אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט

   et-mish-PAT

   the judgment of
2. clause🔊 וַיְשַׁלַּח־בָּ֣ם אֶת־הָאֲרָי֗וֹת וְהִנָּם֙ מְמִיתִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ אֵינָ֣ם יֹדְעִ֔ים אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

   va-ye-sha-LAKH-BAM et-ha-a-ra-YOT ve-hi-NAM me-mi-TIM o-TAM ka-a-SHER e-NAM yo-de-IM et-mish-PAT e-lo-HE ha-A-rets

   and he sent among them the lions and behold, them killing them because they are not knowing the judgment of God of the land
3. sentence🔊 וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁוּר֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִגְלִ֙יתָ֙ וַתּ֙וֹשֶׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיְשַׁלַּח־בָּ֣ם אֶת־הָאֲרָי֗וֹת וְהִנָּם֙ מְמִיתִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ אֵינָ֣ם יֹדְעִ֔ים אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

   va-yo-ME-ru le-ME-lekh a-SHUR le-MOR ha-go-YIM a-SHER hig-li-TA va-to-SHEV be-a-RE shom-re-VON LO ya-de-U et-mish-PAT e-lo-HE ha-A-rets va-ye-sha-LAKH-BAM et-ha-a-ra-YOT ve-hi-NAM me-mi-TIM o-TAM ka-a-SHER e-NAM yo-de-IM et-mish-PAT e-lo-HE ha-A-rets

   and they said to the king of Assyria saying the nations which you carried away and you settled in the cities of Samaria not they know the judgment of God of the land and he sent among them the lions and behold, them killing them because they are not knowing the judgment of God of the land

Exegesis

Their lack of legal knowledge is framed by lo yadʿu {לֹא יָדְעוּ | lōʾ yā-ḏə-ʿû} ‘they did not know’ and the participle einam yodim {אֵינָם יֹדְעִים | ʾê-nām yō-ḏə-ʿîm} ‘they are not knowing,’ both modifying mishpat Elohei haaretz {מִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ | miš-pā-ṭ ʾĕ-lō-ḥê hā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘law of the God of the land.’

Root and etymology

sh–p–t🔊 ש–פ–טShin–Peh–Tet

“judgment, prescribed order”

• 🔊 שׁוֹפֵטšō-p̄ētjudgeJudges 2:16
• 🔊 מִשְׁפָּטָהmiš-pā-ṭāhlegal claimExodus 21:1