Exodus 18:13-15

Moses sat to judge the people— Rather, which the context clearly proves to be the meaning, to administer justice to the people. The word שׁפט shapat, says Cocceius, denotes, at large, all regulation and disposal. Moses informs Jethro, that this was the case: he tells him first, Exodus 18:15 that the people come to him to enquire of GOD. GOD, it is to be remembered, had been pleased to constitute himself the King and Lawgiver of the Jews, whose government is therefore called a Theocracy; and he had appointed Moses to be his great vicegerent to the people instead of God. See ch. Exodus 4:16. The people, therefore, came to Moses as to GOD himself, their supreme Judge and Lawgiver, to know his will, and receive his decisions in all cases of property and controversy. Moses explains this fully in the following verse: the people, says he, come to me to enquire and know the will of their great Legislator.