Deuteronomy 17:8-10
Context17:8 If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, 1 legal claim, 2 or assault 3 – matters of controversy in your villages 4 – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. 5 17:9 You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict. 17:10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught.
Exodus 18:18
Context18:18 You will surely wear out, 6 both you and these people who are with you, for this is too 7 heavy a burden 8 for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.
Exodus 18:22
Context18:22 They will judge 9 the people under normal circumstances, 10 and every difficult case 11 they will bring to you, but every small case 12 they themselves will judge, so that 13 you may make it easier for yourself, 14 and they will bear the burden 15 with you.
Exodus 18:26
Context18:26 They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring 16 to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.
[17:8] 1 tn Heb “between blood and blood.”
[17:8] 2 tn Heb “between claim and claim.”
[17:8] 3 tn Heb “between blow and blow.”
[17:8] 5 tc Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.
[18:18] 6 tn The verb means “to fall and fade” as a leaf (Ps 1:3). In Ps 18:45 it is used figuratively of foes fading away, failing in strength and courage (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 166). Here the infinitive absolute construction heightens the meaning.
[18:18] 7 tn Gesenius lists the specialized use of the comparative min (מ) where with an adjective the thought expressed is that the quality is too difficult for the attainment of a particular aim (GKC 430 §133.c).
[18:18] 8 tn Here “a burden” has been supplied.
[18:22] 9 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive, making it equivalent to the imperfect of instruction in the preceding verse.
[18:22] 10 tn Heb “in every time,” meaning “in all normal cases” or “under normal circumstances.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
[18:22] 11 tn Heb “great thing.”
[18:22] 13 tn The vav here shows the result or the purpose of the instructions given.
[18:22] 14 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.
[18:22] 15 tn Here “the burden” has been supplied.
[18:26] 16 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.