מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   mish-PAT

   justice or judgment
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   be-LO mish-PAT

   by lack of or without justice or judgment
3. clause🔊 וְיֵ֥שׁ נִ֝סְפֶּ֗ה בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   ve-YESH nis-PE be-LO mish-PAT

   and there is swept away or removed by lack of or without justice or judgment
4. sentence🔊 רָב־אֹ֖‪(d)כֶל נִ֣יר רָאשִׁ֑ים וְיֵ֥שׁ נִ֝סְפֶּ֗ה בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   RAV-O-khel NIR ra-SHIM ve-YESH nis-PE be-LO mish-PAT

   much food fallow ground or plowed land of poor people and there is swept away or removed by lack of or without justice or judgment

Exegesis

The prepositional phrase bĕ-lōʼ mišp̄āṭ {בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט | bĕ-lōʼ mišp̄āṭ} ‘without justice’ marks the circumstance causing the loss. This parallel structure balances initial abundance with the resultant loss from absence of legal fairness.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 שׁ־פ־טShin–Pe–Tav

“to judge, execute judgment”

• 🔊 שׁוֹפֵט (Judges 2:16)shofetjudge
• 🔊 מִשְׁפָּטִים (Exodus 21:1)mishpatimjudgments