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Myles Coverdale Bible

Exodus 18:14

But whan his father in lawe sawe all that he dyd with the people, he sayde: What is this, that thou doest with the people? Wherfore syttest thou alone, and all ye people stonde rounde aboute from the morninge vntyll the euen?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Moses;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Kenites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jethro;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Exodus, Book of;   Rephidim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Judges;   Justice;   Moses;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Appeal;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Sinai;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Decision;   Israel, Religion of;   Jethro;   Judge;   Judging;   Moses;   Pentateuch;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Appeal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jethro;   Samuel;   Sun, Rising and Setting of the;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
When Moshe' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?"
King James Version
And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
Lexham English Bible
And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?"
New Century Version
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is all this you are doing for the people? Why are you the only one to solve disagreements? All the people are standing around you from morning until night!"
New English Translation
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
Amplified Bible
When Moses' father-in-law saw everything that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone [as a judge] with all the people standing around you from dawn to dusk?"
New American Standard Bible
Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when Moses father in law saw all that he did to the people, he sayde, What is this that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thy selfe alone, and all the people stande about thee from morning vnto euen?
Legacy Standard Bible
And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, so he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?"
Contemporary English Version
Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, "Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?"
Complete Jewish Bible
When Moshe's father-in-law saw all that he was doing to the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit there alone, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?"
Darby Translation
And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening?
Easy-to-Read Version
Jethro saw Moses judging the people. He asked, "Why are you doing this? Why are you the only judge? And why do people come to you all day?"
English Standard Version
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?"
George Lamsa Translation
And when Moses father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said to him, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit in judgment all alone, and all the people stand by you from morning to evening?
Good News Translation
When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, "What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?"
Christian Standard Bible®
When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
Literal Translation
And Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing to the people. And he said, What is this thing which you are doing to the people? Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people standing beside you from morning until evening?
American Standard Version
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?
Bible in Basic English
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? why are you seated here by yourself, with all the people waiting before you from morning till evening?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Moyses father in lawe sawe all that he dyd vnto the people, he sayd: what is this that thou doest vnto the people? Why sittest thou thy selfe alone, and all the people stande about thee from morning vnto euen?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said: 'What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?'
King James Version (1611)
And when Moses father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? Why sittest thou thy selfe alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning vnto euen?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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?
English Revised Version
And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even?
Berean Standard Bible
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne `his alie hadde seyn this, that is, alle thingis `whiche he dide in the puple, he seide, What is this that thou doist in the puple? whi sittist thou aloone, and al the puple abidith fro the morewtid til to euentid?
Young's Literal Translation
and the father-in-law of Moses seeth all that he is doing to the people, and saith, `What [is] this thing which thou art doing to the people? wherefore art thou sitting by thyself, and all the people standing by thee from morning till evening?'
Update Bible Version
And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that you do to the people? why do you sit yourself alone, and all the people stand about you from morning to evening?
Webster's Bible Translation
And when Moses's father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What [is] this thing that thou doest to the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning to evening?
World English Bible
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, "What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?"
New King James Version
So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?"
New Living Translation
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?"
New Life Bible
When Moses' father-in-law saw all he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone and judge and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
New Revised Standard
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And when Moses father-in-law saw all that he, was doing for the people, he said - What is this thing which, thou, art doing for the people? Wherefore art, thou, sitting alone, with all the people, stationed by thee, from morning until evening?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when his kinsman had seen all things that he did among the people, he said: What is it that thou dost among the people? Why sittest thou alone, and all the people wait from morning till night?
Revised Standard Version
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?"

Contextual Overview

13 On the next morow sat Moses to iudge the people, and the people stode roude aboute Moses from the mornynge vntyll ye euen. 14 But whan his father in lawe sawe all that he dyd with the people, he sayde: What is this, that thou doest with the people? Wherfore syttest thou alone, and all ye people stonde rounde aboute from the morninge vntyll the euen? 15 Moses answered him: The people come to me, & axe councell at God: 16 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. 17 His father in lawe sayde vnto him: It is not well that thou doest. 18 Thou weeriest thy self, and the people that is with the. This busynesse is to sore for the, thou canst not perfourme it alone. 19 But herken vnto my voyce, I will geue the councell, and God shall be with the. Be thou vnto the people to God warde, and brynge the causes before God, 20 and prouide them with statutes and lawes, that thou mayest shewe the the waie wherin they shulde walke, and the workes that they shulde do. 21 But loke out amonge all the people, for honest men, that feare God, soch as are true, & hate couetousnes: make these rulers ouer them, some ouer thousandes, ouer hundredes, ouer fiftie, and ouer ten, 22 that they maye allwaye iudge the people. But where there is eny greate matter, that they brynge the same vnto the, and iudge the small causes them selues: so shall it be lighter for the, yf they beare the burthen with the.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:17 - not good Exodus 18:26 - at all Numbers 27:2 - General Judges 1:16 - Moses' 2 Samuel 15:2 - came

Cross-References

Genesis 17:21
But my couenaunt wyll I make wt Isaac, whom Sara shal beare vnto the, eue this tyme twolue moneth.
Genesis 18:1
Annd the LORDE apeared vnto him in the Okegroue of Mamre, as he sat in his tent dore in the heate of ye daie.
Genesis 18:2
And as he lift vp his eyes, and loked, beholde, there stode thre men ouer agaynst him. And whan he sawe them, he ranne to mete them from his tent dore, and bowed him self downe vpon the grounde,
Genesis 18:10
Then sayde he: aboute this tyme twolue moneth, (yf I lyue) I will come to the agayne, and Sara thy wyfe shal haue a sonne. And Sara herde that out of the tent dore, which was behynde his backe.
Numbers 11:23
The LORDE sayde vnto Moses: Is the LORDES hande shortened then? But now shalt thou se, whether my wordes shall be fulfilled in dede, or no?
Deuteronomy 7:21
Be not thou afrayed of them: for the LORDE thy God is in the myddes of the, euen the mightie and fearfull God.
Deuteronomy 30:3
then shal the LORDE thy God turne thy captiuyte, and haue compassion vpon the, and shal gather thy congregacion agayne from amonge all the nacions, whither the LORDE thy God hath scatered the.
1 Samuel 14:6
And Ionathas sayde vnto his wapen bearer: Come, let vs go ouer to ye watch of these vncircumcised, peraduenture the LORDE shall worke with vs, For it is no harde matter for the LORDE to helpe by many or by fewe.
2 Kings 4:16
And he sayde: Aboute this tyme yf ye frute can lyue, thou shalt enbrace a sonne. She sayde: Alas, no my lorde, thou man of God, lye not vnto thy handmayden.
Job 36:5
Beholde, God casteth not awaye ye mightie, for he himselff is mightie in power and wisdome.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Moses's father in law saw all that he did to the people,.... Or for them q; for their information and instruction in the laws of God, and for the decision of cases brought before him, according to them; and what a deal of business was on his hands, and he went through for the good of the people:

he said, what is this thing that thou doest to the people? this question he put, not as being ignorant what he did, he saw what he did, and understood it full well, but this he said to lead on to some conversation upon this head:

why sittest thou thyself alone? no other judge upon the bench with him to assist him, to take it by turns, and to relieve and ease him:

and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? not being able to get their causes heard and tried, there being so many of them; and therefore some were obliged to wait all day long, before they could have their business done, which was both fatiguing to him and them.

q לעם "propter populum" Vatablus.


 
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