מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   mish-PAT

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

   AR-khot mish-PAT

   paths or ways justice or judgment
3. clause🔊 לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   le-hat-TOT AR-khot mish-PAT

   to turn aside paths or ways justice or judgment
4. sentence🔊 שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵיק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

   SHO-khad me-KHEK ra-SHA yik-KAKH le-hat-TOT AR-khot mish-PAT

   a bribe from the bosom or from the lap a wicked man he takes to turn aside paths or ways justice or judgment

Exegesis

The infinitive le-hattot {לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת | lə-ḥattôṯ} ‘to pervert’ introduces purpose, governing the construct chain orkhot mishpat {אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט | ʾorḥôṯ miš-pāṭ} ‘paths of justice’, emphasizing deliberate distortion of legal norms. This structure highlights a cause-and-effect progression: illicit reception leads directly to the twisting of judicial processes.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ש־פ־טsh-p-t

“to judge, govern”

• 🔊 שׁוֹפֵטshofetjudgeJudges 2:16