26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.
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.
26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.
26 These men were always available to solve the people's common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 18:26
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.