Discovery BoxExodus 18:22 
Context18:22 They will judge 1 the people under normal circumstances, 2 and every difficult case 3 they will bring to you, but every small case 4 they themselves will judge, so that 5 you may make it easier for yourself, 6 and they will bear the burden 7 with you.
Exodus 18:26
Context18:26 They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring 8 to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.
1 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive, making it equivalent to the imperfect of instruction in the preceding verse.
2 tn Heb “in every time,” meaning “in all normal cases” or “under normal circumstances.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
3 tn Heb “great thing.”
4 tn Heb “thing.”
5 tn The vav here shows the result or the purpose of the instructions given.
6 tn The expression וְהָקֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ (vÿhaqel me’aleykha) means literally “and make it light off yourself.” The word plays against the word for “heavy” used earlier – since it was a heavy or burdensome task, Moses must lighten the load.
7 tn Here “the burden” has been supplied.
8 tn This verb and the verb in the next clause are imperfect tenses. In the past tense narrative of the verse they must be customary, describing continuous action in past time.
