שָׁפַט

vb. judge, govern (NH in deriv.; Ph. שפט = שֹׁפֵט, also in n.pr.; Pun. sufet Lzb381; Biblical Aramaic שָֽׁפְטִין; Assyrian šapâtu (t = ת), syn. dânu (דִּין), judge DlWB 684, šipṭu (ט), prob. judgment [and šapiṭu, captain?] JenZA iv (1889), 278 f.; on poss. connexion with Arabic سفط v. NöZMG xi (1886), 724; on usage of vb. see FergusonJBL viii (1888), 130 ff.);— Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ Ju 16:31 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁפֹּט Gn 16:5, יִשְׁפּוֹט Is 11:3; 3 mpl. יִשְׁפְּטוּ Gn 31:53 +, יִשְׁפּ֫וּטוּ Ex 18:26 (Ki יִשְׁפּוּט֫וּ; cf. Ges§ 47 g), etc.; Inf. abs. שָׁפוֹט Gn 19:9; cstr. שְׁפֹט Ru 1:1, לִשְׁפֹּט Ex 8:13 +, etc.; Imv. שְׁפָט־ Pr 31:9, שָׁפְטָה ψ 82:8; La 3:59, שִׁפְטוּ Is 1:17 +, שְׁפֹ֑טוּ Zc 7:9, etc.; Pt. שֹׁפֵט 1 S 3:13 +, etc.;— act as law-giver, judge, governor (giving law, deciding controversies and executing law, civil, religious, political, social; both early and late): of God only, שֹׁפֵט כל הארץ Gn 18:25 (J), ‖ מֶלֶךְ, מְחֹקֵק Is 33:22. of man, Gn 19:9(×2) (J), Moses deciding cases Ex 18:13 (E), making known statutes v 16 (E); so his assistants v 22(×2), 26(×2) (E), ‖ Dt 1:16; of שׁפטי ישׂראל Nu 25:5 (executioners); י׳ set שֹׁפְטִים over Isr. Ju 2:16, 18; 2 S 7:11 = 1 Ch 17:10, to deliver Isr., שׁפט ישׂראל Ju 3:10; 4:4; 10:2, 3 + 9 times Ju, 1 S 4:18; 7:15, 16, 17; 2 K 23:22, cf. 1 S 7:6; Pt. שֹׁפֵט as subst. also Ju 2:17, 18, 19; 1 S 8:1, 2; 2 K 23:22; שֹׁפְטֵי יִשׂ׳ 1 Ch 17:6 (‖ 2 S 7:7 שִׁבְטֵי), בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים Ru 1:1(×2) (cf. מוֹשִׁיעִים Ob 21); שׁפט, ‖ מֶלֶךְ 1 S 8:5, 6, 20; Ho 7:7; 13:10; שֹׁפֶט ישׂראל Mi 4:14 (= king); king judges people 1 K 3:9(×2) = 2 Ch 1:10; 1 K 15:5 = 2 Ch 26:21; 2 Ch 1:11; abs. 1 K 7:7; Is 16:5; ‖ שׂרים Ex 2:14 (E) Am 2:3; Zp 3:3; ‖ יוֹעֵץ Is 1:26; Jb 12:17, cf. Is 3:2; שֹׁפְטֵי אָרֶץ Is 40:23 (‖ רוֹזְנִים), Pr 8:16 (‖ שׂרים), ψ 2:10; 148:11 (‖ מלכים); שׁפטינו אשׁר שׁפטונו Dn 9:12(×2). specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions: of God ψ 82:1: שׁ׳ בֵּין … וּבֵין Gn 16:5 (J; domestic), Ju 11:27(×2); 1 S 24:13, 16 (all of war), Ez 34:20 (relig.); c. בֵּין … לְ Ez 34:17, 22 (relig.); c. בֵּינֵינוּ Gn 31:53 (E; domestic), Is 2:4 = Mi 4:3 (of war); c. בְּ 2 Ch 20:12 (war); c. acc. 1 K 8:32 = 2 Ch 6:23; Ec 3:17, condemning wicked and justifying righteous Jb 21:22 (‖ ידע), 23:7; abs. Ex 5:21 (J) Jb 22:13; שׁ׳ צֶדֶק Je 11:20 ψ 9:5; י׳ is שׁוֹפֵט צַדִּיק 7:12. of man, שׁ׳ בֵּין … וּבֵין Ex 18:16 (E) Nu 35:24 (P) Dt 1:16 (all civil), Is 5:3 (relig.); c. acc. Lv 19:15 (H) Dt 25:1 (all civil), Ez 20:4(×2); 22:2(×2); 23:36; שׁ׳ מִשְׁפָּט Dt 16:18; 1 K 3:28 (Sol.); במשׁפטים Ez 44:24, c. ל 2 Ch 19:6; abs. Ez 44:24; Is 11:3 (king); influenced by bribes Mi 3:11; 7:3; Jb 9:24; Absalom desires to decide cases as שֹׁפֵט 2 S 15:4 (implying lack of such in his time); according to 2 Ch 19:5, 6 Jehoshaphat set up שׁפטים, appar. for the first as judges in this specific sense; code of Dt recognizes them: הַשֹּׁפֵט declares דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט Dt 17:9, 12; 25:2; שׁפטים + שֹׁטְרִים 16:18; 1 Ch 23:4; 26:29; Jos 8:33 (+ זְקֵנִים), 23:2; 24:1 (D; both + זקנים, רָאשִׁים), + זקנים only Dt 21:2; Ezr 10:14, + כֹּהֲנִים; Dt 19:17, 18, שׂרים 2 Ch 1:2. execute judgment: discriminating, of man only, משׁפט אמת Zc 7:9, מֵישָׁרִים שׁ׳ ψ 58:2 judge uprightly; משׁפט שׁלום Zc 8:16, צֶדֶק Pr 31:9, עָוֶל ψ 82:2. vindicating, c. acc.: (1) subj. God, יתום ψ 10:18, acc. pers. 26:1; 43:1; 58:12 (read שֹׁפְטָם for שׁפטים), שׁ׳ משׁפט La 3:59; מִיַּד vindicate by delivering from hand of 1 S 24:16; 2 S 18:19, 31; שָׁפְטֵנִי י׳ כְּצִדְקִי ψ 7:9; שָׁפְטֵנִי כְּצִדְקְךָ 35:24. (2) subj. man, c. acc. יתום Is 1:17, 23; דל(ים) 11:4; Pr 29:14 ψ 82:3; עניי עם 72:4; משׁפט אביונים Je 5:28. condemning and punishing, (1) God כְּדַרְכֵי פ׳ acc. to ways of Ez 7:3, 8; 18:30; 24:14; 33:20; 36:19; במשׁפטים 7:27; 23:24; משׁפטי נאפות 16:38 (= 23:45 of human judges); c. acc. 1 S 3:13 ψ 51:6 Is 51:5; Ez 11:10, 11; 21:35; 35:11. (2) of man, only שֹׁפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֹ ψ 109:31 and Ez 23:45 supr., prob. also ψ 141:6 (corrupt). at theophanic advent for final judgment: God is שֹׁפֵט ψ 50:6; 75:8; שׁפט הארץ 94:2, c. acc. בא לשׁפט הארץ 96:13 = 1 Ch 16:33, ψ 98:9; שׁ׳ הארץ 82:8; כל הגוים Jo 4:12; עמים ψ 67:5; תבל 9:9; 96:13 = 98:9; שׁ׳ מישׁרים 75:3. Pf. 1 s. נִשְׁפַּטְתִּי Ez 20:36 + 4 times; Impf. 1 s. אִשָּׁפֵט Ez 20:36; אִשָּֽׁפְטָה 1 S 12:7, etc.; Inf. cstr. הִשָּׁפֵט 2 Ch 22:8; sf. הִשָּֽׁפְטוֹ ψ 37:33; 109:7; Pt. נִשְׁפָּט Is 59:4 + 4 times;— recipr., (Ges§ 51 d), enter into controversy, plead: c. אֵת with, of God Je 2:35; Ez 17:20 (+ acc. rei) 20:35, 36(×2); 38:22; of man 1 S 12:7 (+ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם 𝔊 We), Pr 29:9; c. עִם, of God Jo 4:2, of man 2 Ch 22:8; c. ל, of God Je 25:31; נשׁ׳ יחד Is 43:26 have controversy together; באשׁ by fire (of God) 66:16; באמונה 59:4. pass. be judged, ψ 9:20; 37:33; 109:7. Pôʿel Pt. sf. מְשֹׁפְטִי (dub.; Hi Bu מִשְׁפָּטִי), = my opponent-at-law (Ges§ 55 b) Jb 9:15; + Zp 3:15 ψ 109:31 We al.