Original Word: חֹק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: choq
Pronunciation: khoke
Phonetic Spelling: (khoke)
KJV: appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree(-d), due, law, measure, X necessary, ordinance(-nary), portion, set time, statute, task
NASB: statutes, statute, allotment, decree, due, ordinance, portion
Word Origin: [from H2710 (חָקַק - inscribed)]

1. an enactment
2. (hence) an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)

appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decreed, due, law,

From chaqaq; an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage) -- appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree(-d), due, law, measure, X necessary, ordinance(- nary), portion, set time, statute, task.

see HEBREW chaqaq

Word Origin
from chaqaq
Definition
something prescribed or owed, a statute
NASB Translation
allotment (5), boundaries (1), boundary (2), conditions (1), custom (1), decree (5), due (5), fixed order (1), limit (2), limits (1), measure (1), necessary food (1), ordinance (4), portion (3), portions (1), prescribed portion (1), rations (1), required amount (1), resolves (1), statute (9), statutes (79), thing...due (1), what is appointed (1).

חֹק₁₂₇ noun masculine^{Micah 7:11} something prescribed, a statute or due; — ׳ח Genesis 47:22 22t.; חָקֿ Exodus 30:21 14t.; suffix חֻקִּי Proverbs 30:8 3t.; חָקְךָ Leviticus 10:13,14 etc. + 4 t. suffixes; plural חֻקִּים Deuteronomy 4:5 31t.; construct חֻקֵּי Exodus 18:16; חוּקֵּ֯י Ezekiel 20:18; also חִקֲקֵי Judges 5:15; Isaiah 10:1 (Ges^{§ 93}. 1 R 7); חֻקָּו֯ Job 14:5 etc. + 44 t. suffixes —

1 prescribed task, assigned to Israel in Egypt Exodus 5:14 (E).

2 prescribed portion, or allowance of food Genesis 47:22 (twice in verse) (J); Proverbs 30:8; Proverbs 31:15; Ezekiel 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 Judges 5:15 resolves of mind "" חִקְרֵי לֵב Judges 5:16.

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

5 prescribed limit, boundary: of sea Jeremiah 5:22; Proverbs 8:29; Job 26:10; Job 38:10; of heavens Psalm 148:6; of land of Israel Micah 7:11; of time Job 14:5,13; so מָּֽעֲרָה פִיהָ לִבְלִי חֹ֑ק Isaiah 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 Genesis 47:26 (J); of passover Exodus 12:24 (J); lament for Jephthah's daughter Judges 11:39; for Josiah 2Chronicles 35:25; חק ומשׁפט Exodus 15:25; Joshua 24:25 (both E), 1 Samuel 30:25; חק עולם Exodus 30:21; "" עֵדוּת, מִשְׁמָּט Psalm 81:5; Psalm 81:6 (law of a festival).

b. of ׳י in nature Job 28:26.

c. respecting Messianic king Psalm 2:7; day of ׳י Zephaniah 2:2 ᵑ0, but on text see We and טֶרֶם, below; covenant with Jacob Psalm 105:10 = 1 Chronicles 16:17; destiny of man Job 23:14.

d. law in General עלי חק according to law, right Psalm 94:20 (others against law); ומשׁפט ׳לַמֵּד ח Ezra 7:10; "" בּרית and תורות Isaiah 25:5; "" עדות Psalm 99:7.

7 plural חֻקִּים enactments, statutes of a law:

a. of ׳י in nature Jeremiah 31:36.

b. of the prophets Zechariah 1:6.

c. conditions of deed of purchase Jeremiah 32:11.

d. enactments "" מִשְׁמָּטִים: ancestral Ezekiel 20:18; given by God as punishment for disobedience Ezekiel 20:25.

e. decrees of unjust judges חִקֲקֵיאָֿוֶן Isaiah 10:1.

f. civil enactments prescribed by God: חֻקֵּי האלהים Exodus 18:16 (E; "" תּוֺרֹתָיו), Exodus 18:20 (E; "" id.)

g. elsewhere of prescriptions of the several codes of Hex: Leviticus 10:11; Numbers 30:17 (P), Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 6:24; Deuteronomy 16:12; Psalm 119:5 20t., Malachi 3:7; "" ׳תּוֺרַת י Amos 2:4; ותורות ׳ח Psalm 105:45; ׳והח ׳דברי הת Deuteronomy 17:19; "" ברית Psalm 50:16; וברית ועדות ׳ח 2 Kings 17:15; usually either "" משׁפטים Deuteronomy 4:1,5,8,14; Deuteronomy 5:1; Deuteronomy 11:32; Deuteronomy 12:1; Deuteronomy 26:16; 1 Kings 9:4 2Chronicles 7:17; 1 Chronicles 22:13; Ezekiel 11:12; Ezekiel 36:27, or else ומשׁפטים ׳ח combined with other synonym (usually preceding): e.g. דבר(ים ׅ Psalm 147:19; תורה2Chronicles 33:8; Malachi 3:22; מצוה Deuteronomy 5:28; Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 7:11; מצות Nehemiah 1:7; 1 Kings 8:58; מצוה, תורה2Chronicles 19:10; עֵדֹת Deuteronomy 4:45; Deuteronomy 6:20; sometimes following: e.g. תורות Leviticus 26:46; מצוה, תורה 2 Kings 17:37; or in different order, e.g. ותורות ׳מ ומצות ׳ח Nehemiah 9:13; ׳וח ׳מצות ומ Nehemiah 10:30; ומצות ׳ח ׳ומ Deuteronomy 26:17. Apart from משׁפטים it is combined with מצות, e.g. ׳וח ׳מ Exodus 15:26 (R), Deuteronomy 27:10; ׳ומ ׳ח Deuteronomy 4:40; 1 Kings 3:14; 1 Kings 8:61; ותורה ׳וח ׳מ Nehemiah 9:14; ׳ועדות וח ׳מ Deuteronomy 6:17; 1 Chronicles 29:19; 2Chronicles 34:31; ׳וח ׳דברי מ Ezra 7:11; it is used with verbs: נתן Leviticus 26:46 3t.; צוּה Numbers 30:17 9t.; למּד Deuteronomy 4:1 10t.; שׁמר Deuteronomy 26:17 16t.; עשׂה Deuteronomy 6:24 5t.; שׁמר לעשׂות Deuteronomy 11:32 4t.; הלך בְּ 1 Kings 8:61 3t. — [On usage of חֹק see חֻקָּה near the end]

Definition and Scope

חֹק (choq) denotes what is fixed, prescribed, or allotted. In Scripture it can point to a binding statute, a ritual ordinance, a civic regulation, a defined boundary, or an assigned portion. The word therefore embraces both the moral-legal sphere and the realms of worship, creation, and daily provision.

Occurrences and Literary Distribution

Approximately 126 times, choq appears in the Pentateuch, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Prophets, and once in Daniel (Aramaic form). The concentration in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Psalms highlights its dual function as covenant legislation and devotional affirmation.

Major Spheres of Usage

1. Divine statutes within covenant revelation
• Genesis 26:5 already links Abraham’s obedience to “My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
• At Sinai the term is paired with “commandments” and “judgments” (Exodus 15:25).
• The Deuteronomic sermons constantly urge Israel to “observe His statutes and His commandments” (Deuteronomy 4:40; 6:17).

2. Ritual and worship ordinances
• Passover: “You are to celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; as a perpetual statute throughout your generations” (Exodus 12:14).
• Day of Atonement: “It is to be a statute forever in all your generations” (Leviticus 16:34).
• The priestly portions are “a perpetual statute” (Leviticus 10:13; Numbers 18:19).

3. Civil and social regulations
• Jethro speaks of Moses explaining to the people “the statutes of God and His laws” when judging disputes (Exodus 18:16).
• Joshua renews covenant obligations and “established for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem” (Joshua 24:25).
• After battle David makes equitable spoil distribution “a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day” (1 Samuel 30:25).

4. Assigned portions and inheritances
• Land allotments are described as “the statute of the law” (Numbers 26:55-56).
• “This shall be the priests’ due from the people” (Deuteronomy 18:3).
• Proverbs 30:8 uses a cognate to ask for the “food that is my portion.”

5. Fixed bounds in creation and nations
• “When He fixed the boundary for the sea” (Proverbs 8:29).
• “I placed the sand as the boundary of the sea, a perpetual barrier it cannot cross” (Jeremiah 5:22).
• Job 28:26; 38:10 speak of divine decrees for rain and the sea, showing choq as cosmic law.

Divine Statutes and Covenant Faithfulness

Choq underscores that God’s will is not arbitrary but revealed and binding. Obedience secures life and blessing (Deuteronomy 30:16); rejection invites curse and exile (2 Kings 17:34-41). The Psalmist delights in these fixed words: “I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart” (Psalm 119:111).

Ritual and Worship Context

Repeated language of “perpetual statute” ties choq to Israel’s liturgical memory. Each feast and sacrifice embodied covenant history and projected redemptive hope. Thus choq anchors worship in revealed history rather than human innovation.

Civil and Social Life

Choq also regulates equitable community life—property, inheritance, military plunder, and royal rights (e.g., 2 Samuel 8:15). The term reminds rulers and citizens alike that justice is derivative, not self-generated.

Assigned Portions and Provision

Portion language illustrates God’s care: the priests receive food; the widow, orphan, and stranger gain protection; daily bread itself is a “decreed” kindness. In Psalm 104:14-15, creation produces food according to God’s ordered statutes.

Creation’s Fixed Order

Natural law imagery broadens choq beyond Israel to universal stability. Seasons, tides, celestial motions, and rainfall operate by divine decrees, signaling the trustworthy character of the Lawgiver (Psalm 148:6).

Historical Flow

• Patriarchal obedience to unwritten statutes (Genesis 26:5) reveals continuity.
• Sinai codifies them in written form.
• Deuteronomy re-preaches them for a new generation.
• Kingship and exile demonstrate consequences of neglect.
• Post-exilic communities (Nehemiah 9:14) confess failure and renew commitment.
• Prophets anticipate a day when God will “put My law within them” (Jeremiah 31:33), a promise later echoed in the New Covenant.

Theological Significance

1. Revelation: choq affirms that God communicates binding truth.
2. Holiness: fixed statutes mirror His unchanging character.
3. Grace: statutes are given to redeemed people—Exodus 20 follows deliverance.
4. Mission: Israel’s obedience was to be a light to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).
5. Assurance: natural choq secures the future as surely as moral choq secures the covenant (Jeremiah 33:20-26).

Christological and Eschatological Horizons

Messianic Psalms such as Psalm 2:7 (“You are My Son; today I have become Your Father,” a divinely fixed decree) cast choq forward to the King whose rule will never end. Jesus fulfills the Law (Matthew 5:17) and ratifies the promised inner inscription of statutes by the Spirit (Hebrews 10:16).

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Preaching: choq provides warrant for authoritative proclamation.
• Discipleship: statutes shape holy habits; Psalm 119 offers a curriculum for meditation.
• Worship planning: biblical ordinances inform liturgy and sacraments.
• Counseling: fixed moral boundaries guide ethical decisions and protect against cultural drift.
• Apologetics: the harmony between moral and natural choq testifies to a coherent worldview.

Representative References

Genesis 26:5; Exodus 12:14; 15:25-26; 18:16; Leviticus 10:13; 16:34; Numbers 18:19; 26:55-56; Deuteronomy 4:5-8; 6:1-2; Joshua 24:25; 1 Samuel 30:25; 2 Kings 17:34-41; Nehemiah 9:14; Job 28:26; 38:10; Psalm 2:7; 19:7-11; 94:20; 119 (esp. verses 5, 16, 111, 155); Proverbs 8:29; Isaiah 24:5; Jeremiah 5:22; 31:35-36; Ezekiel 11:20; Daniel 6:5; Malachi 3:7.

בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ בְּחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ בְּחֻקַּי֙ בְּחֻקָּ֛יו בְּחוּקֵּ֤י בְחֻקֶּ֣יךָ בְחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ בחוקי בחקי בחקיו בחקיך בחקיך׃ הַ֣חֻקִּ֔ים הַֽחֻקִּ֖ים הַֽחֻקִּ֗ים הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים הַֽחֻקִּים֙ הַחֻקִּ֖ים הַחֻקִּ֣ים הַחֻקִּ֥ים הַחֻקִּ֨ים החקים וְ֝חֹ֗ק וְהַֽחֻקִּ֖ים וְהַֽחֻקִּ֥ים וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַחֻקִּ֖ים וְהַחֻקִּ֥ים וְחָק־ וְחֹ֣ק וְחֹ֨ק וְחֻקִּים֙ וְחֻקֶּ֥יךָ וְחֻקַּ֗י וְחֻקַּ֥י וְחֻקָּ֔יו וְחֻקָּ֖יו וְחֻקָּֽיו׃ וְחֻקָּיו֙ והחקים וחק וחק־ וחקי וחקיו וחקיו׃ וחקיך וחקים חָקְךָ֤ חָקְכֶ֤ם חָק־ חֹ֑ק חֹ֔ק חֹ֖ק חֹ֣ק חֹ֥ק חֹ֨ק חֹֽק־ חֹֽק׃ חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ חֻ֝קֶּיךָ חֻ֭קָּיו חֻקִּ֑י חֻקִּ֖ים חֻקִּ֥ים חֻקִּֽי׃ חֻקִּים֙ חֻקֵּ֑ךְ חֻקֵּ֥י חֻקֶּ֗יךָ חֻקֶּ֥יךָ חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃ חֻקַּ֥י חֻקַּי֙ חֻקָּ֑י חֻקָּ֑יו חֻקָּ֔יו חֻקָּ֗יו חֻקָּ֣יו חֻקָּ֥יו חֻקָּ֧יו חֻקָּם֙ חֻקּ֗וֹ חֻקָּ֥יו חק חק־ חק׃ חקו חקי חקי׃ חקיו חקיך חקיך׃ חקים חקך חקכם חקם לְחָק־ לְחֹ֑ק לְחֹ֔ק לְחֹ֖ק לְחֹ֤ק לְחֹק֩ לְחֻקִּ֣ים לחק לחק־ לחקים מֵ֝חֻקִּ֗י מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ מֵחֻקֶּ֑יךָ מחקי מחקיך bə·ḥuq·qāw bə·ḥuq·qay bə·ḥūq·qê bə·ḥuq·qe·ḵā ḇə·ḥuq·qe·ḵā bechukKai bechukKav bechukKei bechukKeicha bəḥuqqāw bəḥuqqay bəḥūqqê bəḥuqqeḵā ḇəḥuqqeḵā chakeCha chakeChem chok chukKai chukKam chukKav chukKech chukKei chukKeicha chukKi chukKim chukKo ha·ḥuq·qîm ḥā·qə·ḵā ḥā·qə·ḵem hachukKim haḥuqqîm ḥāq- ḥāqəḵā ḥāqəḵem ḥōq ḥōq- ḥuq·qām ḥuq·qāw ḥuq·qay ḥuq·qāy ḥuq·qê ḥuq·qe·ḵā ḥuq·qêḵ ḥuq·qî ḥuq·qîm ḥuq·qōw ḥuqqām ḥuqqāw ḥuqqay ḥuqqāy ḥuqqê ḥuqqêḵ ḥuqqeḵā ḥuqqî ḥuqqîm ḥuqqōw lə·ḥāq- lə·ḥōq lə·ḥuq·qîm leChok lechukKim ləḥāq- ləḥōq ləḥuqqîm mê·ḥuq·qay mê·ḥuq·qe·ḵā mê·ḥuq·qî mechukKai mechukKeicha mechukKi mêḥuqqay mêḥuqqeḵā mêḥuqqî vechok vechukKai vechukKav vechukKeicha vechukKim vehachukKim wə·ha·ḥuq·qîm wə·ḥāq- wə·ḥōq wə·ḥuq·qāw wə·ḥuq·qay wə·ḥuq·qe·ḵā wə·ḥuq·qîm wəhaḥuqqîm wəḥāq- wəḥōq wəḥuqqāw wəḥuqqay wəḥuqqeḵā wəḥuqqîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts