THEOSISVissarion (Nechaev)
As Moses reminds the Israelites of the divine command to enter Canaan, he reflects on the challenges he faced at the outset of their journey in fulfilling his role as their guide into that land, and how those challenges were alleviated through the establishment of judges. It was his father-in-law Jethro who counseled him to delegate responsibilities by appointing judges. This took place shortly after they had crossed the Red Sea and were on their way to Sinai (Ex. 18: 23, etc.). Acting on Jethro's counsel, Moses expressed to the Israelites that he could not lead them all on his own.
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The tasks involved in governing the people, particularly in leadership, were so diverse that they could not be effectively managed by a single individual, even one endowed with both administrative and judicial authority who was handling criminal and civil cases. It was reasonable for the leader of the Hebrew people to seek assistance, especially in the realm of justice administration.