שָׁפַט

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ׳שׁ Dom 16,31 +, etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular יִשְׁפֹּט 1 Mos 16,5, יִשְׁפּוֺט Es 11,3 3 masculine plural יִשְׁפְּטוּ 1 Mos 31,53 +, יִשְׁפּ֫וּטוּ 2 Mos 18,26 (Ki יִשְׁפּוּט֫וּ; compare Ges^{«GKC:47g»§ 47g}), etc.; Infinitive absolute שָׁפוֺט 1 Mos 19,9 construct שְׁפֹט Rut 1,1, לַשְׁפֹּט 2 Mos 8,13 +, etc.; Imperative שְׁפָטֿ Ord 31,9, שָׁפְטָה Sl 82,8; Klg 3,59, שִׁפְטוּ Es 1,17 +, שְׁפֹ֑טוּ Zak 7,9, etc.; Participle שֹׁפֵט 1 Sam 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):
\ \ a. of God only, שֹׁפֵט כל הארץ 1 Mos 18,25 (J), || מֶלֶךְ,מְחֹקֵק Es 33,22.
\ \ b. of man, 1 Mos 19,9 (twice in verse) (J), Moses deciding cases 2 Mos 18,13 (E), making known statutes v2 Mos 18,16 (E); so his assistants v2 Mos 18,22 v2 Mos 18,22 v2 Mos 18,26 v2 Mos 18,26 (E), || 5 Mos 1,16 of שׁפטי ישׂראל 4 Mos 25,5 (executioners); ׳י set שֹׁפְטִים over Israel Dom 2,16; Dom 2,18; 2 Sam 7,11 = 1 Kron 17,10, to deliver Israel, שׁפט ישׂדאל Dom 3,10; Dom 4,4; Dom 10,2; Dom 10,3 + 9 t. Judges; 1 Sam 4,18; 1 Sam 7,15; 1 Sam 7,16; 1 Sam 7,17; 2 Kong 23,22, compare 1 Sam 7,6 Participle שֹׁפֵט as substantive also Dom 2,17; Dom 2,18; Dom 2,19; 1 Sam 8,1; 1 Sam 8,2; 2 Kong 23,22 ׳שֹׁפְטֵי יִשׂ 1 Kron 17,6 (|| 2 Sam 7,7 שִׂבְטֵי), בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים Rut 1,1 (twice in verse) (compare מוֺשִׁיעִים Ob 1,21); שׁפט, || מֶלֶךְ 1 Sam 8,5; 1 Sam 8,6; 1 Sam 8,20; Hos 7,7; Hos 13,10 שֹׁפֵט ישׂראל Mik 4,14 (= king); king judges people 1 Kong 3,9 (twice in verse) = 2 Kron 1,10; 1 Kong 15,5 = 2 Kron 26,21; 2 Kron 1,11 absolute 1 Kong 7,7; Es 16,5 || שׂרים 2 Mos 2,14 (E) Amos 2,3; Sef 3,3 || יוֺעַץ Es 1,26; Job 12,17, compare Es 3,2 שֹׁפְטֵי אָרֶץ Es 40,23 (|| רוֺזְנִים), Ord 8,16 (|| שׂרים), Sl 2,10; Sl 148,11 (|| מלכים); שׁפטינו אשׁר שׁפטונו Dan 9,12 (twice in verse).

2. specifically decide controversy, discriminate between Persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions:
\ \ a. of God Sl 82,1: בֵּיןוּ֗֗֗בֵין ׳שׁ 1 Mos 16,5 (J; domestic), Dom 11,27 (twice in verse); 1 Sam 24,13; 1 Sam 24,16 (all of war), Ezk 34,20 (relig.); with בֵּיןלְ֗֗֗ Ezk 34,17; Ezk 34,22 (religious); with בֵּנֵינוּ 1 Mos 31,53 (E; domestic), Es 2,4 = Mik 4,3 (of war); with בְּ 2 Kron 20,12 (war); with accusative 1 Kong 8,32 = 2 Kron 6,23; Praed 3,17, condemning wicked and justifying righteous Job 21,22 (|| ידע), Job 23,7 absolute 2 Mos 5,21 (J) Job 22,13 צֶדֶק ׳שׁ Jer 11,20; Sl 9,5 ׳י is שׁוֺפֵט צַדִּיק Sl 7,12.
\ \ b. of man, בֵּיןוּ֗֗֗בֵין ׳שׁ 2 Mos 18,16 (E) 4 Mos 35,24 (P) 5 Mos 1,16 (all civil), Es 5,3 (relig.); with accusative 3 Mos 19,15 (H) 5 Mos 25,1 (all civil), Ezk 20,4 (twice in verse); Ezk 22,2 (twice in verse); Ezk 23,36 מִשְׁפָּט ׳שׁ 5 Mos 16,18; 1 Kong 3,28 (Solomon); במשׁפטים Ezk 44,24, with ל 2 Kron 19,6 absolute Ezk 44,24; Es 11,3 (king); influenced by bribes Mik 3,11; Mik 7,3; Job 9,24 Absalom desires to decide cases as שֹׁפֵט 2 Sam 15,4 (implying lack of such in his time); according to 2 Kron 19,5. 6 Jehoshaphat set up שׁפטים, apparently for the first as judges in this specific sense; code of Deuteronomy recognizes them: הַשֹּׁפֵט declares דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט 5 Mos 17,9; 5 Mos 17,12; 5 Mos 25,2 שׁפטים + שֹׁטְרִים 5 Mos 16,18; 1 Kron 23,4; 1 Kron 26,29; Jos 8,33 (+ זְקֵנִים), Jos 23,2; Jos 24,1 (D; both + זקנים, רָאשִׁים), + זקנים only 5 Mos 21,2; Ezr 10,14, + כֹּהֲנִים 5 Mos 19,17; 5 Mos 19,18, שׂרים 2 Kron 1,2.

3. execute judgment:
\ \ a. discriminating, of man only, משׁפט אמת Zak 7,9, ׳מֵישָׁרִים שׁ Sl 58,2 judge uprightly; משׁפט שׁלום Zak 8,16, צֶדֶק Ord 31,9, עָוֶל Sl 82,2.
\ \ b. vindicating, with accusative: (I) subject God, יתום Sl 10,18, accusative of person Sl 26,1; Sl 43,1; Sl 58,12 (read שֹׁפְטָם for שׁפטים), משׁפט ׳שׁ Klg 3,59 מִיַּד vindicate by delivering from hand of 1 Sam 24,16; 2 Sam 18,19; 2 Sam 18,31 שָׁפְטֵנִי כְּ צִדְקִי ׳י Sl 7,9 שָׁפְטֵנִי כְּ צִדְקְךָ Sl 35,24. (2) subject man, with accusative יתום Es 1,17; Es 1,23 דל(יםׅ Es 11,4; Ord 29,14; Sl 82,3 עניי עם Sl 72,4 משׁפט אביונים Jer 5,28.
\ \ c. condemning and punishing, (I) God ׳כְּדַרְכֵי פ according to ways of Ezk 7,3; Ezk 7,8; Ezk 18,30; Ezk 24,14; Ezk 33,20; Ezk 36,19 במשׁפטים Ezk 7,27; Ezk 23,24 משׁפטי נאפות Ezk 16,38 (= Ezk 23,45 of human judges); with accusative 1 Sam 3,13; Sl 51,5; Ezk 11,10; Ezk 11,11; Ezk 21,35; Ezk 35,11. (2) of man, only שֹׁפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֺ Sl 109,31 and Ezk 23,45 above, probably also Sl 141,6 (corrupt).
\ \ d. at theophanic advent for final judgment: God is שֹׁפֵט Sl 50,6; Sl 75,8 שׁפט הארץ Sl 94,2, with accusative בא לשׁפט הארץ Sl 96,13 = 1 Kron 16,33; Sl 98,9 הארץ ׳שׁ Sl 82,8 כל הנוים Joel 4,12 עמים Sl 67,5 תבל Sl 9,9; Sl 96,13 = Sl 98,9 מישׁרים ׳שׁ Sl 75,3. Niph`al Perfect 1 singular נִשְׁפַּטְתִּי Ezk 20,36 + 4 t.; Imperfect 1 singular אִשָּׁפֵט Ezk 20,36 אִשָּֽׁפְטָה 1 Sam 12,7, etc.; Infinitive construct חִשָּׁפֵט 2 Kron 22,8 suffix הִשָּֽׁפְטוֺ Sl 37,33; Sl 109,7 Participle נִשְׁפָּט Es 59,4 + 4 t.; —

1. reciprocal, (Ges^{«GKC:51d»§ 51d}), enter into controversy, plead: with אֵת with, of God Jer 2,35; Ezk 17,20; Ezk 20,35; Ezk 20,36 (twice in verse); Ezk 38,22 of man 1 Sam 12,7 (+ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם ᵐ5 We Dr Bu^Hpt Now), Ord 29,9 with עִם, of God Joel 4,2, of man 2 Kron 22,8 with ל, of God Jer 25,31 יחד ׳נשׁ Es 43,26 have controversy together; באשׁ by fire (of God) Es 66,16 באמונה Es 59,4.

2. passive be judged, Sl 9,20; Sl 37,33; Sl 109,7. Pô`el Participle suffix מְשֹׁפְטִי (dubious; Hi Bu מִשְׁפָּטִי), = my apponent-at-law (Ges^{«GKC:55b»§ 55b}) Job 9,15 + Zf Job 3,15; Sl 109,31 We and others