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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Exodus 18:21

Able men, Heb. men of might, not for strength of body, but for greatness, resolution, courage, and constancy of mind, which is the best preservative against partiality and corruption in judgment, to which men of little minds, or narrow souls, are easily swayed by fears, or hopes, or gifts. Such as fear God; which will restrain them from all injustice, even when they have ability and opportunity to do wrong so cunningly or powerfully that they may escape the observation and censure of men. Men of truth, or, of faith, or faithful, such as love the truth, and diligently labour to find it out in all causes, and then pass a true and righteous sentence; not at all respecting persons, but only the truth and right of their causes; such as hate lies and slanders, and will severely rebuke and punish them. Hating covetousness: this, though included in the former, is particularly expressed, because gifts and bribes are the great corrupters of judges and judgments.

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See also Exodus 18:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Exodus 18:21. _ABLE MEN_] Persons of wisdom, discernment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can be a _ruler_ without these qualifications? _SUCH AS FEAR GOD_] Who are truly religious,...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    ABLE MEN - The qualifications are remarkably complete, ability, piety, truthfulness, and unselfishness. From Deuteronomy 1:13, it appears that Moses left the selection of the persons to the people, an...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 18 MOSES AND JETHRO _ 1. The coming of Jethro (Exodus 18:1)_ 2. Moses' and Jethro's communion (Exodus 18:6) 3. Jethro's advice (Exodus 18:13) 4. Moses' action ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    MOSES AS JUDGES EXODUS 18:13 (should begin a new paragraph) J, Exodus 18:14 a E, Exodus 18:14 b J, Exodus 18:15 E,...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MEN. Hebrew, plural _of 'ish, or_. _'enosh._ App-14. to be. Supply "as" for _Ellipsis_ (App-6). RULERS. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "and rulers"....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    MOREOVER THOU SHALT PROVIDE, &C.— Jethro, advising Moses to retain his high office of mediator between God and the people, and to preserve to himself the supreme legislative power under God, (see Exod...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 18 Now Je-thro, the priest of Mid-i-an, Mo-ses-' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Mo-ses, and for Is-ra-el his people, how that Je-ho-vah had brought Is...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ On the morrow ... Moses ... We are here presented with a spec...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE VISIT OF JETHRO 1. On the name JETHRO, see Exodus 2:16, and on MIDIAN, Exodus 2:15....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HATING COVETOUSNESS] A judge must be above bribery. Bribery was, and still is, a common Oriental vice, and is frequently referred to in Scripture: cp. Exodus 23:8; 1 Samuel 8:3; 1 Samuel 12:3;...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION THE *ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT EXODUS CHAPTER S 1 TO 18 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 18 JETHRO’S VISIT – VERSES 1-12 V1 Jethro was the father of Moses’ w...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    PROVIDE OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE ABLE MEN. — This was the gist of Jethro’s advice. It seems somewhat surprising that it should have been needed. In Egypt, as in all other settled governments, while the k...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ אַתָּ֣ה תֶחֱזֶ֣ה מִ כָּל ־הָ֠ עָם

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    MOSES APPOINTS RULERS TO JUDGE ISRAEL Exodus 18:13 Jethro's frank acknowledgment of God's supremacy and lovingkindness was extremely beautiful. Oh, for more wisdom to discern, and humble reverence to...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have an interesting interruption of the main narrative. Jethro arrests our attention and compels recognition of certain facts which we are liable to forget, as also were the Israelites of old....

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people (i) able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds,...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Avarice. That they may not be bribed against their better knowledge. The wise, rich, and disinterested, must be appointed magistrates; such as may not be under any undue influence. Aristotle blames t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    2 Samuel 23:3....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is hardly a book of the Old Testament that stands out in more decided contrast with the book of Genesis than the one which follows it most closely. And this is the more striking, because God emp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    21._Moreover, thou shalt _(199) _provide out of all the people _Literally so, “thou shalt provide;” meaning, thou shalt choose out, and take the most worthy, so that such an office be not entrusted ra...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Up to this all was grace, though there were dependence and conflict. The murmurs of the people had only served to shew the riches of the grace of God, who displayed His sovereignty in giving them all...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    MOREOVER, THOU SHALT PROVIDE OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE,.... Or look out t from among them; see Acts 6:3, ABLE MEN; or "men of power" u; meaning not so much men of strong and robust constitutions, who, as...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rule...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Be thou for them to God-ward_ That was an honour in which it was not fit any other should share with him. Also whatever concerned the whole congregation must pass through his hand, Exodus 18:20. But...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Iethro bringeth to Moses his wife and two sonnes. 7 Moses entertaineth him. 13 Iethros counsell is accepted. 27 Iethro departeth. 1 WHEN [NOTE: Leviticus 2:16.] Iethro the Priest of Midian, Mose...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JETHRO'S ADVICE TO MOSES...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Moreover, thou shalt provide, look for, select, OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE ABLE MEN, men of strength of body and men of energy, SUCH AS FEAR GOD, MEN OF TRUTH, HATING COVETOUSNESS, distinguished for their...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FIFTH SECTION The journey through the wilderness to Sinai. Want of water. Marah. Elim. The Wilderness of Sin. Quails. Manna. Rephidim (Massah and Meribah). The Amalekites. Jethro and his advice, a hu...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MOSES RECEIVING JETHRO (vs.1-12) Apparently Moses took his wife Zipporah and Gershom, his son, to Egypt when he returned there at God's call (ch.4:24-26). Likely his second son Eliezer, was born in E...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgive...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We here arrive at the close of a very marked division of the book of Exodus. We have seen God, in the exercise of His perfect grace, visiting and redeeming His people; bringing them forth out of the l...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 18:21 select H2372 (H8799) people H5971 able H2428 men H582 fear H3373 God H430 men H582 truth...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JETHRO ADVISES MOSES ON HOW TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE AND MOSES ACTS ON HIS ADVICE (EXODUS 18:13). a On the next day Moses acts as judge for Israel and the people stand around him from morning until evenin...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    FEAR (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 19:9). _...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Moses joined by his wife and children. Judges selected to solve the problems of the people. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Jethro, Zipporah, Gershom, Eliezer. CONCLUSION: Telling of God's...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 18:5. _Jethro came to Moses at the mount of God._ Horeb and Sinai, where God resided in glory, wrought miracles, and published his law. It would seem that Jethro stayed with Moses till the law...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Thou wilt surely wear away._ UNDUE APPLICATION TO LABORIOUS DUTIES Various lessons may be gathered from the fact that Moses was wearing himself away by undue application to the duties of his office...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 18:1 JETHRO, THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAW (see Exodus 3:1;...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 18:13 Jethro upholds Moses’ role as the one through whom Israel would KNOW THE STATUTES OF GOD AND HIS LAWS (v. Exodus 18:16). He helps Moses f

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Exodus 18:27. Moses let his father-in-law depart.] The departure of Jethro may or may not have taken place prior to the law-giving from Sinai. It is quite possible, as Kalisch suggest...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JETHRO'S ADVICE TO MOSES, AND ITS ADOPTION. The office of ruler in ancient times, whether exercised by a king, a prince, or a mere chieftain, was always understood to include within it the...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now when Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law (Exodus 18:1), But the same Hebrew word could be translated "brother-in-law", for we remember earlier, he was called "Reuel"; the father-in-...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    moreover Deuteronomy 1:13 Acts 6:3 able men Exodus 18:25 Deuteronomy 16:18...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    GIVING THE GLORY TO GOD Exodus 18:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS How fittingly does our chapter open: "When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and f...

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