Deuteronomy 1:15

“So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, etc.] The principal persons among them, that were remarkable and well known for their wisdom and understanding, whom the people presented to him: and made them heads over you; rulers of them, as follows: captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens; (see <021821>Exodus 18:21-25) and officers among your tribes; which Jarchi interprets of such that bind malefactors and scourge them, according to the decree of the judges, even the executioners of justice; and so the Jews commonly understand them to be, though some have thought they were judges also.”

“This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exodus 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only. A comparison between this passage and that in Exodus makes it obvious that Moses is only touching on certain parts of the whole history, without regard to order of time, but with a special purpose. This important arrangement for the good government of the people took place before they left Horeb to march direct to the promised land. This fact sets more clearly before us the perverseness and ingratitude of the people, to which the orator next passes; and shows, what he was anxious to impress, that the fault of…”

“Officers - Inferior officers, that were to attend upon the superior magistrates, and to execute their decrees. Deuteronomy 1:16”

“1:15 thousand . . . hundred . . . fifty . . . ten: This was standard military organization, so some of these officials were probably military officers (see 1 Sam 8:12; 22:7; 2 Sam 18:1).”

“I took: Deu 16:18; Exo 18:25, Exo 18:26 made: Heb. gave, Eph 4:11 captains over thousands: Num 31:14; Sa1 8:12, Sa1 17:18, Sa1 22:7 Deuteronomy 1:16”