Albert Barnes Commentary Deuteronomy 1:9-15

"And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you! How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? Take you wise men, and understanding, and known, according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good [for us] to do. So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes." — Deuteronomy 1:9-15 (ASV)

This appointment of the “captains” (Compare to Exodus 18:21 and following) must not be confused with that of the elders in Numbers 11:16 and following. 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 addressing certain parts of the whole history, without regard to the 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 directly to the promised land. This fact sets more clearly before us the perverseness and ingratitude of the people, to which the speaker next turns; and shows, what he was eager to emphasize, that the fault of the 40 years’ delay rested only with themselves!