13 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?" 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. 16 When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions." 17 Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. 18 You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you - you can't do this alone. 19 Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. 20 Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. 21 And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men - men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible - and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. 22 They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. 23 If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." 24 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. 26 They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 18:13-26
Commentary on Exodus 18:13-27
(Read Exodus 18:13-27)
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 lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his cause before him. Moses kept to his business from morning to night. Jethro thought it was too much for him to undertake alone; also it would make the administration of justice tiresome to the people. There may be over-doing even in well-doing. Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty, nor task ourselves beyond our strength. Jethro advised Moses to a better plan. Great men should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the persons admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good sense, that understood business, and that would not be daunted by frowns or clamours, but abhorred the thought of a bribe. Men of piety and religion; such as fear God, who dare not to do a base thing, though they could do it secretly and securely. The fear of God will best fortify a man against temptations to injustice. Moses did not despise this advice. Those are not wise, who think themselves too wise to be counselled.