙, vayhi mimmochorat): This phrase functions as a common biblical transitional element, signaling a continuation of the narrative timeline. It indicates that the events described occurred on the day immediately following Jethro's initial interaction with Moses, implicitly contrasting the preceding fellowship with the immediate return to his taxing duties.
- Moses sat (וַיֵּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה, vayyeshev Mosheh): "Sat" denotes a formal posture of authority and judgment in the ancient Near East. It implies a fixed position where one receives petitions, hears arguments, and delivers decisions. It sets Moses apart as the official arbiter.
- to judge (לִשְׁפֹּט, lishpot): From the Hebrew root שָׁפַט (shaphat), this term is broader than simply adjudicating legal disputes. It encompasses governing, administering justice, settling matters, and discerning God's will in specific cases. Moses' judgment was not based on personal opinion but on divine statutes and principles revealed by God.
- the people (אֶת־הָעָם֙, et-ha'am): This refers to the vast multitude of Israelites, estimated to be millions. The scale of the "people" underscores the immense workload placed upon Moses as their sole point of legal and spiritual appeal.
- and the people stood before Moses (וַיַּֽעֲמֹד הָעָם עַל־מֹשֶׁה, vayya'amod ha'am al-Mosheh): "Stood" indicates a posture of humility, deference, waiting, or seeking an audience. The Hebrew preposition 'al (עַל) here can mean "over," "against," or "before," conveying a sense of the people pressing in on Moses or gathering around him due to their sheer numbers and urgency.
- from morning till evening (מִן־הַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ עַד־הָעָֽרֶב, min-habboqer ad-ha'arev): This idiomatic phrase signifies the entire duration of the workday, from dawn to dusk. It dramatically illustrates the exhausting, ceaseless, and physically demanding nature of Moses' task, emphasizing the overwhelming volume of cases and the incredible strain on him. It signifies that there was no break in the line of those seeking his counsel.
Words-group analysis
- "Moses sat to judge the people": This phrase highlights Moses' central, indispensable role as the judicial and spiritual authority for the entire nation. His sitting indicates a settled, established function critical for the emerging legal structure of Israel, entirely reliant on divine guidance received through him.
- "and the people stood before Moses from morning till evening": This portrays the relentless, overwhelming pressure from the populace on their single leader. It underscores the practical impossibility of a one-person system for such a large community, pointing to both Moses' incredible dedication and the extreme inefficiency and exhaustion inherent in this structure.
Exodus 18 13 Bonus section
- This verse serves as the immediate precursor and justification for Jethro's renowned administrative advice to Moses, making it foundational for biblical principles of leadership, delegation, and organizational structure within God's people.
- The "standing" of the people before Moses underscores their utter dependence on him for resolving their disputes and interpreting God's commands, portraying him as the critical conduit for divine wisdom.
- The sheer physical and mental drain on Moses implicitly suggests that such a demanding system could not truly scale for a rapidly growing population or effectively transmit God's intricate laws to a nation requiring deep-seated instruction.
- The narrative serves as a vital lesson in preventing leader burnout and establishing healthy, decentralized systems of authority that can better serve a large body or community, a principle that echoes into New Testament church leadership discussions.
Exodus 18 13 Commentary
Exodus 18:13 provides a critical snapshot of early Israelite governance, revealing Moses' tireless dedication in a supremely demanding role. Functioning as the sole intermediary for God's law and justice, he bore an unbearable administrative burden, a system depicted as operating without cessation from morning until evening. This intense scenario not only highlights Moses' profound commitment but also immediately demonstrates the severe limitations of such a centralized structure for a burgeoning nation. It implicitly shows the bottleneck for justice and counsel, causing fatigue for Moses and prolonged waits for the people. This verse sets the stage for one of the most practical administrative interventions in the Bible, showing that divine work, while rooted in spiritual authority, requires wise and sustainable human organization. It is a powerful example illustrating that even the most divinely gifted individuals have physical limits, necessitating delegation for efficient and accessible community service.