שָׁפַט 185 verb judge, govern (Late Hebrew in derivatives; Phoenician
שפט =
שֹׁפֵט, also in proper name; Punic
sufet Lzb
381; Biblical Aramaic
שָֽׁפְטִין; Assyrian
šapâtu (
t =
ת), synonym
dânu (
דִּין),
judge Dl
WB 684,
šipṭu (
ט), probably
judgment [and
šapiṭu,
captain?] Jen
ZA iv (1889), 278 f.; on possible connection with Arabic
see Nö
ZMG xi (1886), 724; on usage of verb See Ferguson
JBL viii (1888), 130 ff.); —
Qal Perfect 3rd person masculine singular שׁ׳ Judges 16:31 +, etc.;
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יִשְׁפֹּט Genesis 16:5,
יִשְׁפּוֹט Isaiah 11:3;
3rd person masculine plural יִשְׁפְּטוּ Genesis 31:53 +,
יִשְׁפּ֫וּטוּ Exodus 18:26 (Ki
יִשְׁפּוּט֫וּ; compare Ges
§ 47g), etc.;
Infinitive absolute שָׁפוֺט Genesis 19:9; construct
שְׁפֹט Ruth 1:1,
לִשְׁפֹּט Exodus 8:13 +, etc.;
Imperative שְׁפָטֿ Proverbs 31:9,
שָׁפְטָה Psalm 82:8;
Lamentations 3:59,
שִׁפְטוּ Isaiah 1:17 +,
שְׁפֹ֑טוּ Zechariah 7:9, etc.;
Participle שֹׁפֵט 1 Samuel 3:13 +, etc.; —
1. act as law-giver, judge, governor (giving law, deciding controversies and executing law, civil, religious, political, social; both early and late):
b. of man,
Genesis 19:9 (twice in verse) (J), Moses deciding cases
Exodus 18:13 (E), making known statutes
Exodus 18:16 (E); so his assistants
Exodus 18:22;
Exodus 18:22;
Exodus 18:26;
Exodus 18:26 (E), ||
Deuteronomy 1:16; of
שׁפטי ישׂראל Numbers 25:5 (executioners);
י׳ set
שֹׁפְטִים over Israel
Judges 2:16,
18;
2 Samuel 7:11 =
1 Chronicles 17:10, to deliver Israel,
שׁפט ישׂדאל Judges 3:10;
Judges 4:4;
Judges 10:2,
39 times Judges;
1 Samuel 4:18;
1 Samuel 7:15,
16,
17;
2 Kings 23:22, compare
1 Samuel 7:6; Participle
שֹׁפֵט as substantive also
Judges 2:17,
18,
19;
1 Samuel 8:1,
2;
2 Kings 23:22;
שֹׁפְטֵי יִשׂ׳ 1 Chronicles 17:6 (||
2 Samuel 7:7 שִׂבְטֵי),
בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים Ruth 1:1 (twice in verse) (compare
מוֺשִׁיעִים Obadiah 21);
שׁפט, ||
מֶלֶךְ 1 Samuel 8:5,
6,
20;
Hosea 7:7;
Hosea 13:10;
שֹׁפֵט ישׂראל Micah 4:14 [
Micah 5:1] (= king); king
judges people
1 Kings 3:9 (twice in verse) =
2 Chronicles 1:10;
1 Kings 15:5 2 Chronicles 26:21;
1:11; absolute
1 Kings 7:7;
Isaiah 16:5; ||
שׂרים Exodus 2:14 (E)
Amos 2:3;
Zephaniah 3:3; ||
יוֺעַץ Isaiah 1:26;
Job 12:17, compare
Isaiah 3:2;
שֹׁפְטֵי אָרֶץ Isaiah 40:23 (||
רוֺזְנִים),
Proverbs 8:16 (||
שׂרים),
Psalm 2:10;
Psalm 148:11 (||
מלכים);
שׁפטינו אשׁר שׁפטונו Daniel 9:12 (twice in verse).
2. specifically decide controversy, discriminate between persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions:
b. of man,
וּבֵין ֗֗֗ בֵּין שׁ׳ Exodus 18:16 (E)
Numbers 35:24 (P)
Deuteronomy 1:16 (all civil),
Isaiah 5:3 (relig.); with accusative
Leviticus 19:15 (H)
Deuteronomy 25:1 (all civil),
Ezekiel 20:4 (twice in verse);
Ezekiel 22:2 (twice in verse);
Ezekiel 23:36;
מִשְׁפָּט שׁ׳ Deuteronomy 16:18;
1 Kings 3:28 (Solomon);
במשׁפטים Ezekiel 44:24, with
ל 2 Chronicles 19:6; absolute
Ezekiel 44:24;
Isaiah 11:3 (king); influenced by bribes
Micah 3:11;
Micah 7:3;
Job 9:24; Absalom desires to decide cases as
שֹׁפֵט 2 Samuel 15:4 (implying lack of such in his time); according to
2 Chronicles 19:5.
6 Jehoshaphat set up
שׁפטים, apparently for the first as judges in this specific sense; code of Deuteronomy recognizes them:
הַשֹּׁפֵט declares
הַמִּשְׁפָּט דְּבַר Deuteronomy 17:9,
12;
Deuteronomy 25:2;
שׁפטים +
שֹׁטְרִים Deuteronomy 16:18;
1 Chronicles 23:4;
1 Chronicles 26:29;
Joshua 8:33 (+
זְקֵנִים),
Joshua 23:2;
Joshua 24:1 (D; both +
זקנים,
רָאשִׁים), +
זקנים only
Deuteronomy 21:2;
Ezra 10:14, +
כֹּהֲנִים Deuteronomy 19:17,
18,
שׂרים 2 Chronicles 1:2.
3. execute judgment:
b. vindicating, with accusative:
c. condemning and punishing,
Niph. Perfect 1st person singular נִשְׁפַּטְתִּי Ezekiel 20:36 +
4 times;
Imperfect 1st person singular אִשָּׁפֵט Ezekiel 20:36;
אִשָּֽׁפְטָה 1 Samuel 12:7, etc.;
Infinitive construct חִשָּׁפֵט 2 Chronicles 22:8; suffix
הִשָּֽׁפְטוֺ Psalm 37:33;
Psalm 109:7;
Participle נִשְׁפָּט Isaiah 59:4 +
4 times; —
Pô`el Participle suffix
מְשֹׁפְטִי (dubious; Hi Bu
מִשְׁפָּטִי), =
my apponent-at-law (Ges
§ 55 b)
Job 9:15; + Zf
Job 3:15;
Psalm 109:31 We and others.
See related Aramaic BDB entry
H8200.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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