4 
Indiana University Studies 
ages of Hebrew history. The Hebrew people at this time 
were at Kadesh-Barnea. “Moses sat to judge the people”, be- 
cause the people came unto him when they had a dispute and 
he “judged between a man and his neighbor”. But the num- 
ber of people coming became so great that they “stood about 
Moses from the morning unto the evening”. Controversies 
became more and more numerous, and the throngs became 
greater and greater, until both the people and Moses were in 
danger of being “worn away”. Moses was getting farther 
and farther behind his docket. At this point Jethro appeared, 
sized up the situation, and made a valuable and historic sug- 
gestion to Moses. He said, “What is this thing that thou 
doest to the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all 
the people stand about thee from morning unto even?” “The 
thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear 
away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the 
thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it 
thyself alone.” Then Jethro advised the appointment of 
under (or trial) judges — rulers of tens, of fifties, of hundreds, 
of thousands — to “judge the people at all seasons” so far as 
all minor matters were concerned ; and he advised the taking 
of only the most important cases to Moses. “It shall be that 
every great matter thejr shall bring unto thee, but every small 
matter they shall judge themselves; so shall it be easier for 
thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.” Then, 
it is related, “Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in- 
law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men 
out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers 
of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers 
of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard 
causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they 
judged themselves.” 
Apparently Moses, in his manner of holding court, was fol- 
lowing precedent and forgot that conditions had meanwhile 
so changed as to make old methods no longer applicable. He 
was attempting to hold a nomadic patriarchal court. This 
was the method of trial in the cases of Adam and Eve , 3 Cain 
and Abel , 4 and Achan . 5 In the case of Jacob and Laban 6 a 
family court was held. Moses, on the advice of Jethro, modi- 
3 2 Gen. 4 — 3 Gen. 24. 
4 4 Gen. 1-16. 
3 7 Josh. 1-26. 
6 31 Gen. 32, 37. 
