Original Word: שֶׁפֶט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shephet
Pronunciation: SHEH-fet
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-fet)
KJV: judgment
NASB: judgments, judgment
Word Origin: [from H8199 (שָׁפַט - judge)]

1. a sentence, i.e. infliction

judgment

From shaphat; a sentence, i.e. Infliction -- judgment.

see HEBREW shaphat

Word Origin
from shaphat
Definition
judgment
NASB Translation
judgment (1), judgments (15).

[שֶׁ֫פֶט] noun masculine^{Exodus 6:6} judgement; — plural שְׁפָטִים Exodus 6:6 +, suffix שְׁפָטַי Ezekiel 14:21; — acts of judgment (compare משׁפטים), בשׁפטים גדלים by great acts of judgment Exodus 6:6; Exodus 7:4 (P); with בְּ, עשׂה שׁפטים Exodus 12:12; Numbers 33:4 (P), Ezekiel 5:10,15; Ezekiel 11:9; Ezekiel 16:41; Ezekiel 25:11; Ezekiel 28:22,26; Ezekiel 30:14,19 (all of God); men Ezekiel 16:41; with את, 2 Chronicles 24:24 (Syrians against Joash); שׁפטים of God (four: sword, famine, wild beasts, pestilence) Ezekiel 14:21; ללצים ׳נכונו שׁ Proverbs 19:29 judgments are prepared for scorners (ᵐ5 שְׁבָטִים rods, so Perles^{Anal. 69} [or שׁוֺטִים], Toy).

Semantic Range and Core Idea

Shephet denotes the punitive side of judgment—the sentence itself, the judicial blow that falls after guilt has been established. While the common noun mishpat often describes a judicial process or statute, shephet speaks of the decisive act of divine retribution. The word appears only sixteen times, giving it a concentrated, dramatic flavor whenever it surfaces.

Pentateuch: Judgments that Liberate

Exodus 6:6, Exodus 7:4, and Exodus 12:12 frame the plagues as “mighty acts of judgment” by which the LORD discloses His supremacy and frees His people. Numbers 33:4 retrospectively calls the same blows “judgments” on Egypt’s gods. Shephet therefore carries a dual edge: wrath toward the oppressor and redemption for the oppressed. In the Exodus narrative the term underlines that deliverance is never at the expense of righteousness; salvation and judgment ride in tandem.

Historical Books: Covenant Discipline

2 Chronicles 24:24 records that the Arameans “executed judgment” on Judah because the nation had forsaken the LORD. The word here demonstrates that covenant infidelity invites the same corrective hand once laid on pagan Egypt. Israel is not exempt from shephet; privilege intensifies responsibility.

Wisdom Literature: Prepared Penalties

Proverbs 19:29 states, “Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.” In the wisdom setting shephet signals inevitable consequences embedded in God’s moral order. Scoffing is never merely intellectual; it invites a sentence already “prepared” by divine wisdom.

Prophetic Literature: The Four Dreadful Judgments and Beyond

Ezekiel contributes ten occurrences, expanding the theology of shephet.

• Ezekiel 14:21 identifies “My four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague.” These represent God’s comprehensive arsenal against persistent rebellion.

• Ezekiel 5:10, Ezekiel 5:15, and Ezekiel 11:9 apply the term to Jerusalem, announcing that the holy city will experience the same punitive force as the nations.

• Ezekiel 16:41 emphasizes that the verdict will be so public that “all women” (neighboring nations) will learn not to imitate Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness.

• Ezekiel 25:11, Ezekiel 28:22, Ezekiel 28:26, Ezekiel 30:14, Ezekiel 30:19 extend shephet to Ammon, Moab, Sidon, Egypt, and their respective cities. The universal sweep underscores that Yahweh’s throne is not local; His jurisdiction is worldwide.

Forms and Instruments of Shephet

1. Supernatural plagues (Exodus).
2. Military defeat (2 Chronicles 24:24; Ezekiel 11:9).
3. Famine, pestilence, wild beasts (Ezekiel 14:21).
4. Desolation of land and economy (Ezekiel 30:14,19).

The plural “judgments” often clusters these instruments, portraying divine justice as multifaceted and proportionate.

Purposes of Divine Judgment

• Vindication of God’s holiness: “They will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 25:11).
• Preservation of a remnant (implicit in Ezekiel 5:10–12).
• Instruction to the nations (Ezekiel 5:15; Ezekiel 16:41).
• Rescue of the covenant community through purging (Exodus 6:6; Ezekiel 28:26).

Christological and Eschatological Trajectory

The cross gathers the meaning of shephet: the decisive sentence falls on the Substitute, accomplishing both justice and liberation (cf. Romans 3:25–26). Prophetic language of universal judgments anticipates the final assize when the books are opened (Revelation 20:11–15), guaranteeing that every unfinished outrage will meet its proper shephet.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: Proclaim both the certainty of divine judgment and the offer of mercy in Christ.
2. Pastoral Care: Warn the impenitent lovingly yet firmly; God’s judgments are “prepared.”
3. Social Ethics: Advocate justice, remembering that oppression provokes shephet.
4. Mission: The global scope of shephet fuels global evangelism—nations must hear before the sentence falls.

Summary

Shephet is the thunderclap of God’s verdict, sparing none who persist in rebellion yet securing deliverance for those sheltered by His covenant grace. It is as relevant to modern proclamation as it was to Moses, the Chronicler, the sages, and Ezekiel.

בִּשְׁפָטִ֖ים בשפטים וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים ובשפטים שְׁפָטִ֑ים שְׁפָטִ֔ים שְׁפָטִ֖ים שְׁפָטִ֗ים שְׁפָטִ֜ים שְׁפָטִֽים׃ שְׁפָטַ֣י ׀ שפטי שפטים שפטים׃ biš·p̄ā·ṭîm bishfaTim bišp̄āṭîm šə·p̄ā·ṭay šə·p̄ā·ṭîm šəp̄āṭay šəp̄āṭîm shefaTai shefaTim ū·ḇiš·p̄ā·ṭîm ūḇišp̄āṭîm uvishfaTimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts