Wisdom from Jethro: Appoint Capable Men

Moses had a father-in-law named Jethro, the priest of Midian. Moses and his wife, Zipporah, had two sons named Gershom (“a foreigner in a foreign land”) and Eliezer (“My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh”). It says in Exodus 18 that Moses had sent his wife and sons back home with Jethro for safety, and now Jethro brought them back to Moses in the wilderness.

Jethro was delighted to hear of everything God had done for Moses and the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt and sparing them. He brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

The next day, Jethro observed how Moses sat as a “judge” for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. Jethro advised him that what he was doing was not good.

“You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.

But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” (Ex. 18:18-23)

Moses listened to his father-in-law and chose capable men and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. If the cases seemed too difficult, they brought them to Moses, but the simple ones they decided for themselves.

Afterwards, Jethro returned to Midian.