rhc\ arc ro do. 21 ^oii should also look for able men among all the jrcoiilc, men who tear (lod, are trusr\vorth\, and hare dishonest gain; set such men o\ er them as otticers o\ er thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them sit as ludges tor the people at all times; let thembring e\ erv important ease to vou, bur decide e\ er\' minor case themseh es. So it will be easier tor \’ou, and the\ will bear the burden with xou. 23 Itfou do this, anti (lod so commantis ton, tiien tovi wiii i)e aide to endure, anti aii tiiese peopie wiii go to their iiome in peace." 24 So Moses iistened to iiis fatiier-in-iaw anti did aii tiiat iie hati said. 25 Moses chose aide men from aii israei anti appointeti riiem as iieads o\er jicojiie, as officers o\er tiii»usanti.s, inmdreti.s, fifties, anti tens. 26 .\nti tlie\ judged tiie peopie at aii rimes; hard cases tiie\ brougiir to Moses, bur an\ minor case thee decided tiiemsebes. 27 i’iien Moses iet ids fatiier-in-la\\ depart, anti iie went oft to his own counrrt. I'luis, ininicdiatc'K hetdre \\c are told that (lod ga\e Moses the 'I'eti Clomniaiidincnrs atid other laws his father-in-law rebuked Moses. .Moses, we are told, was wearifig himself out hearing law suits. \\ hat Moses should do, "atid (jod he with \’ou," is teach people the statutes and ha\e good people act as judges. h\’ an cmormtuis coittcidenee, we are asked to helicwe, (lod immediateK’ deli\ered the statutes to Moses who communicated them to the people, (lod is needed to gi\ e adetpiate authorit) to the legislation. Secofid, we ha\ e the strange structure and contents of the 'Ten (Commandments themsehes. d'hese ha\e been ahh' anah zed, especiallv h\ (Calum (Carmichael.' I lere I w ish onlv to look at two pro\ isions. ICxodus zo.iif.; 1lonor \()ur fatiier and \i)ur moriier, so riiar xour da\s ma\' ire iong in riie land that the Lord onir Ciod is gi\ ing \'ou. 13. Mni sliall nor murder. 'The first problem is that the first pro\ ision appears to be bereft of legal content, fhe second problem is that the reason for the pro\ ision, that \(>ur da\s nun be long in the land that (lod gi\es \ou, 2 The translation is that of the NewRevised Standard Version. 3 See above aft, Calum Carmichael, The Origins of Biblical Law: the Decalogue and the Books of the Covenant (Ithaca, 1992), pp. 22ff.; The Spirit of Biblical /.arv (Athens, Ga., 1996), pp. 83ff. 89
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