# H4941 - mishpat **Strong's:** [H4941](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4941/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** mish-pawt' **Part of speech:** masculine noun **OT occurrences:** ~422 **Greek equivalent (LXX):** *krisis* (G2920), judgment; *krima* (G2917), judicial verdict ## Semantic range 1. **Judgment / verdict**, the act of judging or its result 2. **Justice**, the right ordering of relationships 3. **Ordinance / statute / law**, codified divine instruction 4. **Custom / manner / way**, the right / fitting pattern 5. **Court / tribunal**, the forum of judgment The semantic range parallels [G2920 - krisis](/codex/g2920-krisis/) / Greek thought and is closely paired with [H6664 - tzedeq](/codex/h6664-tzedeq/) (righteousness), together they form the OT's central justice-vocabulary. ## Theological force ### *Mishpat* of God YHWH's *mishpat* is His perfect-righteous judgment / governance: - **[Genesis 18:25](/codex/genesis-18-25/)**, Abraham: "shall not the Judge of all the earth do *mishpat*?" - **[Deuteronomy 32:4](/codex/deuteronomy-32-4/)**, "all His ways are *mishpat*… righteous and upright is He" - **[Psalm 9:7](/codex/psalms-9-7/)**, God established His throne for *mishpat* - **[Psalm 19:9](/codex/psalms-19-9/)**, "the *mishpetei YHWH* are true, righteous altogether" - **[Psalm 36:6](/codex/psalms-36-6/)**, God's *mishpatim* are like the great deep - **[Psalm 89:14](/codex/psalms-89-14/)**, "*tzedeq u-mishpat* are the foundation of Your throne" - **[Psalm 97:2](/codex/psalms-97-2/)**, same - **[Psalm 119:75](/codex/psalms-119-75/), [137](/codex/psalms-119-137/), [156](/codex/psalms-119-156/), [160](/codex/psalms-119-160/), [164](/codex/psalms-119-164/), [175](/codex/psalms-119-175/)**, God's *mishpatim* are righteous - **[Isaiah 28:6](/codex/isaiah-28-6/)**, "the LORD of hosts will become a spirit of *mishpat* to him who sits in *mishpat*" - **[Isaiah 30:18](/codex/isaiah-30-18/)**, "the LORD is a God of *mishpat*" ### *Mishpat u-tzedeq*, the foundation of God's throne The pair *mishpat u-tzedeq* (justice + righteousness) forms the **most-cited divine-attribute combination** in the OT: - [Psalm 89:14](/codex/psalms-89-14/); 97:2, *mishpat u-tzedeq* as foundation of God's throne - [Genesis 18:19](/codex/genesis-18-19/), Abraham's household to do *tzedaqah u-mishpat* - [2 Samuel 8:15](/codex/2-samuel-8-15/), David doing *mishpat u-tzedaqah* - [Isaiah 1:21](/codex/isaiah-1-21/), [27](/codex/isaiah-1-27/); 5:7, 16; 9:7; 28:17; 32:1, 16-17; 33:5, Isaiah's repeated pairing - [Jeremiah 4:2](/codex/jeremiah-4-2/); 9:24; 22:3, 15; 23:5; 33:15, Jeremianic - [Amos 5:7](/codex/amos-5-7/), [24](/codex/amos-5-24/); 6:12, prophetic call The pair establishes: God's character is justice + righteousness; His covenant people are called to embody both. ### Prophetic *mishpat*, the practice of justice The prophetic ethical demand is grounded in *mishpat*: - **[Micah 6:8](/codex/micah-6-8/)**, "what does the LORD require of you but to do *mishpat*, to love *hesed*, and to walk humbly with your God" - **[Isaiah 1:17](/codex/isaiah-1-17/)**, "learn to do good; seek *mishpat*, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" - **[Isaiah 58:6-12](/codex/isaiah-58-6-12/)**, fasting that pleases God: undoing oppression, sharing bread - **[Amos 5:24](/codex/amos-5-24/)**, "let *mishpat* roll down like waters, and *tzedaqah* like an ever-flowing stream" - **[Zechariah 7:9-10](/codex/zechariah-7-9-10/)**, "dispense true *mishpat*; show *hesed* and compassion" The prophets condemn empty-religion divorced from *mishpat*-practice. Justice toward orphan, widow, alien, and poor is the test of authentic worship. ### *Mishpat* as ordinance / statute In Pentateuchal contexts, *mishpat* often denotes a specific statute / ordinance: - [Exodus 21:1](/codex/exodus-21-1/), [9](/codex/exodus-21-9/); 24:3, "these are the *mishpatim*…" - Leviticus / Numbers / Deuteronomy frequent - The *mishpatim* (case-law) cluster ([Exodus 21](/codex/exodus-21/)-23) supplements the *mitzvot* / *chuqqim* (commandments / decrees) The pattern: God's *mishpat*-character is **codified** in specific *mishpatim* / case-laws that apply justice to concrete situations. ### Messianic *mishpat* The Messiah is presented as the One who will establish *mishpat*: - **[Isaiah 9:7](/codex/isaiah-9-7/)**, Messianic king establishing his kingdom in *mishpat u-tzedaqah* - **[Isaiah 11:3-4](/codex/isaiah-11-3-4/)**, "He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with *tzedeq* He will *yishpot* (judge)" - **[Isaiah 16:5](/codex/isaiah-16-5/)**, Davidic-Messianic ruler dispensing *mishpat* - **[Isaiah 42:1](/codex/isaiah-42-1/), [3-4](/codex/isaiah-42-3-4/)**, Servant brings forth *mishpat* (cited in [Mt 12:18-21](/codex/matthew-12-18-21/)) - **[Jeremiah 23:5](/codex/jeremiah-23-5/); 33:15**, Davidic Branch will execute *mishpat u-tzedaqah* ## Notable verses ### Divine *mishpat* - **[Genesis 18:25](/codex/genesis-18-25/)**, Judge of all the earth - **[Deuteronomy 32:4](/codex/deuteronomy-32-4/)**, all His ways are *mishpat* - **[Psalm 9:7-8](/codex/psalms-9-7-8/); 19:9; 36:6; 89:14; 97:2; 119 throughout**, Psalter saturation ### Prophetic *mishpat*-call - **[Isaiah 1:17](/codex/isaiah-1-17/), [27](/codex/isaiah-1-27/); 5:7, 16; 11:4; 32:1, 16-17; 33:5**, extensive - **[Jeremiah 5:1](/codex/jeremiah-5-1/), [4](/codex/jeremiah-5-4/); 7:5; 9:24; 22:3, 15-16; 23:5; 33:15**, Jeremianic - **[Hosea 2:19](/codex/hosea-2-19/); 12:6**, covenant *mishpat* - **[Amos 5:7](/codex/amos-5-7/), [15](/codex/amos-5-15/), [24](/codex/amos-5-24/); 6:12**, pivotal prophetic - **[Micah 6:8](/codex/micah-6-8/)**, *mishpat / hesed / humility* - **[Zechariah 7:9-10](/codex/zechariah-7-9-10/); 8:16; 9:9**, return-from-exile *mishpat* - **[Malachi 2:17](/codex/malachi-2-17/); 3:5**, God's *mishpat* questioned and reaffirmed ### Messianic *mishpat* - **[Isaiah 11:3-4](/codex/isaiah-11-3-4/)**, Messianic righteous-judging - **[Isaiah 42:1](/codex/isaiah-42-1/), [3-4](/codex/isaiah-42-3-4/)**, Servant brings *mishpat* ([Mt 12](/codex/matthew-12/) NT use) - **[Jeremiah 23:5](/codex/jeremiah-23-5/); 33:15**, Davidic Branch ## Apologetic / theological significance *Mishpat* anchors: 1. **Christian justice-ethics**, biblical justice is not merely retributive-courtroom but comprehensive setting-things-right 2. **God's character as just**, His judgments are righteous, never arbitrary 3. **The integration of justice and righteousness**, *mishpat u-tzedeq* refuses to oppose them 4. **Prophetic ethics**, empty religion divorced from justice is condemned 5. **Christological fulfillment**, Christ as the Messianic-judge / Servant-bringing-justice 6. **Eschatological hope**, final *mishpat* setting all things right ## Patristic / scholarly note The OT *mishpat* tradition shapes Christian social ethics: - Modern conservative engagement: Tim Keller (*Generous Justice*, 2010); Nicholas Wolterstorff (*Justice: Rights and Wrongs*, 2008; *Justice in Love*, 2011) - David VanDrunen on biblical justice - Christopher Wright (*Old Testament Ethics for the People of God*, 2004) - John Goldingay; Bruce Waltke ## See also - H8199 - shaphat, verb to judge - [H6664 - tzedeq](/codex/h6664-tzedeq/), paired righteousness - *H6666 - tzedakah*, righteousness (feminine) - [H2617 - hesed](/codex/h2617-hesed/), paired covenant-love - [G2920 - krisis](/codex/g2920-krisis/), Greek judgment - G2917 - krima, judicial verdict - [Romans 5.8](/codex/romans-5-8/), Pauline justice-application - [Hell and Eternal Punishment](/codex/hell-and-eternal-punishment/), eschatological-judgment synthesis ## Notes _Lexical workspace for mishpat._