By this name we understand the heads of tribes, or
rather of the great families in Israel, who, before the settlement of
the Hebrew commonwealth, had a government and authority over their own
families, and the people. When Moses was sent into Egypt to deliver
Israel, he assembled the elders of Israel, and told them that the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had appeared to him, Exod. iii, 15; iv, 29,
&c. Moses and Aaron treat the elders of Israel as the representatives of
the nation. When God gave the law to Moses, he said, “Take Aaron, Nadab,
and Abihu, his sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, and worship ye
afar off,” Exod. xxiv, 1, 9, 10. They advanced only to the foot of the
mountain. On all occasions afterward, we find this number of seventy
elders. But it is credible, that as there were twelve tribes, there were
seventy-two elders, six from each tribe, and that seventy is set down,
instead of seventy-two; or rather, that Moses and Aaron should be added
to the number seventy, and that, exclusive of them, there were but four
elders from the tribe of Levi. After Jethro’s arrival in the camp of
Israel, Moses made a considerable change in the governors of the people.
He established over Israel heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and
tens, that justice might be readily administered to applicants; only
difficult cases were referred to himself, Exod. xviii, 24, 25, &c. But
this constitution did not continue long; for on the murmuring of the
people at the encampment called the Graves of Lust, Num. xi, 24–35,
Moses appointed seventy elders of Israel, to whom God communicated part
of that legislator’s spirit; they began to prophesy, and ceased not
afterward. This, according to the generality of interpreters, was the
beginning of the sanhedrim; but, to support this opinion, many things
must be supposed, whereby to infer, that this court of justice was
constantly in being during the Scripture history. It seems that the
establishment of the seventy elders by Moses continued, not only during
his life, but under Joshua likewise, and under the judges. The elders of
the people and Joshua swore to the treaty with the Gibeonites, Josh, ix,
15. A little before his death, Joshua renewed the covenant with the
Lord, in company with the elders, the princes, the heads, and officers
of Israel, Joshua xxiii; xxiv, 1, 28. After the death of Joshua, and the
elders who survived him, the people were several times brought into
bondage, and were delivered by their judges. We do not see distinctly
what authority the elders had during this time, and still less under the
kings who succeeded the judges.
rather of the great families in Israel, who, before the settlement of
the Hebrew commonwealth, had a government and authority over their own
families, and the people. When Moses was sent into Egypt to deliver
Israel, he assembled the elders of Israel, and told them that the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had appeared to him, Exod. iii, 15; iv, 29,
&c. Moses and Aaron treat the elders of Israel as the representatives of
the nation. When God gave the law to Moses, he said, “Take Aaron, Nadab,
and Abihu, his sons, and the seventy elders of Israel, and worship ye
afar off,” Exod. xxiv, 1, 9, 10. They advanced only to the foot of the
mountain. On all occasions afterward, we find this number of seventy
elders. But it is credible, that as there were twelve tribes, there were
seventy-two elders, six from each tribe, and that seventy is set down,
instead of seventy-two; or rather, that Moses and Aaron should be added
to the number seventy, and that, exclusive of them, there were but four
elders from the tribe of Levi. After Jethro’s arrival in the camp of
Israel, Moses made a considerable change in the governors of the people.
He established over Israel heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and
tens, that justice might be readily administered to applicants; only
difficult cases were referred to himself, Exod. xviii, 24, 25, &c. But
this constitution did not continue long; for on the murmuring of the
people at the encampment called the Graves of Lust, Num. xi, 24–35,
Moses appointed seventy elders of Israel, to whom God communicated part
of that legislator’s spirit; they began to prophesy, and ceased not
afterward. This, according to the generality of interpreters, was the
beginning of the sanhedrim; but, to support this opinion, many things
must be supposed, whereby to infer, that this court of justice was
constantly in being during the Scripture history. It seems that the
establishment of the seventy elders by Moses continued, not only during
his life, but under Joshua likewise, and under the judges. The elders of
the people and Joshua swore to the treaty with the Gibeonites, Josh, ix,
15. A little before his death, Joshua renewed the covenant with the
Lord, in company with the elders, the princes, the heads, and officers
of Israel, Joshua xxiii; xxiv, 1, 28. After the death of Joshua, and the
elders who survived him, the people were several times brought into
bondage, and were delivered by their judges. We do not see distinctly
what authority the elders had during this time, and still less under the
kings who succeeded the judges.