Dictionary Article

An official authorized to decide matters brought before a court. The judge undertook a variety of tasks, mostly in legal and judicial areas, but at times in political areas. In the patriarchal period the elders of the tribes decided disputes. Moses appointed other judges to assist him, taking only the difficult cases himself (Ex 18:13-26; Dt 1:9-17). Samuel went on circuit judging cases (1 Sm 7:16-17); his sons became judges too (8:1). During the monarchy period, the office of judge was well established.

Show passage in OET: DEU 1:9–17

OET-RV DEU 1:9

9 Then Mosheh (Moses) said, “I told you at that time that I wasn’t able to govern all of you by myself

OET-RV DEU 1:10

10 because your god Yahweh has multiplied you, and wow, now you’re as numerous as the stars in the sky.

OET-RV DEU 1:11

11 May your ancestors’ god Yahweh increase you all a thousand times more and bless you all as he’s promised

OET-RV DEU 1:12

12 but how could I possibly bear all your loads and burdens and disputes by myself?

OET-RV DEU 1:13

13 So nominate some men from your tribes who I can appoint as your leaders—men who are sensible and wise, and respected by the people,

OET-RV DEU 1:14

14 and your parents agreed with that suggestion.

OET-RV DEU 1:15

15 So I took those wise, respected men and appointed them to be your leaders—leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. I also appointed some as your tribal officials.

OET-RV DEU 1:16

16 Then I instructed your new leaders telling them to listen carefully to both sides of disputes and make fair and honest judgements in conflicts involving either Israelis or foreigners.

OET-RV DEU 1:17

17 Don’t show partiality when you’re making a judgement—treat important people just the same as the others. Don’t worry about what people will think because fair judgement is a godly activity. And if any matter is too difficult, bring it to me for a decision.

OET-LV DEU 1:9

9 And_I _said to_you(pl) at_time the_that to_say not I _am _able I_alone to _bear you(pl).

OET-LV DEU 1:10

10 YHWH god _of_your(pl) he _has _increased you(pl) and_HERE_you(pl) the_day are_like_the _stars _of the_heavens to_increase _in _number.

OET-LV DEU 1:11

11 YHWH the _god _of your(pl)_ancestors _of_your(pl) may _he _add to_you(pl) like_you(pl) a _thousand times and_may _he _bless you(pl) just_as he _spoke to_you(pl).

OET-LV DEU 1:12

12 How will _I _bear I_alone burden _of_your(pl) and_burden _of_your(pl) and_dispute[s]_of_your(pl).

OET-LV DEU 1:13

13 Provide to/for_you(pl) men wise and_understanding and_known to_tribes _of_your(pl) so_that_I _may _appoint _them (in)_chiefs _of_your(pl).

OET-LV DEU 1:14

14 And_you(pl)_answered DOM_me and_you(pl)_said is_good the_message which you _have _spoken for_doing.

OET-LV DEU 1:15

15 And_I _took DOM the _chiefs _of your(pl)_tribes _of_your(pl) men wise and_known and_I _appointed DOM_them chiefs over_you(pl) leaders _of thousands and_leaders _of hundreds and_leaders _of fifties and_leaders _of tens and_officials for_tribes _of_your(pl).

OET-LV DEU 1:16

16 And_I _commanded DOM judges _of_your(pl) at_time the_that to_say hear between countrymen _of_your(pl) and_you(pl)_will _judge righteousness between anyone and_between his/its_brother and_between sojourner _of_his.

OET-LV DEU 1:17

17 Not you(pl)_will _pay _regard _to faces in_judgement as_small as_great you(pl)_will _listen not you(pl)_will _be _afraid from_face/in _front _of anyone if/because the_judgement belongs_to_god it and_the_matter which it _will _be_too_hard for_you(pl) you(pl)_will _bring _near to_me and_I_will _hear _it.

Show passage in OET: SA1 7:16–17

OET-RV SA1 7:16

16 Every year he did the circuit around Beyt -El (Bethel), Gilgal, and Mitspah, and he helped settled disputes for the people in all those places,

OET-RV SA1 7:17

17 but he always returned to Ramah because his home was there. He would judge disputes there, and built an altar to Yahweh there.

OET-LV SA1 7:16

16 And_he _went from_sufficiency a _year in_a _year and_he _went _round Bēyt- ^ʼēl and_(the)_Gilgāl and_(the)_Miʦpāh and_he _judged DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) DOM all _of the_places the_these.

OET-LV SA1 7:17

17 And_return _of_his was_to_(the)_Rāmāh if/because was_there house _of_his and_there he _judged DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_he/it _built there an _altar to/for_YHWH.

Show passage in OET: SA1 8:1

OET-RV SA1 8:1

8 As Shmuel (Samuel) grew older, he appointed his two sons as judges over Yisrael (Israel).

OET-LV SA1 8:1

8 And_he/it _was just_as Shəmū^ʼēl he _was _old and_he/it _assigned DOM sons _of_his judges for_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

Jump to OET DEU 1:9–17 section.

Jump to OET SA1 7:16–17 section.

Jump to OET SA1 8:1 section.

In the NT era two kinds of courts operated in Palestine, the Jewish and the Roman. Capital cases were tried before a Roman judge. Witnesses were produced at trials (Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tm 5:19). Jesus himself was tried before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator (Mt 27:11-25; Mk 15:2-5; Lk 23:2-3; Jn 18:29-40), and Paul before Felix (Acts 24:1-26) and Festus (25:1-26).

Show passage in OET: MAT 18:16

OET-RV MAT 18:16

16 But if they don’t listen to you, take one or two others with you, so that there’ll be two or three witnesses to verify the message.

OET-LV MAT 18:16

16 But if he _may_ not _hear, take one or two more with you in _order _that on the_mouth of _two or three witnesses, every message may _be _established.

Show passage in OET: CO2 13:1

OET-RV CO2 13:1

13 This is the third time that I’ll be coming there to you all. ‘Every account must be confirmed by at least two, preferably three, witnesses.’

OET-LV CO2 13:1

13 Third time this I _am _coming to you _all.
In of _two the_mouth witnesses and three will _be _being _established every message.

Show passage in OET: TI1 5:19

OET-RV TI1 5:19

19 Don’t entertain an accusation against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses,

OET-LV TI1 5:19

19 Be_ not _accepting accusation against an_elder, besides except not/lest on two or three witnesses.

Show passage in OET: MRK 15:2–5

OET-RV MRK 15:2

2 There Pilatos asked him, “Are you the king of the Yehudim (Jews)?”
¶ “You said it,” replied Yeshua.

OET-RV MRK 15:3

3 Then the chief priests started hurling accusations against Yeshua,

OET-RV MRK 15:4

4 so Pilatos asked him again, “Don’t you have anything to say? Listen to all those accusations they’re making against you.”

OET-RV MRK 15:5

5 ⇔But Pilatos was astounded that Yeshua didn’t answer any further.

OET-LV MRK 15:2

2 And the Pilatos asked him:
Are you the king of _the Youdaiōns?
And he answering to _him is _saying:
You are _saying it.

OET-LV MRK 15:3

3 And the chief _priests were _accusing many things against _him.

OET-LV MRK 15:4

4 And the Pilatos again asked him saying:
You _are_ not _answering nothing?
Behold, how _many things they _are _accusing against _you.

OET-LV MRK 15:5

5 But the Yaʸsous no _longer answered nothing, so _as the Pilatos to _be _marvelling.

Show passage in OET: LUK 23:2–3

OET-RV LUK 23:2

2 where they started to bring their accusations, “We found this man perverting our nation and telling the people not to pay taxes to Kaisar. He calls himself the messiah and claims to be a king.”

OET-RV LUK 23:3

3 “Are you the king of the Yehudim (Jews)?” Pilatos asked him.
¶ “You’re the one saying it,” Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) answered.

OET-LV LUK 23:2

2 And they _began to _be _accusing against _him saying:
We _found this man perverting the nation of _us, and forbidding to _be _giving taxes to _Kaisar, and saying himself the_chosen _one /messiah, a_king to _be.

OET-LV LUK 23:3

3 And the Pilatos asked him saying:
Are you the king of _the Youdaiōns?
And he answering to _him he _was _saying:
You are _saying it.

Show passage in OET: JHN 18:29–40

OET-RV JHN 18:29

29 So Governor Pilatos (Pilate) came outside to them and asked, “What charge are you all bringing against this man?”

OET-RV JHN 18:30

30 “We wouldn’t have brought him to you if he hadn’t committed a serious crime,” they answered.

OET-RV JHN 18:31

31 So Pilatos said, “You just take him and judge him yourselves according to your own laws.”
¶ But the Jewish leaders responded, “We don’t have permission to execute anyone.”

OET-RV JHN 18:32

32 (This happened to fulfil what Yeshua had said about the way that he was going to die.)

OET-RV JHN 18:33

33 So Pilatos went back into his governor’s residence and called for Yeshua and asked him, “So you’re the king of the Yehudim?”

OET-RV JHN 18:34

34 “Are you saying this yourself,” Yeshua asked, “or did others say it about me?”

OET-RV JHN 18:35

35 Pilatos retorted, “Hoy! I’m not a Yehudi (Jew). It was your own people and the chief priests that handed you over to me. What have you done?”

OET-RV JHN 18:36

36 “My kingdom isn’t in this world,” Yeshua answered, “because if it was, my supporters would have fought so that I wouldn’t have been handed over to the Jewish leaders. But no, my kingdom isn’t from here.”

OET-RV JHN 18:37

37 “So you are a king then?” Pilatos responded.
¶ “You’re saying that I’m a king,” said Yeshua, “and indeed I was born to be a king. I came into the world so that I could testify to the truth.”

OET-RV JHN 18:38

38 “Yeah. What is truth?” said Pilatos.
¶ After he’d said this, Pilatos (Pilate) went back outside to the Yehudim (Jews) and told them, “I can’t find anything that he’s guilty of.

OET-RV JHN 18:39

39 But you all have a custom here that the governor can release one prisoner during the Passover. So would you like me to release the king of the Yehudim?”

OET-RV JHN 18:40

40 But they all yelled back, “No, not this one. Release Bar -Aba (Grk. Barabbas).” (Bar-Aba was a robber.)

OET-LV JHN 18:29

29 Therefore the Pilatos came _out outside to them and is _saying:
What accusation are _you _all _bringing against this the man?

OET-LV JHN 18:30

30 They _answered and said to _him:
Except not/lest this one was doing evil, we_ would not _gave _over him to _you

OET-LV JHN 18:31

31 Therefore Pilatos said to _them:
You _all take him, and judge according _to the law of _you _all, him.
The Youdaiōns said to _him, is_ not _permitting To _us to _kill _off no _one,

OET-LV JHN 18:32

32 in _order _that the message of_ the _Yaʸsous may _be _fulfilled, that he _spoke, signifying by _what death he _was _going to _be _dying _off.

OET-LV JHN 18:33

33 Therefore the Pilatos came _in again into the residence _of _the _governor, and he _called the Yaʸsous and said to _him:
Are you the king of _the Youdaiōns?

OET-LV JHN 18:34

34 Yaʸsous answered Are_ you _saying this of yourself, or others said it to _you concerning me?

OET-LV JHN 18:35

35 The Pilatos answered:
Surely _not am I a_Youdaios?
The Your the nation and the chief _priests gave_ you _over to _me.
What did _you?

OET-LV JHN 18:36

36 Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) answered:
- my the kingdom is not of the world this, if the my the kingdom was of this the world, the my the attendants would were _fighting, in _order _that I _may_ not _be _given _over to _the Youdaiōns.
But now the my the kingdom is not from _here.

OET-LV JHN 18:37

37 Therefore the Pilatos said to _him:
Are you not _then a_king?
The Yaʸsous answered:
You are _saying that I am a_king.
for this I _have _been _born, and for this I _have _come into the world, in _order _that I _may _testify to _the truth.
Everyone which being of the truth, is _hearing of _the voice of _me.

OET-LV JHN 18:38

38 The Pilatos is _saying to _him:
What is truth?
And having _said this, he _came _out again to the Youdaiōns, and is _saying to _them:
I am _finding not _one Guilt in him.

OET-LV JHN 18:39

39 But it _is a_custom with _you _all, that I _may _send _away one to _you _all at the passover_feast, therefore are _you _all _wishing I _may _send _away to _you _all the king of _the Youdaiōns?

OET-LV JHN 18:40

40 Therefore they _cried _out again saying:
Not this one, but the Barabbas.
And the Barabbas was a_robber.

Jump to OET MAT 18:16 section.

Jump to OET CO2 13:1 section.

Jump to OET TI1 5:19 section.

Jump to OET MRK 15:2–5 section.

Jump to OET LUK 23:2–3 section.

Jump to OET JHN 18:29–40 section.

Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary