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== Judgements ==

{{Sinincamp}}


The word judgement<Ref name="judg-e">In US English, “judgment” (no “e”) is the only correct spelling. In UK English, “judgement” (with an “e”) is standard, but “judgment” is used in legal contexts.[[O8201]] shephet, [[04941]] mishpat, </Ref> shows up 125 times in the Biblical text 36 of which are found in the Torah. They are not all translated from the same Hebrew word.

<blockquote>
: [[Exodus 6]]:6  "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments<Ref name="shephet">{{08201}}</Ref>:"
: [[Exodus 7]]:4  "But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, [and] my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments<Ref name="shephet">{{08201}}</Ref>."
</blockquote>

In these two verses we see the word ''judgment'' is from the shephet (שֶׁפֶט)<Ref name="shephet">{{08201}}</Ref>‎  meaning ''judgment, act of judgment'' from shaphat (שָׁפַט‎)<Ref name="shaphat">{{08199}}</Ref> ''to judge''.

But later in Exodus we see a different word also translated ''judgement'':

<blockquote>
: [[Exodus 21]]:1  "Now these [are] the judgments<Ref name="mishpat">{{04941}}</Ref> which thou shalt set before them."
: [[Exodus 24]]:3  "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments<Ref name="mishpat">{{04941}}</Ref>: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do."
</blockquote>

In these two verses we see the word ''judgment'' is from the mishpat(מִשְׁפָט‎)<Ref name="mishpat">{{04941}}</Ref>‎  meaning ''judgment, justice" but is translated numerous different way. It can represent a "court" but "a process, procedure, litigation". Basically it is "case"" or a previous " decision (of judgment). But it is also from shaphat (שָׁפַט‎)<Ref name="shaphat">{{08199}}</Ref> ''to judge''.

Moses was setting up a system of people's courts. These are the "judgments" or as we see in the Hebrew text the full word is hammišpāṭîm (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים) '''Hey'''MemShinPeiTet'''YodMem'''. 

These are not king's courts but cases are decide on the very local level where the people need to decide each case with an examination of the ''facts'' of the case and the precepts of the ''law'' and how it is applied.

Moses will jump start the court system with ''613 judgements'' and guidelines, [[statutes]]<Ref name="choq">{{2706}}</Ref> and [[ordinances]]. Are these judgements a list of codified laws which bind the conscience of the people or are they examples and comments concerning principles and [[precedent]] of prior cases?  

The people were the fundamental interpreters of the law with a right of appeal [[Cities of refuge|to a network of men]] who did not go up by [[steps]] but already served the people through a system of  charitable service to the people. 

A major change to what had been the earlier Hammurabi codification of law was ''replacing the human king with Yahweh as lawgiver''. But that same lawgiver would need to write upon the [[heart and mind]] of people who were not ''accustomed to living at the expense of their neighbor'' nor instituting [[force and violence]] in [[covetous practices]].

The people's courts were not appointed from the top down like many systems today, nor are they dependent upon a legislature to make law daily nor supreme judges who decide good and evil. The people must attend to the {{weightier matters}} Or there will be no justice or mercy.

{{precedent}}

{{Stare decisis}}


== Footnotes == 


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[[Category:Sophistry]]

[[Category:Words]]