26 and they have judged the people at all times; the hard matter they bring in unto Moses, and every small matter they judge themselves.
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?' And Moses saith to his father-in-law, `Because the people come unto me to seek God;
then come in do two women, harlots, unto the king, and stand before him, and the one woman saith, `O, my lord, I and this woman are dwelling in one house, and I bring forth with her, in the house; and it cometh to pass on the third day of my bringing forth, that this woman also bringeth forth, and we `are' together, there is no stranger with us in the house, save we two, in the house. And the son of this woman dieth at night, because she hath lain upon it, and she riseth in the middle of the night, and taketh my son from beside me -- and thy handmaid is asleep -- and layeth it in her bosom, and her dead son she hath laid in my bosom; and I rise in the morning to suckle my son, and lo, dead; and I consider concerning it in the morning, and lo, it was not my son whom I did bear.' And the other woman saith, `Nay, but my son `is' the living, and thy son the dead;' and this `one' saith, `Nay, but thy son `is' the dead, and my son the living.' And they speak before the king. And the king saith, `This `one' saith, This `is' my son, the living, and thy son `is' the dead; and that `one' saith, Nay, but thy son `is' the dead, and my son the living.' And the king saith, `Take for me a sword;' and they bring the sword before the king, and the king saith, `Cut the living child into two, and give the half to the one, and the half to the other.' And the woman whose son `is' the living one saith unto the king (for her bowels yearned over her son), yea, she saith, `O, my lord, give to her the living child, and put it not at all to death;' and this `one' saith, `Let it be neither mine or thine -- cut `it'.' And the king answereth and saith, `Give ye to her the living child, and put it not at all to death; she `is' its mother.' And all Israel hear of the judgment that the king hath judged, and fear because of the king, for they have seen that the wisdom of God `is' in his heart, to do judgment.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 18
Commentary on Exodus 18 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 18
This chapter is concerning Moses himself, and the affairs of his own family.
Exd 18:1-6
This incident may very well be allowed to have happened as it is placed here, before the giving of the law, and not, as some place it, in connection with what is recorded, Num. 10:11, 29, etc. Sacrifices were offered before; in these mentioned here (v. 12) it is observable that Jethro is said to take them, not Aaron. And as to Jethro's advising Moses to constitute judges under him, though it is intimate (v. 13) that the occasion of his giving that advice was on the morrow, yet it does not follow but that Moses's settlement of that affair might be some time after, when the law was given, as it is placed, Deu. 1:9. It is plain that Jethro himself would not have him make this alteration in the government till he had received instructions from God about it (v. 23), which he did not till some time after. Jethro comes,
Exd 18:7-12
Observe here,
Exd 18:13-27
Here is,
Now Moses did not despise this advice because it came from one not acquainted, as he was, with the words of God and the visions of the Almighty; but he hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, v. 24. When he came to consider the thing, he saw the reasonableness of what his father-in-law proposed and resolved to put it in practice, which he did soon afterwards, when he had received directions from God in the matter. Note, Those are not so wise as they would be thought to be who think themselves too wise to be counselled; for a wise man (one who is truly so) will hear, and will increase learning, and not slight good counsel, though given by an inferior. Moses did not leave the election of the magistrates to the people, who had already done enough to prove themselves unfit for such a trust; but he chose them, and appointed them, some for greater, others for less division, the less probably subordinate to the greater. We have reason to value government as a very great mercy, and to thank God for laws and magistrates, so that we are not like the fishes of the sea, where the greater devour the less.