Deuteronomy 16:18

Judges … shalt thou make thee Heb. giveor appoint for thyself.

and officers scribesor marshals. See on Deuteronomy 1:15.

i n all thy gates The law is another consequence of the centralisation of the cultus. In ancient Israel ordinary cases were decided by the meeting of the community at the town's gate, and the harder cases referred to the local sanctuary for decision by its priest as God's representative; cp. the Elohimin E, Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8 ff., 1 Samuel 2:25. On the abolition of the local sanctuaries the former, the popular, court continued, as we see from the eldersmentioned in Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 22:13-21; Deuteronomy 25:5-10, and combined with the judgesin Deuteronomy 21:2. But other provision had to be made for the superior procedure hitherto carried out at the local sanctuaries, and it is effected firstas here by the appointment of local lay judges, and secondin Deuteronomy 17:8 f. by the constitution of the Priests of the One Altar as a court of final reference. Josephus" version, IV. Antt. viii. 14 seven judges for each township with two Levites as assessors probably reflects the arrangements of his own time.

according to thy tribes This survival of the old tribal interests (Deuteronomy 1:13), alongside of the new arrangement according to locality, is interesting.

and they shall judge, etc.] Deuteronomy 1:16.