Exodus 18

Read Exodus 18 here or at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph:

18:1-27 {p} YHVH is greater than all the gods

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood about Moses from the morning to the evening. Exo 18:13

Judge is Strong’s H8199 שפט shaphat, a primitive root meaning, “to judge.” The ancient pictographs are shin + pey + tet.

shin ש = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
pey פ, ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
tet ט = the basket, thus surround, contain, hold, mud

The story the pictographs are telling is of pronouncing a word (shin, as spoken words pass through the teeth) with the mouth (pey); i.e., to make a decree, a proclamation, that holds (tet) i.e., that passes the scrutiny of time and circumstances as a true word.

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And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover you shall select out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. Exo 18:20-21

Able is Strong’s H2428, chayill, a concrete noun meaning, “strength, ability, or virtue;” from Strong’s H2342 חול chuwl, a primitive root meaning, “to twist or writhe” (negative spin); “to be strong or firm” (the opposite, positive spin). The ancient pictographs are chet + vav + lamed.

chet ח = the wall, thus outside, divide, half
vav ו = the tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
lamed ל = the shepherd’s staff, thus teach, yoke, to, bind

The story the pictographs are telling, is that as a wall (chet) secures (vav) authority (lamed), so strength, ability, and virtue are as a firm wall securing the man. Cognate words are wall, but also writhe, dance from its opposite spin associated with the bow drill.

An able man is one who is firmly set in his strength, in his ability, and in his virtue as a wall is firm. The able man is one who worships God above himself, as the greater. The implication is that since he fears God, he does not fear man. An able man is one who believes and acts on the truth that has endured the test of time, rather than following the latest fads. An able man maintains a strong hatred for plunder or profit acquired through predatory attacks on the innocent rather than through honest labor. Only an able man is fit to be a ruler.

When the nation has able men as rulers, judging matters with sound judgment which holds under the test of time, then the people dwell in their homes in peace (shalom).

If there are questions, these are good resources:

Exo 18:20-23, Able men – Christine Miller
Exo 18:1-27 Chiastic structure – Christine Miller