מִשְׁפָּט (H4941) — Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁפָּט

𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈

mishpâṭ

H4941 noun

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "judgment" 41 occurrences

mishpâṭ most commonly denotes a legal or judicial decision, verdict, or the process/corpus of law; 'judgment' is the natural, widely used English term that covers verdicts, judicial rulings, divine judgment, and the general idea of justice/ordinance. It matches the dominant P2 renderings and reads naturally in singular and plural inflected forms.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):

"according to the ordinance" (6x) "according to the custom" (1x) "according to its ruling" (1x) "judicial ruling" (1x)

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שׁפט (Yoshafat) — to judge, to govern, to decide judicially

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

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3146	יוֹשָׁפָט	and Yahweh-has-judged
H8196	שְׁפוֹט	Pronounce judgment!

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4941-21`	מִשְׁפָּ֥ט	mishepat	`HNcmsa`	justice	judgment	judgment	134
`H4941-44`	וּ/מִשְׁפַּ֛ט	umishepat	`HC/Ncmsc`	and justice	and judgment	and judgment	29
`H4941-25`	מִשְׁפָּטַ֣/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my judgments	my judgments	my judgments	18
`H4941-07`	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance	17
`H4941-15`	לַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֗ט	lamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	for judgment	for the judicial decision	for the judgment	15
`H4941-05`	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּט֙	hamishepat	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the judgment	the judicial ruling	the judgment	14
`H4941-30`	מִשְׁפָּטִ/י֙	mishepati	`HNcmsc/Sp1cs`	my justice	my judgment	my judgment	14
`H4941-29`	מִשְׁפָּטֶ֨י/ךָ֙	mishepateykha	`HNcmpc/Sp2ms`	your judgments	your judicial rulings	your judgments	13
`H4941-06`	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים	hamishepatim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the judgments	the judicial rulings	the judgments	12
`H4941-01`	בַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֗ט	bamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in judgment	in the binding judgment	in the judgment	11
`H4941-02`	בְּ/מִשְׁפָּ֖ט	bemishepat	`HR/Ncmsa`	in judgment	in binding judgment	in judgment	11
`H4941-16`	לְ/מִשְׁפַּ֥ט	lemishepat	`HR/Ncmsc`	for judgment	for a legal ruling	for judgment	9
`H4941-46`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּטָ֣י/ו	umishepatayv	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms`	and his judgments	and his judicial rulings	and his judgments	9
`H4941-33`	מִשְׁפְּטֵ֣י	mishepetey	`HNcmpc`	your judgments	judgments of	judgments of	8
`H4941-56`	וְ/הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים	vehamishepatim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	and the judgments	and the judgments	and the judgments	8
`H4941-09`	כְּ/מִשְׁפָּ֧ט	kemishepat	`HR/Ncmsa`	according to the judgment	according to ruling	according to judgment	7
`H4941-10`	כְּ/מִשְׁפָּטָ֔/ם	kemishepatam	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp`	according to their custom	according to their ruling	according to their judgment	7
`H4941-45`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּטַ֖/י	umishepatay	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	and my judgments	and my judgments	and my judgments	7
`H4941-50`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּטִ֔ים	umishepatim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and judgments	and binding rulings	and binding judgments	7
`H4941-27`	מִשְׁפָּטָֽי/ו	mishepatayv	`HNcmpc/Sp3ms`	his judgments	his judicial rulings	his judgments	6
`H4941-31`	מִשְׁפָּטִ֖ים	mishepatim	`HNcmpa`	judgments	judicial rulings	judgments	6
`H4941-32`	מִשְׁפָּט֔/וֹ	mishepato	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his judgment	his judicial decision	his judgment	6
`H4941-57`	בְ/מִשְׁפָּ֖ט	vemishepat	`HR/Ncmsa`	with justice	in a judicial ruling	in judgment	6
`H4941-24`	מִשְׁפָּטָֽ/ם	mishepatam	`HNcmsc/Sp3mp`	their cause	their judgment	their judgment	5
`H4941-03`	בְּ/מִשְׁפָּטַ֣/י	bemishepatay	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	in my judgments	in my judgments	in my judgments	3
`H4941-13`	כְּ/מִשְׁפָּטֽ/וֹ	kemishepato	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	according to his charge	according to his judgment	according to his judgment	2
`H4941-28`	מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖/ךָ	mishepatekha	`HNcmsc/Sp2ms`	your judgment	your judicial ruling	your judgment	2
`H4941-35`	משפט/ו	mshftv	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his judgments	his binding judgment	his binding judgments	2
`H4941-38`	וּֽ/כְ/מִשְׁפְּטֵ֧י	ukhemishepetey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and like judgments	and according to the rulings of	and according to the judgments of	2
`H4941-43`	וּ/מִ/מִּשְׁפָּטֶֽי/ךָ	umimishepateykha	`HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	and from your judgments	and from your judgments	and from your judgments	2
`H4941-47`	וּ֝/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֗/ךָ	umishepatekha	`HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms`	and your judgment	and your ruling	and your judgment	2
`H4941-48`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖י/ךָ	umishepateykha	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	and your judgments	and your judicial rulings	and your judicial rulings	2
`H4941-51`	וּ/מִשְׁפְּטֵי	umishepetey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and the judgments	and judgments-of	and judgments of	2
`H4941-53`	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפָּטַ֣/י	uvemishepatay	`HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	and in my judgments	and in my judgments	and in my judgments	2
`H4941-04`	בְּ/מִשְׁפְּטֵי/הֶֽם	bemishepeteyhem	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp`	by-judgments-their	in their judgments	by their judgments	1
`H4941-08`	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים	kamishepatim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	according to the judgments	according to rulings	according to the rulings	1
`H4941-11`	כְּֽ/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥/ךָ	kemishepatekha	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms`	according to your judgments	according to your ruling	according to your ruling	1
`H4941-12`	כְּֽ/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֥י/ךָ	kemishepateykha	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	according to Your judgments	according to your judgments	according to your judgments	1
`H4941-14`	כְ/מִשְׁפָּטָ֖/ם	khemishepatam	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp`	according to their custom	according to their judgment	according to their custom	1
`H4941-17`	לְ/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣/ךָ	lemishepatekha	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms`	Your judgments	to your judgment	to your judgment	1
`H4941-18`	לְֽ֭/מִשְׁפָּטֶי/ךָ	lemishepateykha	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	according to your judgments	to your judicial rulings	according to your judicial rulings	1
`H4941-19`	לְ/מִשְׁפָּטִ֑/י	lemishepati	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs`	to my judgment	to my judicial ruling	to my judgment	1
`H4941-20`	מִ/מִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥י/ךָ	mimishepateykha	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	from Your judgments	from your judgments	from your judgments	1
`H4941-22`	מִשְׁפָּטָ֖/	mishepata	`HNcmsc/Sp3fp`	case	their judicial ruling	their judicial ruling	1
`H4941-23`	מִשְׁפָּטָ֔/הּ	mishepatah	`HNcmsc/Sp3fs`	her judgment	her judgment	her judgment	1
`H4941-26`	מִשְׁפָּטַ֔יִ/ךְ	mishepatayikhe	`HNcmpc/Sp2fs`	your judgments	your judicial rulings	your judgments	1
`H4941-34`	מִשְׁפְּטֵי/הֶ֖ם	mishepeteyhem	`HNcmpc/Sp3mp`	their-ordinances	their judicial rulings	their judicial rulings	1
`H4941-36`	וּ/כְ/מִשְׁפָּטָ֔/ם	ukhemishepatam	`HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3mp`	and according to their ordinances	and according to their ruling	and according to their rulings	1
`H4941-37`	וּ/כְ/מִשְׁפָּט֖/וֹ	ukhemishepato	`HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	and according to its ordinance	and according to his ruling	and according to its ruling	1
`H4941-39`	וּ/כְ/מִשְׁפְּטֵי/הֶ֖ן	ukhemishepeteyhen	`HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3fp`	and like their measurements	and according to their judgments	and according to their judgments	1
`H4941-40`	וּ/לְ/מִשְׁפָּט֙	ulemishepat	`HC/R/Ncmsa`	and an ordinance	and for a judicial ruling	and for a judicial ruling	1
`H4941-41`	וּ/לְ/מִשְׁפָּטִים֒	ulemishepatim	`HC/R/Ncmpa`	and judgments	and to judicial rulings	and judgments	1
`H4941-42`	וּ/מִ/מִּשְׁפָּט֙	umimishepat	`HC/R/Ncmsa`	and from judgment	and from a judicial ruling	and from a judicial ruling	1
`H4941-49`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּטִ֔/י	umishepati	`HC/Ncmsc/Sp1cs`	and my justice	and my judgment	and my justice	1
`H4941-52`	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפָּ֔ט	uvemishepat	`HC/R/Ncmsa`	and in justice	and in a judicial ruling	and in justice	1
`H4941-54`	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣י/ךָ	uvemishepateykha	`HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	and-against-your-ordinances	and in your judicial rulings	and in your ordinances	1
`H4941-55`	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפְּטֵי/הֶ֣ם	uvemishepeteyhem	`HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3mp`	and according to their judgments	and in their judicial-decisions	and according to their judgments	1
`H4941-58`	בְ/מִשְׁפָּטַ/י֙	vemishepatay	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	in my judgments	in my rulings	in my judgments	1

Occurrences in Scripture

424 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4941-44`	Genesis 18:19	וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֑ט	umishepat	`HC/Ncmsa`	and justice	and judgment	and judgment
`H4941-21`	Genesis 18:25	מִשְׁפָּֽט	mishepat	`HNcmsa`	justice	judgment	judgment
`H4941-07`	Genesis 40:13	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּט֙	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the custom	according to the binding-decision	according to the custom
`H4941-44`	Exodus 15:25	וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֖ט	umishepat	`HC/Ncmsa`	and regulation	and judgment	and judgment
`H4941-06`	Exodus 21:1	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים	hamishepatim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	are the judgments	the judicial rulings	the judgments
`H4941-09`	Exodus 21:9	כְּ/מִשְׁפַּ֥ט	kemishepat	`HR/Ncmsc`	according to the judgment	according to ruling	according to judgment
`H4941-07`	Exodus 21:31	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֥ט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the judgment	according to the binding-decision	according to the judgment
`H4941-21`	Exodus 23:6	מִשְׁפַּ֥ט	mishepat	`HNcmsc`	justice	judgment	judgment
`H4941-06`	Exodus 24:3	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים	hamishepatim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the judgments	the judicial rulings	the judgments
`H4941-13`	Exodus 26:30	כְּ/מִ֨שְׁפָּט֔/וֹ	kemishepato	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	according to its plan	according to his judgment	according to its judgment
`H4941-21`	Exodus 28:15	מִשְׁפָּט֙	mishepat	`HNcmsa`	of judgment	judgment	judgment
`H4941-05`	Exodus 28:29	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֛ט	hamishepat	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of judgment	the judicial ruling	the judgment
`H4941-05`	Exodus 28:30	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֗ט	hamishepat	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of judgment	the judicial ruling	the judgment
`H4941-21`	Exodus 28:30	מִשְׁפַּ֨ט	mishepat	`HNcmsc`	judgment	judgment	judgment
`H4941-07`	Leviticus 5:10	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֑ט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the judgment
`H4941-07`	Leviticus 9:16	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the judgment
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 18:4	מִשְׁפָּטַ֧/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my judgments	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 18:5	מִשְׁפָּטַ֔/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	judgments	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 18:26	מִשְׁפָּטַ֔/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my judgments	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-01`	Leviticus 19:15	בַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֔ט	bamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in-judgment	in the binding judgment	in the judgment
`H4941-01`	Leviticus 19:35	בַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֑ט	bamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in judgment	in the binding judgment	in the judgment
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 19:37	מִשְׁפָּטַ֔/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my rules	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 20:22	מִשְׁפָּטַ֔/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my-ordinances	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-21`	Leviticus 24:22	מִשְׁפַּ֤ט	mishepat	`HNcmsc`	law	judgment	judgment
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 25:18	מִשְׁפָּטַ֥/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my judgments	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-25`	Leviticus 26:15	מִשְׁפָּטַ֖/י	mishepatay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	my judgments	my judgments	my judgments
`H4941-03`	Leviticus 26:43	בְּ/מִשְׁפָּטַ֣/י	bemishepatay	`HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	my-judgments	in my judgments	in my judgments
`H4941-56`	Leviticus 26:46	וְ/הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִים֮	vehamishepatim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	and the judgments	and the judgments	and the judgments
`H4941-27`	Numbers 9:3	מִשְׁפָּטָ֖י/ו	mishepatayv	`HNcmpc/Sp3ms`	its rules	his judicial rulings	his judgments
`H4941-37`	Numbers 9:14	וּ/כְ/מִשְׁפָּט֖/וֹ	ukhemishepato	`HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3ms`	and according to its ordinance	and according to his ruling	and according to its ruling
`H4941-44`	Numbers 15:16	וּ/מִשְׁפָּ֥ט	umishepat	`HC/Ncmsa`	and-rule	and judgment	and judgment
`H4941-07`	Numbers 15:24	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֑ט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the judgment
`H4941-22`	Numbers 27:5	מִשְׁפָּטָ֖/	mishepata	`HNcmsc/Sp3fp`	case	their judicial ruling	their judicial ruling
`H4941-21`	Numbers 27:11	מִשְׁפָּ֔ט	mishepat	`HNcmsa`	of judgment	judgment	judgment
`H4941-02`	Numbers 27:21	בְּ/מִשְׁפַּ֥ט	bemishepat	`HR/Ncmsc`	by the judgment	in binding judgment	in judgment
`H4941-10`	Numbers 29:6	כְּ/מִשְׁפָּטָ֑/ם	kemishepatam	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp`	according to their ordinance	according to their ruling	according to their judgment
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:18	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	as the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:21	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:24	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:27	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:30	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-10`	Numbers 29:33	כְּ/מִשְׁפָּטָֽ/ם	kemishepatam	`HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp`	according to their ordinance	according to their ruling	according to their judgment
`H4941-07`	Numbers 29:37	כַּ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	kamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	according to the ordinance	according to the binding-decision	according to the ordinance
`H4941-15`	Numbers 35:12	לַ/מִּשְׁפָּֽט	lamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	for judgment	for the judicial decision	for the judgment
`H4941-06`	Numbers 35:24	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים	hamishepatim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the judgments	the judicial rulings	the judgments
`H4941-21`	Numbers 35:29	מִשְׁפָּ֖ט	mishepat	`HNcmsa`	of judgment	judgment	judgment
`H4941-56`	Numbers 36:13	וְ/הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים	vehamishepatim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	and the judgments	and the judgments	and the judgments
`H4941-01`	Deuteronomy 1:17	בַּ/מִּשְׁפָּ֗ט	bamishepat	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in judgment	in the binding judgment	in the judgment
`H4941-05`	Deuteronomy 1:17	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּ֖ט	hamishepat	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the judgment	the judicial ruling	the judgment
`H4941-06`	Deuteronomy 4:1	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים	hamishepatim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the judgments	the judicial rulings	the judgments

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