Palestine. Keil supposes that the word from Deut. i. 13, that instead of selecting the "peace" is to be taken literally, and concludes men himself, which would have beeu an from it that breaches of the peace had pre- invidious task, Moses directed their nomination viously been frequent, the people having by the people, and only reserved to himself "often taken the law into their own hands the investing them with their authority. Heade on account of the delay in the judicial de- over the people. From the time of their cision ;" but this is to extract from the words appointment, the "rulers•· were not merely more than they naturally signify. " In pe11ce '' judges, but "heads" of their resp~ctive com- means "cheerfully, contentedly." If the panies, with authority over them on the march, changes which he recommends are carried e.nd command in the battle-field (Num. xxxi. out, Jethro thinks that the people will make 14). Thus the crganisation was at once civil the rest of the journey to Canaan quietly and and militarv. contentedly, without complaint or dissatis- Ver. 26 ....:...At all seasons. See the comment faction. on verse 22. The hard causes they brought Ver. 24.-So Moses hearkened. Moses unto Moses. It must have been left to the took the advice tendered him, not immediately, discretion of the judges to determine whether but after the law had been given at Sinai, and a cause was hard or easy, a great or a little the journeying was about to be resumed. See matter. Probably only those causes which Deut. i. 9-15. seemed " hard " to the " rulers of thousands " Ver. 25.-Moses chose able men. It appears were brought before Moses for decision.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 14-23.-The unwisdom of a monopoly of power. The principle of the divisiou of labour, which is essential to progress in the arts, was well known in Egypt, and was applied there, not to the arts only, but also to government and administration. Moses, who had resided forty years at the court of a Pharaoh (Acts vii. 23), must have been thoroughly acquainted with the fact that, in a well-ordered co=unity, judicial functions were separated· from legislative and administrative, and entrusted to a lar~e number of persons, not monopolised by a single individual. But it had appeared w him that the condition of his own people was exceptional. Just released from the cruel bondage of a hard and pitiless slavery, without education, without habits of com- mand or self-control, without any knowledge of the principles of law or experience in the practice of courts, they seemed to him unfit for the exercise of the judicial oll:ice-- especially as he understood it. For his view was, that each particular decision should be made an occasion of educating the people in the principles of law and justice (ver. lb), and upon these it was his habit to descant in connection with each judgment that he delivered. As he felt that he alone among all the Israelites was equal to this task, he had undertaken to discharge singly the office of judge in a community consisting of above tW"o millions of persrms. Jethro, on visiting him, was struck with the unwisdom of such an attempt, and honestly gave expression to his feelings. Jethro saw- I. 'l'liAT TO MONOPOLISE THE JUDICIAL FUNCTION m SO LARGE A COMMUNITY WAS UNWISE, AS AN UNDUE STRAIN UPON THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL POWERS OF THF. MONOPOLISER. So numerous were the causes brought before him that Moses had to sit "from morning to evening "-probably from early dawn until the dusk of the evening twilight-hearing them. At eighty years of age, or more (eh. vii. 7), his physical strength was not equal to this exertion. Our physical powers have to be considered. No one is justified in overtaxing them unnecessarily. 'l'he body needs change of attitude and employment, air, gentle exercise, freedom from restraint, con.fineroent, tension. No one could habitually sit at any one task for twelve hours continuously without its telling on his bodily frame and injuring his constitution. Again, the mental strain must have been injurious to him, and if not actually impairing his faculties, must have interfered with their due exercise and rendered him u11fit to perform the delicate duties of a judge late in the day. Had necessity been laid upon him, had God appointed him to be the sole judge of the people, or had there actually been no one else among the Israelites competent to the performance of any part of the work, he would have been right in acting as he did, for health is not the first consideration; but this was not so. God had not spoken upon the point; and there was an abundance of men in the congregation, quite competent to perform minor judicial functions, as Jethro clearly perceived, and as 94 TIIE DOOK OF EXODUS. [on. XVIII. 14-23.
he himself also saw when it was pointed out to him. Thus he was exhaustina himself unnecessarily, a proceeding which cannot be justified. " 11. THAT IT WAS ALSO UNWISE, AS UNDULY TAXING THE PATIENCE OF THE PEOPLE, One man could not keep pace with the number of constautly arising causes, which must have teuded to accumulate, whence would arise a delay of justice. It was inconvenient enough to have to wait from the morning until the evening before obtaining a hearing; but probably the case was not uncommon of a cause being put off to the next court-day, which, if the people were on the march, might be several days distant. The con- venience of suitors is an important consideration in the administration of justice, which should be prompt as well as sure, to content men's natural sense of what is fitting. Ill. THAT, FURTHER, IT 'l'E:1-.'DED TO CRAMP THE EXERCISE BY THE PEOPLE OF POWERS WHICH THEY POSSESSED, A:1-.'D THE EMPLOYMENT OF WHICH WOULD HAVE ELEVATED THEM. '!'here were in Israel and will always be in every co=unity, "able men," well fitted to take part in the decision of causes. Such men will co=only be very numerous; and if they have no part in the administration of justice, a large section of the co=unity will at once be dissatisfied with the slight passed upon them, and debarred from an employment which would have tended to their moral education and elevation. The jury system of modem states is a recognition of the fact, that judicial capacity is widely spread, and that society ought to provide a field for its exercise. It is important to utilise the powers possessed by all members of the co=unity, both for their own con- tentation and for the general welfare of the co=unity itself. The world is over-full of despots and monopolists, persons who desire to grasp as much power as possible, and are unwilling to share their office with others. We may acquit Moses of such selfish- ness; but we cannot acquit all those who follow in his footsteps. It would be well if persons in positions of authority nowadays sought generally to associate others in their work-to call out la.tent talent, exercise it, and so educate its possessors.