Numbers 11:16

The Response of God

11:16 ¹ 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 ²  over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.

Deuteronomy 1:15

1:15 So I chose ³  as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials.

Deuteronomy 16:18

Provision for Justice

16:18 You must appoint judges and civil servants ⁴  for each tribe in all your villages ⁵  that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly. ⁶ 

Joshua 8:33

8:33 All the people, ⁷  rulers, ⁸  leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. ⁹  Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony. ¹⁰ 

Joshua 24:1

Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord

24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.

Joshua 24:4

24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, ¹¹  while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

Joshua 24:2

24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors ¹²  lived beyond the Euphrates River, ¹³  including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped ¹⁴  other gods,

Joshua 1:11

1:11 “Go through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to you.’” ¹⁵ 

[11:16]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[1:15]  ³ tn Or “selected”; Heb “took.”

[16:18]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term וְשֹׁטְרִים (vÿshoterim), usually translated “officers” (KJV, NCV) or “officials” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), derives from the verb שֹׁטֵר (shoter, “to write”). The noun became generic for all types of public officials. Here, however, it may be appositionally epexegetical to “judges,” thus resulting in the phrase, “judges, that is, civil officers,” etc. Whoever the שֹׁטְרִים are, their task here consists of rendering judgments and administering justice.

[16:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “gates.”

[16:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “with judgment of righteousness”; ASV, NASB “with righteous judgment.”

[8:33]  ⁷ tn Heb “All Israel.”

[8:33]  ⁸ tn Or “elders.”

[8:33]  ⁹ tn Heb “like the resident alien, like the citizen.” The language is idiomatic, meaning that both groups were treated the same, at least in this instance.

[8:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “as Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded to bless the people, Israel, formerly.”

[24:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”

[24:2]  ¹² tn Heb “your fathers.”

[24:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ¹⁴ tn Or “served.”

[1:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to enter to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving to you to possess it.”