18:16 statutes of God. The verse further confirms the existence of known statutes and laws of God prior to the giving of Israel’s laws by God on Mount Sinai (see also Genesis 26:5; Job 23:12). These primeval laws have now disappeared, though some remnants may have survived in other ancient legal codes (Hammurabi, Hittite, etc.). In any case, they have been superseded by the inspired system transmitted through Moses.