Exodus 18:19 - Exposition

I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Rather—"And may God be with thee!" May God incline thine heart to accept my counsel and act upon it. Be thou for the people to God-ward , etc. "Continue," i.e; as at present, to be the intermediary between God and the people—still be the whole and sole source of legislative power ( Exodus 18:20 ), and still be the fount and origin of judicial authority; but commit the actual decision of the lighter causes to others chosen by thyself for the office ( Exodus 18:21 , Exodus 18:22 ). The separation of the legislative and judicial functions was well known in Egypt, where the kings alone made new laws, but causes were ordinarily determined by a body of judges. Bring the causes unto God . In difficult cases, Moses actually laid the cause before God, and obtained directions from God as to the manner in which he was to decide it. See Numbers 27:5-11 .