Numbers 25:5 - Exposition

The judges of Israel. אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵי . This is the first place where "the judges" are mentioned by this name (cf. Deuteronomy 1:16 ; 2:16 ), but the verb is freely used in Exodus 18:1-27 , in describing the functions of the officers appointed at Sinai. Every one his men. The men who were under his particular jurisdiction. This command given by Moses is not to be confounded with the previous command given to Moses to hang up all the chiefs. Moses only could deal with the chief, but it was within the power and the province of the judges to deal with ordinary offenders. It does not, however, appear how far either of these commands was put in practice.