Exodus 18:16

Brenton's Septuagint

For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I give judgment upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws."

King James Version
When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Lexham English Bible
When they have an issue, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God's rule and his instructions."

New Century Version
When people have a disagreement, they come to me, and I decide who is right. I tell them God's laws and teachings."

New English Translation
When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the decrees of God and his laws."

Amplified Bible
"When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and I make known the statutes of God and His laws."

New American Standard Bible
"When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws."

Geneva Bible (1587)
When they haue a matter, they come vnto me, and I iudge betweene one and another, and declare the ordinances of God, and his lawes.

Legacy Standard Bible
When they have a matter, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws."

Contemporary English Version
They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God's laws."

Complete Jewish Bible
Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me; I judge between one person and another, and I explain to them God's laws and teachings."

Darby Translation
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known [to them] the statutes of God, and his laws.

Easy-to-Read Version
If people have an argument, they come to me, and I decide which person is right. In this way I teach the people God's laws and teachings."

English Standard Version
when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws."

George Lamsa Translation
And when they have a controversy, they come to me; and I judge between one and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.

Good News Translation
When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God's commands and laws."

Christian Standard Bible®
Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”

Literal Translation
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor. And I make known the statutes of God, and His laws.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for whan they haue eny thinge to do, they come vnto me, that I maye iudge betwixte euery one & his neghboure, and shewe them the statutes of God, and his lawes.

American Standard Version
when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Bible in Basic English
And if they have any question between themselves, they come to me, and I am judge between a man and his neighbour, and I give them the orders and laws of God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When they haue a matter, they come vnto me, and I iudge betweene euery man & his neyghbour, & shew them the ordinaunces of God and his lawes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
when they have a matter, it cometh unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and His laws.'

King James Version (1611)
When they haue a matter, they come vnto mee, and I iudge betweene one and another, and I doe make them know the statutes of God and his Lawes.

English Revised Version
when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Berean Standard Bible
"Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whanne ony strijf bifallith to hem, thei comen to me, that Y deme bitwixe hem, and schewe `the comaundementis of God, and hise lawis.

Young's Literal Translation
when they have a matter, it hath come unto me, and I have judged between a man and his neighbour, and made known the statutes of God, and His laws.'

Update Bible Version
when they have a matter, it comes to me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

Webster's Bible Translation
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another, and I make [them] know the statutes of God, and his laws.

World English Bible
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws."

New King James Version
When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws."

New Living Translation
When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God's decrees and give them his instructions."

New Life Bible
When they argue, they come to me. And I judge between a man and his neighbor. I teach them the Laws of God."

New Revised Standard
When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When they have a matter, they come in unto me, then do I judge between a man and his neighbour, - and make known the statutes of God and his laws.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when any controversy falleth out among them, they come to me to judge between them, and to shew the precepts of God, and his laws.

Revised Standard Version
when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws."

Contextual Overview

¹³ And it came to pass after the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and all the people stood by Moses from morning till evening. ¹⁴ And Jothor having seen all that Moses did to the people, says, What is this that thou doest to the people? wherefore sittest thou alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning till evening? ¹⁵ And Moses says to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to seek judgment from God. ¹⁶ For whenever there is a dispute among them, and they come to me, I give judgment upon each, and I teach them the ordinances of God and his law. ¹⁷ And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, Thou dost not this thing rightly, ¹⁸ thou wilt wear away with intolerable weariness, both those and all this people which is with thee: this thing is hard, thou wilt not be able to endure it thyself alone. ¹⁹ Now then hearken to me, and I will advise thee, and God shall be with thee: be thou to the people in the things pertaining to God, and thou shalt bring their matters to God. ²⁰ And thou shalt testify to them the ordinances of God and his law, and thou shalt shew to them the ways in which they shall walk, and the works which they shall do. ²¹ And do thou look out for thyself out of all the people able men, fearing God, righteous men, hating pride, and thou shalt set over the people captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens. ²² And they shall judge the people at all times, and the too burdensome matter they shall bring to thee, but they shall judge the smaller cases; so they shall relieve thee and help thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a matter: Exodus 23:7, Exodus 24:14, Deuteronomy 17:8-12, 2 Samuel 15:3, Job 31:13, Acts 18:14, Acts 18:15, 1 Corinthians 6:1

one and another: Heb. a man and his fellow, Exodus 2:13

make: Leviticus 24:15, Numbers 15:35, Numbers 27:6-11, Numbers 36:6-9, Deuteronomy 4:5, Deuteronomy 5:1, Deuteronomy 6:1, 1 Samuel 12:23, Matthew 28:20, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:20 - teach Leviticus 24:12 - that the mind of the Lord might be showed them Deuteronomy 33:5 - king Judges 4:5 - came up 2 Samuel 15:2 - came 1 Kings 3:16 - stood Psalms 19:8 - statutes

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When they have a matter, they come unto me,.... This is the other thing he did for them, as the above writer observes; which being last mentioned, he speaks of first, as follows, meaning that when there was a matter in difference between two persons or more, and they could not agree upon it among themselves, then they brought it to him to be heard and decided:

and I judge between one and another; hear what they have to say on both sides, and then judge which is in the right and which is in the wrong, and determine what is to be done, according to the laws of God or according to the rules of justice and equity:

and I do make them know the statutes of God and his laws; this relates to the first thing, their coming to him to inquire of God, what is his mind and will, or what he would have them do; and in order to this, and in answer to their request, he instructed them in the laws of God, both civil and religious: this is made use of by some, to prove that Jethro's coming to Moses was after the law was given: but this does not necessarily follow, because Moses, by a divine impulse, might be directed immediately to make known to the people what was the will and mind of God, with respect to any particular case they inquired about; and rather this seems to furnish out an argument to the contrary, since, if the laws and statutes of God had yet been given on Mount Sinai, the people could not have been ignorant of them, and so needed not such daily information and instruction from Moses.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 18:16. I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. — These words are so very particular that they leave little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such words would scarcely have been used had not the statutes and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the proofs that the transaction mentioned here stands out of its due chronological order; Exodus 18:5.