Read Exodus 18:20-23 at Bible Gateway.
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. And let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves; so shall they make it easier for you and bear the burden with you. If you shall do this thing, and God command you so, then you shall be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace. Exo 18:20-23
Hebrew roots
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
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.
Fear is Strong’s H3373, yare, an adjective, fearful; from Strong’s H3372 ירא yare, a primitive root meaning, “to fear.” The ancient pictographs are yud + resh + aleph.
yud י = the closed hand, thus work, throw, worship
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
aleph א = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
What the man fears is what he worships (yud) over himself (resh) as the greater (aleph).
God is Strong’s H430, Elohiym, which we have seen before.
Truth is Strong’s H571, emeth, an adverb meaning, “verily, truly, faithfully,” contracted from Strong’s H539 אמן aman, a primitive root meaning, “to prop up, sustain, support, confirm.” The ancient pictographs are aleph + mem + nun.
aleph א = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
mem מ, ם = the water, thus chaos, mighty, blood
nun נ, ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
The story being told is strength (aleph) passed through the blood (mem) to the next generation (nun). Truth is that which endures the test of time, just as a family line endures generation after generation when its strength is passed through the blood in the form of strong and healthy genetics.
Hating is Strong’s H8130 שנא sane, a primitive root meaning, “to hate.” The ancient pictographs are shin + nun + aleph. The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon indicates that the original pictograph was the sin, being transposed to a shin over time.
sin ס = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
nun נ, ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
aleph א = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
When a man comes into contact with a thorn (sin), he turns away from it. So hate begins as a turning away (sin) from someone or something. If that turning away is entertained instead of repented of, a seed (nun) is planted in the heart or mind which grows in strength (aleph) until it produces the emotion of hatred with the fruit of murder (Gen 37:4, 18; Mat 5:21-24).
Unjust gain is Strong’s H1215, betsa, a concrete noun meaning, “coveteousness, unjust gain;” from Strong’s H1214 בצע batsa, a primitive root meaning, “to cut off, to plunder.” The ancient pictographs are bet + tsadey + ayin.
bet ב = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
tsadey צ, ץ = the trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
ayin ע = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
In order to see the story being told, we have to first understand where the verbal root comes from. A related verbal root is bet + zayin, with the meaning, “to despoil:”
bet ב = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
zayin ז = the mattock, thus tool, food, cut, nourish
The house (bet) when attacked (zayin, in the sense of a weapon as a tool wielded against it) is plundered of its valuables; and unjust gain is wrung from the house (bet) which is hunted (tsadey) with a watchful eye (ayin) upon it.
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 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.
Ruler is Strong’s H8269, sar, a concrete noun meaning, “prince,” from Strong’s H8323 שרר sarar, a primitive root meaning, “to be a prince, to hold dominion.” We have seen this root before.
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).
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