ELDERS of Israel. By this name we understand the Heads of Tribes, or rather of the great Families in Israel, who in the beginbeginnings, Exod. xii. 16. iv. 29. &c.and before the settlement of the Hebrew Commonwealth, had a kind of government and authority over their families, and over the whole people. For example, when Moses was sent into Egypt to deliver Israel, he called together the Elders of Israel, and told them, that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had appeared to him in the wilderness, and commanded him to conduct them out of Egypt. Moses and Aaron treat upon all occasions with the Elders of Israel, as the representatives of the whole nation.
Exod. xxiv. 1, 9, 10.When God was pleased to manifest his glory to Israel, and give the law to Moses, he said to him, Take Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu his sons, and the seventy Elders of Israel, and worship ye afar off. They advanced as far as the foot of the mountain; they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet as it were a paved work of Saphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in its brightness: but they did not go up, Moses alone with Joshua ascended the mountain, and at his departure from them, he said, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you; and behold Aaron and Hur are with you, if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. Upon all occasions afterwards, we find this number of seventy Elders. But it is credible, that as there were twelve Tribes, there were likewise seventy two Elders, six of each, and that a round number seventy is set down, instead of seventy two; or rather that Moses and Aaron made the seventy first and second, and that there were but four Elders of the Tribe of Levi, supposing them not to be included.
Grotius in Exod. iv. 29. Bertram. de Rep. Heb.Some have been of opinion, that these seventy Elders of Israel formed a kind of Senate in Egypt, for the better governing, and doing justice to the people, while they were dependant on the King of Egypt; and that from hence the famous Sanhedrim is derived, whereof there is such frequent mention made in the writings of the Jews. But it is much more credible, that in the beginning these elders exercised each over their respective Tribe, and all together over the whole people, a jurisdiction only like that which the fathers of families exercise over their children; an authority in the way of friendship, advice, and persuasion, founded upon the respectful obedience, which is due to parents, rather than an authority shewn in the way of compulsion and constraint. The Commissioners appointed to inspect how the children of Israel performed their tasks in Egypt, or according Exod. v. 14, 15. שטרים LXX. Γραμματεῖς. Scribæ.to the Hebrew, the Soterim, were, as some will have it, the same with those whom we just now called Elders of Israel, who judged and commanded the people. The Septuagint translate the original Scribes, Commissioners who had a list of those that worked, who parcelled out to them their several tasks, and took care that they performed them.
After Jethro’s arrival in the Camp of Israel, Moses made a considerable change in the government of the people. Till then he alone had judged them, and this fatiguing employment took him up so intirely, that he had scarce time to breathe. Upon the remonstrances of Jethro his father-in-law, he established over all Israel heads of Exod. xviii. 24, 25, &c.thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, that justice might at all times be administred to the people, and that whatever difficult cases arose, should be referred to Moses: but this constitution did not continue long without change; for upon the murmuring of the people at the incampment called the Numb. xi. 24, 25. In the Year 2516. Numb. xxxii. 37.Graves of Lust, Moses appointed seventy Elders of Israel, to whom God communicated part of this Legislator’s spirit; they began to prophesy, and ceased not afterwards to do so. This, according to the generality of Interpreters, was the beginning of the famous Sanhedrim; but to support this opinion, many things are necessarily to be supposed, whereby it may be made appear, that this Court of Justice was all along in being.
Josh. ix. 15. Joshua xxiii. xxiv. 1. xxiv. 32.We believe that the establishment of the seventy Elders by Moses continued, not only during the life of this Legislator, but under the government of Joshua likewise, and even after his death, under the Judges. The Elders of the people and Joshua swore to the treaty with the Gibeonites. The same Joshua, a little before his death, renewed the covenant with the Lord, together with the Elders, the Princes, the Heads, and Officers. After the death of Joshua and the Elders who survived him, the people were several times brought into bondage, from which God as often delivered them, by his instruments, the Judges. We do not see distinctly what authority the Elders had all this time, and still less under the Kings who succeeded them. See our Dissertation on the Polity and Justice of the Hebrews, and hereafter the article SANHEDRIM.