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.
Related Commentaries of Exodus 18:13
Exodus 18:13-15
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: