Deuteronomy 16:18

Provision for Justice

18 You must appoint judges and civil servants
The Hebrew term וְשֹׁטְרִים (veshoterim), usually translated “officers” (KJV, NCV) or “officials” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), derives from the verb שֹׁטֵר (shoter, “to write”). The noun became generic for all types of public officials. Here, however, it may be appositionally epexegetical to “judges,” thus resulting in the phrase, “judges, that is, civil officers,” etc. Whoever the שֹׁטְרִים are, their task here consists of rendering judgments and administering justice.
for each tribe in all your villages
Heb “gates.”
that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.
Heb “with judgment of righteousness”; ASV, NASB “with righteous judgment.”
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