Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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be a prejudice to his health and too great a fatigue to him, and also that it would make the administration of justice tiresome to the people; and therefore he tells him plainly, It is not good.
Note, There may be over-doing even in well-doing, and therefore our zeal must always be governed by discretion, that our good may not be evil spoken of. Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content ourselves with less than our duty nor over-task ourselves with that which is beyond our strength.
2. He advised him to such a model of government as would better answer the intention, which was,
(1.) That he should reserve to himself all applications to God (Ex 18:19): Be thou for them to God-ward; that was an honour in which it was not fit any other should share with him, Nu 12:6-8. Also whatever concerned the whole congregation in general must pass through his hand, Ex 18:20. But,
(2.) That he should appoint judges in the several tribes and families, who should try causes between man and man, and determine them, which would be done with less noise, and more despatch, than in the general assembly wherein Moses himself presided. Thus they must be governed as a nation by a king as supreme, and inferior magistrates sent and commissioned by him, 1Pe 2:13. Thus many hands would make light work, causes would be sooner heard, and the people eased by having justice thus brought to their tent-doors. Yet,
(3.) An appeal might lie, if there were just cause for it, from these inferior courts to Moses himself; at least if the judges were themselves at a loss: Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, Ex 18:22. Thus that great man would be the more serviceable by being employed only in great matters.