Exodus 18:21

American Standard Version (1901)

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְאַתָּ֣ה תֶחֱזֶ֣ה מִכָּל־הָ֠עָם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֜יִל יִרְאֵ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אַנְשֵׁ֥י אֱמֶ֖ת שֹׂ֣נְאֵי בָ֑צַע וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ עֲלֵהֶ֗ם שָׂרֵ֤י אֲלָפִים֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֔וֹת שָׂרֵ֥י חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֥י עֲשָׂרֹֽת׃

Transliteration

And-you teḥĕzeh from-all-hāʿām ʾanšê-ḥayil yirʾê ʾĕlōhîm ʾanšê ʾĕmet śōnəʾê bāṣaʿ wə-śamtā over-them śārê ʾălāpîm śārê mēʾôt śārê ḥămiššîm and-śārê ʿăśārōt

Grammar Details

• *teḥĕzeh*: imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall select/see
• *hāʿām*: article with noun, masculine singular - the people
• *ʾanšê*-*ḥayil*: noun, masculine plural construct with noun - men of ability
• *yirʾê*: adjective, masculine plural construct - fearers of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *ʾanšê*: noun, masculine plural construct - men of
• *ʾĕmet*: noun, feminine singular - truth
• *śōnəʾê*: participle, masculine plural construct - haters of
• *bāṣaʿ*: noun, masculine singular - unjust gain
• *wə*-*śamtā*: conjunction with perfect, 2nd masculine singular - and you shall set
• *śārê*: noun, masculine plural construct - rulers of
• *ʾălāpîm*: noun, masculine plural - thousands
• *mēʾôt*: noun, feminine plural - hundreds
• *ḥămiššîm*: numeral, common plural - fifties
• *ʿăśārōt*: noun, feminine plural - tens

Word Meanings

• *teḥĕzeh*: select/provide/look out/see
• *ʾanšê*-*ḥayil*: men of ability/capable men/men of valor
• *bāṣaʿ*: unjust gain/dishonest profit/covetousness

Referenced Verses

• Acts 6:3 : 3 Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
• 2 Chr 19:5-9 : 5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, Consider what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah; and [he is] with you in the judgment. 7 Now therefore let the fear of Jehovah be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Jehovah our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes. 8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for controversies. And they returned to Jerusalem. 9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of Jehovah, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 10 And whensoever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, ye shall warn them, that they be not guilty towards Jehovah, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not be guilty.
• Deut 16:18-19 : 18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, according to thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
• Gen 42:18 : 18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
• Exod 18:25 : 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
• 2 Sam 23:3 : 3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, That ruleth in the fear of God,
• Ezek 18:8 : 8 he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man,
• Ezek 22:12 : 12 In thee have they taken bribes to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.
• Zech 7:9 : 9 Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;
• Zech 8:16 : 16 These are the things that ye shall do: speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates;
• Luke 18:2 : 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man:
• Luke 18:4 : 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
• 1 Kgs 3:9-9 : 9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; 12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
• 1 Kgs 18:3 : 3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Jehovah greatly:
• 1 Kgs 18:12 : 12 And it will come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of Jehovah will carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he will slay me: but I thy servant fear Jehovah from my youth.
• Acts 20:33 : 33 I coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
• 1 Tim 3:3 : 3 no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;
• 1 Tim 6:9-9 : 9 But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
• 2 Pet 2:14-15 : 14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; 15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;
• Gen 22:12 : 12 And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.
• Exod 23:2-9 : 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest [justice] : 3 neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause. 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely release [it] with him. 6 Thou shalt not wrest the justice [due] to thy poor in his cause. 7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. 8 And thou shalt take no bribe: for a bribe blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous. 9 And a sojourner shalt thou not oppress: for ye know the heart of a sojourner, seeing ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
• Num 10:4 : 4 And if they blow but one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
• Deut 1:13-17 : 13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. 14 And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good [for us] to do. 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.
• Josh 22:14 : 14 and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were every one of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of Israel.
• 1 Sam 8:3 : 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
• 1 Sam 8:12 : 12 and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
• 1 Sam 12:3-4 : 3 Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand.
• Neh 5:9 : 9 Also I said, The thing that ye do is not good: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
• Neh 7:2 : 2 that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle, charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
• Job 29:16 : 16 I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
• Job 31:13 : 13 If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;
• Ps 15:5 : 5 He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
• Ps 26:9-9 : 9 Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood; 10 In whose hands is wickedness, And their right hand is full of bribes.
• Prov 28:2 : 2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof; But by men of understanding [and] knowledge the state [thereof] shall be prolonged.
• Eccl 12:13 : 13 [This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man.
• Isa 16:5 : 5 And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
• Isa 33:15 : 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil:
• Isa 59:4 : 4 None sueth in righteousness, and none pleadeth in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
• Isa 59:14-15 : 14 And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
• Jer 5:1 : 1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.