Keluaran 18:19

18:19 Now listen to me, ¹  I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, ²  and you bring ³  their disputes ⁴  to God;

Kejadian 25:22

25:22 But the children struggled ⁵  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ⁶  So she asked the Lord, ⁷ 

[18:19]  ¹ tn Heb “hear my voice.”

[18:19]  ² tn The line reads “Be you to the people before God.” He is to be their representative before God. This is introducing the aspect of the work that only Moses could do, what he has been doing. He is to be before God for the people, to pray for them, to appeal on their behalf. Jethro is essentially saying, I understand that you cannot delegate this to anyone else, so continue doing it (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 219-20).

[18:19]  ³ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; following the imperative it will be instruction as well. Since the imperative preceding this had the idea of “continue to be” as you are, this too has that force.

[18:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “words”; KJV, ASV “the causes”; NRSV “cases”; NLT “questions.”

[25:22]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ⁷ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.