The Difference Between hesed and mishpat
hesed (H2617) means "favour" and mishpat (H4941) means "adversary" — both Hebrew words in the Bible, but they carry distinct meanings. Knowing which word the original author chose, and where each appears, reveals the precise shade of meaning that can get lost in translation.
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חֵסֵד vs מִשְׁפָּט
hesed and mishpat
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See how hesed (חֵסֵד) and mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט) compare → https://lemmalink.com/compare/H2617/H4941
חֵסֵד
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
H2617
Exegetical Meaning
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty | Etymology: from H2616 (חָסַד); | KJV: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
Origin
Root form
English Glosses
Canon Usage
No data
Context Themes
- Covenant Love Celebrated
- Covenant Love as Anchor in Suffering
- Covenant Love as Ethical Demand
מִשְׁפָּט
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstract
H4941
Exegetical Meaning
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style | Etymology: from H8199 (שָׁפַט); | KJV: [phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, [idiom] worthy, [phrase] wrong.
Origin
Root form
English Glosses
Canon Usage
No data
Context Themes
- Justice as God's Character
- God as the Ultimate Judge