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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