Deuteronomy 16:18
New International Version
Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.

New Living Translation
“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the LORD your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.

English Standard Version
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Berean Standard Bible
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

King James Bible
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

New King James Version
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

New American Standard Bible
“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

NASB 1995
“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

NASB 1977
“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Legacy Standard Bible
“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your gates of the towns which Yahweh your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Amplified Bible
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your cities (gates) which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Christian Standard Bible
“Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

American Standard Version
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, according to thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Make for yourself Judges and Scribes in all your cities that LORD JEHOVAH your God gives to you for your tribes, and they shall judge the people with the judgment of righteousness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt make for thyself judges and officers in thy cities, which the Lord thy God gives thee in thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt appoint judges and magistrates in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God shall give thee, in all thy tribes: that they may judge the people with just judgment,

English Revised Version
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, according to thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly.

Good News Translation
"Appoint judges and other officials in every town that the LORD your God gives you. These men are to judge the people impartially.

International Standard Version
"Appoint judges and civil servants according to your tribes in all your cities that the LORD your God is about to give you, so they may judge the people impartially.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Literal Standard Version
You set for yourself judges and authorities within all your gates which your God YHWH is giving to you, for your tribes; and they have judged the people [with] a righteous judgment.

Majority Standard Bible
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

New American Bible
In all the communities which the LORD, your God, is giving you, you shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes to administer true justice for the people.

NET Bible
You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the LORD your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes, in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall render just decisions for the people.

New Heart English Bible
You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Webster's Bible Translation
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

World English Bible
You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Young's Literal Translation
'Judges and authorities thou dost make to thee within all thy gates which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, for thy tribes; and they have judged the people -- a righteous judgment.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judges and Justice
18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. 19Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:21
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Do not murder' and 'Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'

Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be subject to the fire of hell.

Deuteronomy 1:16
At that time I charged your judges: "Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.

Deuteronomy 16:17
Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.

Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

1 Samuel 8:1
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

2 Chronicles 19:5
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.


Treasury of Scripture

Judges and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Judges

Deuteronomy 1:15-17
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes…

Deuteronomy 17:9,12
And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: …

Deuteronomy 19:17,18
Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; …

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Appoint Authorities Judge Judges Judging Judgment Officers Officials Overseers Righteous Righteousness Throughout Towns Tribe Tribes Upright
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Appoint Authorities Judge Judges Judging Judgment Officers Officials Overseers Righteous Righteousness Throughout Towns Tribe Tribes Upright
Deuteronomy 16
1. The feast of the Passover
9. of weeks
13. of tabernacles
16. Every male must offer, as he is able, at these three feasts
18. Of judges and justice
21. Asherah poles and images are forbidden














(18) Judges and officers.--A fresh section of the book, as read in the synagogues, begins with these words.

The land is now considered as the seat of the Kingdom of Jehovah, to the end of ch. 18. See Introduction for a complete analysis, and comp. Joshua 23:2, which shows that these magistrates were already appointed.

Verses 18-20. - Moses had at an earlier period appointed judges to settle disputes among the people, and had given instructions to them for the discharge of their duty (Exodus 18; Deuteronomy 1:12-18). Whilst the people were in the wilderness, united as one body and under the leadership of Moses, this arrangement was sufficient; but a more extended arrangement would be required when they came to be settled in Canaan and dispersed in towns and villages over the whole land. In prospect of this, Moses here enacts that judges and officers were to be appointed by the people in all their gates, in all their places of residence, which the Lord should give them. Verse 18. - Judges and officers. The "officers" (shoterim, writers) associated with the judges both in the earlier arrangements and in that which was to succeed were secretaries and clerks of court, and acted also as assessors and advisers of the judges. No instruction is given as to the number of judges and officers, or as to the mode of appointing them; nor was this necessary. The former would be determined by the size and population of the place where they were appointed, and the latter would, as a matter of course, follow the method instituted by Moses in the earlier arrangement (see Deuteronomy 1:13-15; Exodus 18:21-26).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You are to appoint
תִּֽתֶּן־ (tit·ten-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

judges
שֹׁפְטִ֣ים (šō·p̄ə·ṭîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

and officials
וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים (wə·šō·ṭə·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7860: A scribe, an official superintendent, magistrate

for your tribes
לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ (liš·ḇā·ṭe·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

in every
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

town
שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ (šə·‘ā·re·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

the LORD
יְהוָ֧ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

is giving you.
נֹתֵ֥ן (nō·ṯên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

They are to judge
וְשָׁפְט֥וּ (wə·šā·p̄ə·ṭū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

the people
הָעָ֖ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

with righteous
צֶֽדֶק׃ (ṣe·ḏeq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity

judgment.
מִשְׁפַּט־ (miš·paṭ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 16:18 You shall make judges and officers (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 16:17
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