SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:21
Además considera tú de entre todo el pueblo varones de virtud, temerosos de Dios, varones de verdad, que aborrezcan la avaricia; y pondrás sobre el pueblo príncipes sobre mil, sobre ciento, sobre cincuenta y sobre diez.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 18:21
Verse 21. Able men] Persons of wisdom, discernment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can be a ruler without these qualifications? Such as fear God] Who are truly religious, without which they will feel little concerned either for the bodies or souls of the people. Men of truth] Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth.
Hating covetousness] Doing all for God's sake, and love to man; labouring to promote the general good; never perverting judgment, or suppressing the testimonies of God, for the love of money or through a base, man-pleasing spirit, but expecting their reward from the mercy of God in the resurrection of the just.
Rulers of thousands, &c.] Millenaries, centurions, quinquagenaries, and decurions; each of these, in all probability, dependent on that officer immediately above himself. So the decurion, or ruler over ten, if he found a matter too hard for him, brought it to the quinquagenary, or ruler of fifty; if, in the course of the exercise of his functions, he found a cause too complicated for him to decide on, he brought it to the centurion, or ruler over a hundred. In like manner the centurion brought his difficult case to the millenary, or ruler over a thousand; the case that was too hard for him to judge, he brought to Moses; and the case that was too hard for Moses, he brought immediately to GOD. It is likely that each of these classes had a court composed of its own members, in which causes were heard and tried. Some of the rabbins have supposed that there were 600 rulers of thousands, 6000 rulers of hundreds, 12, 000 rulers of fifties and 60, 000 rulers of tens; making in the whole 78, 600 officers. But Josephus says (Antiq., lib. iii., chap. 4) that Moses, by the advice of Jethro, appointed rulers over myriads, and then over thousands; these he divided into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties; and appointed rulers over each of these, who divided them into thirties, and at last into twenties and tens; that each of these companies had a chief, who took his name from the number of persons who were under his direction and government.
Allowing what Josephus states to be correct, some have supposed that there could not have been less than 129, 860 officers in the Israelitish camp. But such computations are either fanciful or absurd. That the people were divided into thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, we know, for the text states it, but we cannot tell precisely how many of such divisions there were, nor, consequently, the number of officers.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-27 - Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a magistrate. Havin been employed to redeem Israel out of the house of bondage, he is further type of Christ, that he is employed as a lawgiver and a judg among them. If the people were as quarrelsome one with another as the were with God, no doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. Thi business Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great car and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his caus before him. Moses kept to his business from morning to night. Jethr thought it was too much for him to undertake alone; also it would make the administration of justice tiresome to the people. There may be over-doing even in well-doing. Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty, nor tas ourselves beyond our strength. Jethro advised Moses to a better plan Great men should not only study to be useful themselves, but contriv to make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the person admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good sense, tha understood business, and that would not be daunted by frowns of clamours, but abhorred the thought of a bribe. Men of piety an religion; such as fear God, who dare not to do a base thing, thoug they could do it secretly and securely. The fear of God will bes fortify a man against temptations to injustice. Moses did not despis this advice. Those are not wise, who think themselves too wise to be counselled __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ואתה 859 תחזה 2372 מכל 3605 העם 5971 אנשׁי 376 חיל 2428 יראי 3373 אלהים 430 אנשׁי 376 אמת 571 שׂנאי 8130 בצע 1215 ושׂמת 7760 עלהם 5921 שׂרי 8269 אלפים 505 שׂרי 8269 מאות 3967 שׂרי 8269 חמשׁים 2572 ושׂרי 8269 עשׂרת׃ 6235
