Exodus 18:22

18:22 They will judge ¹  the people under normal circumstances, ²  and every difficult case ³  they will bring to you, but every small case ⁴  they themselves will judge, so that ⁵  you may make it easier for yourself, ⁶  and they will bear the burden ⁷  with you.

Exodus 18:26

18:26 They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring ⁸  to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.

¹ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive, making it equivalent to the imperfect of instruction in the preceding verse.

² tn Heb “in every time,” meaning “in all normal cases” or “under normal circumstances.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.

³ tn Heb “great thing.”

⁴ tn Heb “thing.”

⁵ tn The vav here shows the result or the purpose of the instructions given.

⁶ tn The expression וְהָקֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ (vÿhaqel me’aleykha) means literally “and make it light off yourself.” The word plays against the word for “heavy” used earlier – since it was a heavy or burdensome task, Moses must lighten the load.

⁷ tn Here “the burden” has been supplied.

⁸ tn This verb and the verb in the next clause are imperfect tenses. In the past tense narrative of the verse they must be customary, describing continuous action in past time.