Exodus 18:15

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God.

Exodus 18:15 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 18:15

And Moses said unto his father in law
In answer to his question; and there were two things, as Aben Ezra observes, he did to the people, and for which they came to him; the one is observed in this verse, and the other in the next:

because the people come unto me to inquire of God;
of his mind and will in certain cases, and of his statutes and laws, as the following verse shows; what they should observe, and according to which they should conduct themselves: they came to inquire what God would have them to do; and, in doubtful cases, what was his will and pleasure, and to desire Moses to inform them; and if the things were of such a nature that he could not easily and readily do it, then to inquire of God for them, which in later times was done by Urim and Thummim.

Exodus 18:15 In-Context

13 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night.

14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"

15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God.

16 When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."

17 Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it.