חֹק

1. prescribed task, assigned to Israel in Egypt 2 Mos 5,14 (E).

2. prescribed portion, or allowance of food 1 Mos 47,22 (twice in verse) (J); Ord 30,8; Ord 31,15; Ezk 16,27 מחקי Job 23,12 (RV; < ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Ol Me Di SS בְּחֵקִי in my bosom).

3. action prescribed for oneself, resolve: חִקֲקֵי לֵב Dom 5,15 resolves of mind || חִקְרֵי לֵב vDom 5,16.

4. prescribed due of the priests from offerings 3 Mos 6,11; 3 Mos 10,13 (twice in verse); 3 Mos 10,14 (twice in verse) (P); due of ׳י 3 Mos 6,15 (P); עולם ׳לח 2 Mos 29,28; 3 Mos 7,34; 3 Mos 10,15; 4 Mos 18,8; 4 Mos 18,11; 4 Mos 18,19 (all P), 3 Mos 24,9(H); portion of oil for the תּרומה Ezk 45,14.

5. prescribed limit, boundary: of sea Jer 5,22; Ord 8,29; Job 26,10; Job 38,10 of heavens Sl 148,6 of land of Israel Mik 7,11 of time Job 14,5; Job 14,13 so פָּֽעֲרָה פִיהָ לִבְלִי חֹ֑ק Es 5,14 Sh®°ôl openeth wide her mouth, without limit.

6. enactment, decree, ordinance of either God or man:
\ \ a. specific decree: law of fifth in Egypt 1 Mos 47,26 (J); of passover 2 Mos 12,24 (J); lament for Jephthah's daughter Dom 11,39 for Josiah 2 Kron 35,25 חק ומשׁפט 2 Mos 15,25; Jos 24,25 (both E), 1 Sam 30,25 חק עולם 2 Mos 30,21 || עֵדוּת, מִשְׁפָּט Sl 81,5; Sl 81,6 (law of a festival).
\ \ b. of ׳י in nature Job 28,26.
\ \ c. respecting Messianic king Sl 2,7 day of ׳י Sef 2,2 ᵑ0, but on text see We and טֶרֶם, below; covenant with Jacob Sl 105,10 = 1 Kron 16,17 destiny of man Job 23,14.
\ \ d. law in general עלי חק according to law, right Sl 94,20 (others against law); ומשׁפט ׳לַמֵּד ח Ezr 7,10 || בּרית and תורות Es 25,5 || עדות Sl 99,7.

7. plural חֻקִּים enactments, statutes of a law:
\ \ a. of ׳י in nature Jer 31,36.
\ \ b. of the prophets Zak 1,6.
\ \ c. conditions of deed of purchase Jer 32,11.
\ \ d. enactments || מִשְׁפָּטִים: ancestral Ezk 20,18 given by God as punishment for disobedience Ezk 20,25.
\ \ e. decrees of unjust judges חִקֲקֵיאָֿוֶן Es 10,1. feminine civil enactments prescribed by God: חֻקֵּי האלהים 2 Mos 18,16 (E; || תּוֺרֹתָיו), v2 Mos 18,20 (E; || id.)
\ \ g. elsewhere of prescriptions of the several codes of Hex: 3 Mos 10,11; 4 Mos 30,17 (P), 5 Mos 4,6; 5 Mos 6,24; 5 Mos 16,12; Sl 119,5 + 20 t., Mal 3,7 || ׳תּוֺרַת י Amos 2,4 ותורות ׳ח Sl 105,45 ׳והח ׳דברי הת 5 Mos 17,19 || ברית Sl 50,16 וברית ועדות ׳ח 2 Kong 17,15 usually either || משׁפטים 5 Mos 4,1; 5 Mos 4,5; 5 Mos 4,8; 5 Mos 4,14; 5 Mos 5,1; 5 Mos 11,32; 5 Mos 12,1; 5 Mos 26,16; 1 Kong 9,4 = 2 Kron 7,17; 1 Kron 22,13; Ezk 11,12; Ezk 36,27, or else ומשׁפטים ׳ח combined with other synonym (usually preceding): e.g. דבר(ים ׅ Sl 147,19 תורה 2 Kron 33,8; Mal 3,22 מצוה 5 Mos 5,28; 5 Mos 6,1; 5 Mos 7,11 מצות Neh 1,7; 1 Kong 8,58 מצוה, תורה 2 Kron 19,10 עֵדֹת 5 Mos 4,45; 5 Mos 6,20 sometimes following: e.g. תורות 3 Mos 26,46 מצוה, תורה 2 Kong 17,37 or in different order, e.g. ותורות ׳מ ומצות ׳ח Neh 9,13 ׳וח ׳מצות ומ Neh 10,30 ומצות ׳ח ׳ומ 5 Mos 26,17. Apart from משׁפטים it is combined with מצות, e.g. ׳וח ׳מ 2 Mos 15,26 (R), 5 Mos 27,10 ׳ומ ׳ח 5 Mos 4,40; 1 Kong 3,14; 1 Kong 8,61 ותורה ׳וח ׳מ Neh 9,14 ׳ועדות וח ׳מ 5 Mos 6,17; 1 Kron 29,19; 2 Kron 34,31 ׳וח ׳דברי מ Ezr 7,11 it is used with verbs: נתן 3 Mos 26,46 + 3 t.; צוּה 4 Mos 30,17 + 9 t.; למּד 5 Mos 4,1 + 10 t.; שׁמר 5 Mos 26,17 + 16 t.; עשׂה 5 Mos 6,24 + 5 t.; שׁמר לעשׂות 5 Mos 11,32 + 4 t.; הלך בְּ 1 Kong 8,61 + 3 t. — [On usage of חֹק see חֻקָּה near the end]