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מִשְׁפָּט

𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈

mishpâṭ

H4941 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁפט to judge, to govern, to render a decision

Definition

A binding decision, ruling, or judgment rendered by an authority, especially in legal, judicial, or divine contexts; by extension, refers to the process of adjudication, the body or corpus of legal norms or ordinances, and the concept of justice or rightful conduct. In various contexts, מִשְׁפָּט refers to a specific verdict, general regulations, the entire legal system, or the abstract principle of justice.

Semantic Range

judicial decision, formal verdict, legal ordinance, justice (as quality or principle), right or privilege due to a participant, the process of judgment, corpus of law, system of customs or norms, divine judgment, social order

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology: From the verb שָׁפַט (shafat), meaning 'to judge, govern, decide.' מִשְׁפָּט is a nominal derivative, typically designating the result or product of judging—the formal outcome (judgment) or the process itself (judicial procedure or governance).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite society (patriarchal and monarchic periods), מִשְׁפָּט commonly referred both to individual judicial decisions and to the broader social order established by customary or divinely mandated rules. In Deuteronomy and the legal corpora (e.g., Exodus 21–23, Leviticus), it can denote specific ordinances or the body of law as distinct from more narrowly focused decrees (חֹק, 'statute'). Prophetic literature frequently opposes מִשְׁפָּט (justice/righteous judgment) to unjust or abusive social practices, making it a core term in articulating ethical norms for the community. In post-exilic and Second Temple texts, the term develops connotations of legal precedent, official decree, or divine retribution depending on context. English 'judgment' does not always capture the range from concrete legal decision to abstract justice, nor the notion of systemic legal order implied in many uses; distinctions with related terms (e.g., חֹק, דִּין) should be noted: חֹק emphasizes fixed statutes or regulations, while דִּין often stresses legal dispute or process.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁפַט; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style; [phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, [idiom] worthy, [phrase] wrong.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁפט (š-p-ṭ) — to judge, govern, render a decision

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3146 יוֹשָׁפָט and Yahweh-has-judged
H8196 שְׁפוֹט judicial sentences

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4941-21 מִשְׁפָּֽט mishepat HNcmsa justice judgment 134
H4941-44 וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֑ט umishepat HC/Ncmsa and justice and judgment 29
H4941-25 מִשְׁפָּטַ֧/י mishepatay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my judgments my judgments 18
H4941-07 כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּט֙ kamishepat HRd/Ncmsa according to the ordinance according to the binding-decision 17
H4941-15 לַ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט lamishepat HRd/Ncmsa for judgment for the judicial decision 15
H4941-30 מִשְׁפָּטִ֥/י mishepati HNcmsc/Sp1cs my justice my judgment 14
H4941-05 הַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֛ט hamishepat HTd/Ncmsa the judgment the judicial ruling 14
H4941-29 מִשְׁפָּטֶ֨י/ךָ֙ mishepateykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your judgments your judicial rulings 13
H4941-06 הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים hamishepatim HTd/Ncmpa the judgments the judicial rulings 12
H4941-02 בְּ/מִשְׁפַּ֥ט bemishepat HR/Ncmsc in judgment in binding judgment 11

Occurrences in Scripture

424 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4941-44 Genesis 18:19 וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֑ט umishepat HC/Ncmsa and justice and judgment
H4941-21 Genesis 18:25 מִשְׁפָּֽט mishepat HNcmsa justice judgment
H4941-07 Genesis 40:13 כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּט֙ kamishepat HRd/Ncmsa according to the custom according to the binding-decision
H4941-44 Exodus 15:25 וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֖ט umishepat HC/Ncmsa and regulation and judgment
H4941-06 Exodus 21:1 הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים hamishepatim HTd/Ncmpa are the judgments the judicial rulings
H4941-09 Exodus 21:9 כְּ/מִשְׁפַּ֥ט kemishepat HR/Ncmsc according to the judgment according to ruling
H4941-07 Exodus 21:31 כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֥ט kamishepat HRd/Ncmsa according to the judgment according to the binding-decision
H4941-21 Exodus 23:6 מִשְׁפַּ֥ט mishepat HNcmsc justice judgment
H4941-06 Exodus 24:3 הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים hamishepatim HTd/Ncmpa the judgments the judicial rulings
H4941-13 Exodus 26:30 כְּ/מִ֨שְׁפָּט֔/וֹ kemishepato HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms according to its plan according to his judgment
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