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שֶׁפֶט

𐤔𐤐𐤈

shepheṭ

H8201 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שפט to judge, to decide, to govern, to pronounce sentence

Definition

An act of judgment, decision, or legal verdict rendered by an authority, especially in legal or administrative settings. The term encompasses both the process and result of evaluating a dispute, pronouncing a sentence, or imposing a decision—frequently in the context of social or legal justice. Depending on context, it may refer narrowly to a specific judicial decision, the sentence pronounced by a judge, or the infliction of a judicial penalty.

Semantic Range

legal judgment, judicial decision, verdict, sentence (legal), pronouncement of penalty, the act of judging or deciding, rendering justice

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שָׁפַט (shafat), meaning 'to judge, govern, decide, pronounce judgment.' שֶׁפֶט (shepheṭ) is a nominal formation from this root, signifying a concrete or abstract act of judging or its outcome.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical usage, שֶׁפֶט commonly refers to a decision or sentence given in legal cases by tribal elders, judges, or other authorities. It frequently appears in contexts of legal disputes or cases brought before public assemblies, especially in the societal structures of early Israelite and monarchic periods. The term's connotation is mostly neutral, describing the act of judicial evaluation, but can lean negative when context clearly implies a punitive sentence. It is distinct from מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which references the broader category of justice, legal procedure, or ordinance; שֶׁפֶט often emphasizes the execution or delivery of a judicial decision. In later texts and translations, שֶׁפֶט is sometimes rendered as 'punishment' due to its association with pronounced sentences, but this narrows its range. English translations often use 'sentence,' 'punishment,' or 'judgment,' but these do not always capture the procedural or verdict-oriented nuance. The term does not convey the later, more religiously colored concept of eschatological 'Judgment.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁפַט; a sentence, i.e. infliction; judgment.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שפט (sh-p-ṭ) — to judge, to decide, to govern, to pronounce sentence

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3092 יְהוֹשָׁפָט to YHWH-has-judged
H478 אֱלִישָׁפָט El has judged
H4941 מִשְׁפָּט according to your ruling
H8196 שְׁפוֹט Pronounce judgment!
H8199 שָׁפַט in his being judged

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8201-03 שְׁפָטִ֖ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts 13
H8201-02 שְׁפָטַ֣/י shefatay HNcmpc/Sp1cs judgments-my my judicial verdicts 1
H8201-04 וּ/בִ/שְׁפָטִ֖ים uvishefatim HC/R/Ncmpa and with great judgments and in judgments 1
H8201-01 בִּ/שְׁפָטִ֖ים bishefatim HR/Ncmpa by great judgments in judicial verdicts 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8201-04 Exodus 6:6 וּ/בִ/שְׁפָטִ֖ים uvishefatim HC/R/Ncmpa and with great judgments and in judgments
H8201-01 Exodus 7:4 בִּ/שְׁפָטִ֖ים bishefatim HR/Ncmpa by great judgments in judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Exodus 12:12 שְׁפָטִ֖ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Numbers 33:4 שְׁפָטִֽים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Ezekiel 5:10 שְׁפָטִ֔ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Ezekiel 5:15 שְׁפָטִ֜ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Ezekiel 11:9 שְׁפָטִֽים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-02 Ezekiel 14:21 שְׁפָטַ֣/י shefatay HNcmpc/Sp1cs judgments-my my judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Ezekiel 16:41 שְׁפָטִ֔ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
H8201-03 Ezekiel 25:11 שְׁפָטִ֑ים shefatim HNcmpa judgments judicial verdicts
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