Exodus 18:15

18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire ¹  of God.

Exodus 18:19

18:19 Now listen to me, ²  I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, ³  and you bring ⁴  their disputes ⁵  to God;

Exodus 18:26

18:26 They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring ⁶  to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.

[18:15]  ¹ tn The form is לִדְרֹשׁ (lidrosh), the Qal infinitive construct giving the purpose. To inquire of God would be to seek God’s will on a matter, to obtain a legal decision on a matter, or to settle a dispute. As a judge Moses is speaking for God, but as the servant of Yahweh Moses’ words will be God’s words. The psalms would later describe judges as “gods” because they made the right decisions based on God’s Law.

[18:19]  ² tn Heb “hear my voice.”

[18:19]  ³ tn The line reads “Be you to the people before God.” He is to be their representative before God. This is introducing the aspect of the work that only Moses could do, what he has been doing. He is to be before God for the people, to pray for them, to appeal on their behalf. Jethro is essentially saying, I understand that you cannot delegate this to anyone else, so continue doing it (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 219-20).

[18:19]  ⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; following the imperative it will be instruction as well. Since the imperative preceding this had the idea of “continue to be” as you are, this too has that force.

[18:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “words”; KJV, ASV “the causes”; NRSV “cases”; NLT “questions.”

[18:26]  ⁶ 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.