Deuteronomy 1:12

Deu 1:12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

Ver. 12. Hear your cumbrance.] A prince’s temples are not so compassed with a crown, as his mind besieged with cares; nor is he so lifted up with the splendour of his train, as cast down with the multitude of his fears. {See Trapp on "Deu 1:9"} St Paul also had the "cumber {a} of the churches." {2Co 11:28} All care cumbered and mustered together, and that with anxiety; with the same solicitude that a man hath about his own most important business.

{a} επισυστασις, μεριμνα

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 1:12-13. How can I alone bear your burden? — The trouble of ruling and managing so perverse a people. Your strife — Your contentions among yourselves, for the determination whereof the elders were appointed. Take ye wise men and understanding — Persons of knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Known among your tribes — Hebrew, to your tribes; men had in reputation for ability and integrity; for to such they would more readily submit.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Signifying how great a burden it is, to govern the people.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(12) Your cumbrance.—The original word is found only here and in Isa_1:14 : “They are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them.”

Deu_1:13-15 recall very exactly what is said in Exodus 18

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. How] This emphatic Heb. form is found in the Pent. only here, Deu_7:17, Deu_12:30, Deu_18:21, (Deu_32:30).

can I myself alone bear] See on Deu_1:9.

your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife] Better the weight, the burden, and the strife of you. Weight cp. Isa_1:14, they are a weight upon me, I am weary of bearing. Is the use of the word here an echo of Isaiah? The Heb. ṭoraḥ is not found elsewhere in the O. T. Burden or carriage, cp. J, Num_11:11, the burden of all this people upon me, and 17. Strife; the Heb. rîb is used in JE of quarrels about wells and other physical struggles; but also of law-disputes, and of Israel’s contentiousness with Moses and God (E, Exo_17:2; Exo_17:7; J, Num_20:3; P, Num_20:13; and in the Song, Deu_33:8). In D four times for law-pleas. Here it is either the people’s litigiousness among themselves or their frequent contentions with Moses and God.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? His meaning is, that he could not hear and try all their causes, and determine all their law suits, and decide the strifes and controversies which arose between them; it was too heavy for him, and brought too much trouble and incumbrance upon him.

How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? His meaning is, that he could not hear and try all their causes, and determine all their law suits, and decide the strifes and controversies which arose between them; it was too heavy for him, and brought too much trouble and incumbrance upon him.

Deuteronomy 1:13

deu 1:13

deu 1:13

deu 1:13Take ye wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes,.... Not only whose persons were well known, but their characters and qualifications, for their probity and integrity, for their wisdom and prudence in the management of affairs, for their skill and knowledge in things divine and human, civil and religious, and for their capacity in judging and determining matters in difference; see Exo 18:21.

and I will make them rulers over you; the people were allowed to choose their own officers, whom they were to bring to Moses, and present before him, to be invested with their office. A like method was taken in the choice and constitution of deacons in the Christian church, when the secular affairs of it lay too heavy upon the apostles, Act 6:3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Your burden; the trouble of ruling and managing so perverse a people.

Your strife; either your quarrellings with God; or rather your contentions among yourselves, for the determination whereof the elders were appointed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Moses appeals to the good sense of the people themselves: How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? Cumbrance: this is a just rendering of the Hebrew word jr mo, from jrf which, though it occurs only in the Hiphil in Hebrew, in the sense of to cast down, (Job_17:11) probably was in use also in the Kal, in the sense of to lay upon, to encumber, which is the meaning of the cognate Arabic followed by. Burden (aV; from acn to lift up, to carry, to bear), something lifted up and carried, a load or burden. Strife: (byri) here, not mere contention, but litigation, suit-at-law. Some understand all these three, of troubles and burdens laid upon Moses, by his being called upon to compose differences, and adjust competing claims among the people. But other burdens besides these came upon him as the leader of the nation; and it seems best, therefore, to understand the first two of troubles and burdens generally.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Your burden - The trouble of ruling and managing so perverse a people. Your strife - Your contentions among yourselves, for the determnination whereof the elders were appointed.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.

But how can I myself alone carry your loads, your burdens, and your disputes?

Moses uses a question to emphasize that he cannot solve all of their problems by himself. This rhetorical question can be translated as a statement. AT: "I cannot carry your loads, your burdens, and your disputes by myself." (See: Rhetorical Question)

carry your loads, your burdens

Moses speaks as if the people's problems and complaints that he needed to take care of were heavy physical objects that he had been carrying. AT: "take care of your problems, your complaints" (See: Metaphor)

your disputes

"your arguments" or "your disagreements"

men of good repute from each tribe

"men from each tribe whom the people of Israel respect"

translationWords

burden

wise

understand

tribe

head

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

איכה אשא לבדי HOW CAN I MYSELF ALONE BEAR [YOUR CUMBRANCE, etc.]? — If I were to say, "I will do so in order to receive a reward for it", I may not do so. This is what I have already said to you: not of myself do I tell you that I am not able to bear you, but by the bidding of the Holy One, blessed be He (see Rashi v. 9).

טרחכם YOUR CUMBRANCE — Moses' use of this word regarding them teaches us that the Israelites were troublesome: if one of them perceived that his opponent in a law suit was about to be victor in the case he would say: I have witnesses to bring, further proof to adduce, I will add judges to you who are sitting (Sifrei Devarim 12:1).

ומשאכם YOUR BURDEN — this teaches that they were Epicorsim (that they treated the judges with scant respect): if Moses went forth early from his tent they said, “Why does the son of Amram leave so early? Perhaps he is not at ease at home?" If he left late, they said, “What do you think? He is sitting and devising evil schemes against you, and is plotting against you" (Sifrei Devarim 12:2).

וריבכם AND YOUR STRIFE — this teaches that they were always contentious (Sifrei Devarim 12:3).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

HOW CAN I MYSELF ALONE BEAR ‘TORCHACHEM’ (YOUR TROUBLE) ‘UMASA’ACHEM’ (AND YOUR BURDEN), V’RIVCHEM (AND YOUR STRIFE)? According to the simple meaning of Scripture, Moses our teacher alluded to them the three things which he told Jethro that he was doing for the people, as I have explained there. He now mentioned them to Israel by implication. He said torchachem corresponding to and I make known to them the statutes of G-d and His laws, Verse 16. for it was a difficult “task” to teach those who had come forth from Egypt, the statutes and the laws of G-d, their meanings, interpretations, and secrets. He said masa’achem corresponding to the people come unto me to inquire of G-d, a reference to prayer, for he used to pray on their behalf. The word masa’achem is related to the expression: ‘v’nasatha t’filah’ (and thou lift up prayer); nor ‘tisa’ (lift up) entreaty or prayer in their behalf. [He stated] ‘v’rivchem’ (and your strife) which is to be understood in its plain sense — matters of judgments [because judges must rule when there is strife among people]. Moses continued to state: Get you men who are wise, and understanding, and known among your tribes — referring only to [the qualities of] judges. But he said unqualifiedly, and I will make them heads over you by way of humility. Now Rashi quotes from the Sifre: 12. “‘Torchachem’ (Your trouble). This teaches that they were troublesome. If one perceived that his opponent was winning a litigation, he would say ‘I have witnesses to bring; I have evidence to present; I [exercise my right to] add judges to you [thereby increasing the size of the court].’” But I do not know [the validity of] this law that one of the litigants should have the right to add judges above [the usual number of] three in cases concerning monetary matters, and surely he has no such right after presenting his case before them and perceiving that his opponent was winning the case! For, had he voluntarily accepted upon himself a relative or an unqualified person as a judge, he could indeed retract prior to the rendering of the final judgment, but from those qualified to judge he cannot retract [his acceptance]! Perhaps we can deduce from here the principle that a man can say, “I choose two judges and you choose two other ones, and they [i.e., the four judges] will choose one more, be divisible evenly;” it must have an odd number of judges to assure that, in the event of a split, there would not be a tie vote (ibid., 2a). and let the suit be decided by five or more judges,” just as the Rabbis have said: 2:13). “A suit decided by five [judges] is not comparable to one decided by ten [judges].” Although three judges [have the power to] compel parties to come before them for judgment when one refuses to be bound by their decision, yet if one [of the litigants] desires to choose additional judges, he may do so, because it is similar to [the case of] one [of the litigants] who says, “Let us go to the main meeting place of the scholars [to bring our suit before them on the assumption that superior scholars are better qualified to judge],” in which case we accede to him, provided it does not entail [undue] hardship, for in such a case we have been commanded, Justice, justice, shalt thou pursue, [which the Sifre interpreted]: “Go to a reliable court,” and an increase in the number constitutes “a reliable court.” 144; Sanhedrin 32b. Now in the wilderness, wise men were available to them and the litigants could say, “Let us go before the officers of the thousands.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.