Numbers 11:14-17

11:14 I am not able to bear this entire people alone, ¹  because it ²  is too heavy for me! 11:15 But if you are going to deal ³  with me like this, then kill me immediately. ⁴  If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble.” ⁵ 

The Response of God

11:16 ⁶ The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials ⁷  over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you. 11:17 Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take part of the spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it ⁸  all by yourself.

Deuteronomy 1:9-12

1:9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 1:10 The Lord your God has increased your population ⁹  to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. ¹⁰  1:11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you ¹¹  just as he said he would! 1:12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife?

Acts 6:1-4

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ¹²  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ¹³  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ¹⁴  against the native Hebraic Jews, ¹⁵  because their widows ¹⁶  were being overlooked ¹⁷  in the daily distribution of food. ¹⁸  6:2 So the twelve ¹⁹  called ²⁰  the whole group ²¹  of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. ²²  6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, ²³  seven ²⁴  men who are well-attested, ²⁵  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge ²⁶  of this necessary task. ²⁷  6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

[11:14]  ¹ tn The word order shows the emphasis: “I am not able, I by myself, to bear all this people.” The infinitive לָשֵׂאת (lase’t) serves as the direct object of the verb. The expression is figurative, for bearing or carrying the people means being responsible for all their needs and cares.

[11:14]  ² tn The subject of the verb “heavy” is unstated; in the context it probably refers to the people, or the burden of caring for the people. This responsibility was turning out to be a heavier responsibility than Moses anticipated. Alone he was totally inadequate.

[11:15]  ³ tn The participle expresses the future idea of what God is doing, or what he is going to be doing. Moses would rather be killed than be given a totally impossible duty over a people that were not his.

[11:15]  ⁴ tn The imperative of הָרַג (harag) is followed by the infinitive absolute for emphasis. The point is more that the infinitive adds to the emphasis of the imperative mood, which would be immediate compliance.

[11:15]  ⁵ tn Or “my own ruin” (NIV). The word “trouble” here probably refers to the stress and difficulty of caring for a complaining group of people. The suffix on the noun would be objective, perhaps stressing the indirect object of the noun – trouble for me. The expression “on my trouble” (בְּרָעָתִי, bÿra’ati) is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” According to this tradition the original reading in v. 15 was [to look] “on your evil” (בְּרָעָתֶךָ, bÿra’atekha), meaning “the calamity that you bring about” for Israel. However, since such an expression could be mistakenly thought to attribute evil to the Lord, the ancient scribes changed it to the reading found in the MT.

[11:16]  ⁶ sn The Lord provides Spirit-empowered assistance for Moses. Here is another variation on the theme of Moses’ faith. Just as he refused to lead alone and was given Aaron to share the work, so here he protests the burden and will share it with seventy elders. If God’s servant will not trust wholeheartedly, that individual will not be used by God as he or she might have been. Others will share in the power and the work. Probably one could say that it was God’s will for others to share this leadership – but not to receive it through these circumstances.

[11:16]  ⁷ tn The “officials” (שֹׁטְּרִים, shottÿrim) were a group of the elders who seem to have had some administrative capacities. The LXX used the word “scribes.” For further discussion, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 69-70.

[11:17]  ⁸ tn The imperfect tense here is to be classified as a final imperfect, showing the result of this action by God. Moses would be relieved of some of the responsibility when these others were given the grace to understand and to resolve cases.

[1:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “multiplied you.”

[1:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

[1:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “may he bless you.”

[6:1]  ¹² tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[6:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ¹⁶ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

[6:2]  ¹⁹ sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.

[6:2]  ²⁰ tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[6:2]  ²¹ tn Or “the multitude.”

[6:2]  ²² tn Grk “to serve tables.”

[6:3]  ²³ tn It is not clear from a historical standpoint (but it is unlikely) that women would have been involved in the selection process too. For this reason the translation “brothers” has been retained, rather than “brothers and sisters” (used in contexts where both male and female believers are clearly addressed).

[6:3]  ²⁴ sn Seven. Jewish town councils often had seven members (Josephus, Ant. 4.18.14 [4.214]).

[6:3]  ²⁵ tn Or “are of good reputation” (BDAG 618 s.v. μαρτυρέω 2.b).

[6:3]  ²⁶ tn The translation “put in charge” is given by BDAG 492 s.v. καθίστημι 2.

[6:3]  ²⁷ tn Grk “of this need”; translated “necessary work” or “needed task” by L&N 42.22.