So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Who Hebrew, "and shot rim (officers like our serjeants, designed to publish and execute the sentence of the judges) over or among your tribes. "The Persians still call such officers chaters. The Rabbins say, that the shot rim were generally selected from among the Cinites, the descendants of Jethro, 1 Paralipomenon ii. 55. But we find that the Levites were also chosen, 2 Paralipomenon xix. 11. They seem to have had sometimes the authority of judges, princes, or doctors for the instruction of the people, as the Vulgate here expresses it. (Calmet) Ver 17. Respect. Hebrew, "fear. "(Menochius)
Those who judge ought to be quite impartial, and never suffer their sentence to be dictated either by love or by fear. (Haydock) (Ecclesiasticus vii. 6.)
Of God, to whom you must give an account of your conduct, Wisdom vi. 4. Speak therefore in his name, and imitate his justice and other perfections. See Psalm lxxxi 1. (Calmet)
If any one absolve an oppressor because he is rich, that judge is guilty of partiality. (Du Hamel) (Isaias i. 23.)
Hear it, as the supreme judge. (Menochius)
The people selected such as might be most proper, out of whom Moses made his choice. (Salien)
An appeal might be made to himself. (Abulensis, q. 11.)
