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that is due to a person as an allowance or payment. The Egyptian priests received their
income from Pharaoh (Gen. 47:22), even as God permitted a part of the sacrifice to be
enjoyed by the priests: “And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ [as their portion] for ever
from the children of Israel: for it is a heave offering …” (Exod. 29:28).
The word
%
also signifies “law,” or “statute.” In a general sense it refers to the
“laws” of nature like rain: “When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the
lightning of the thunder” (Job 28:26; cf. Jer. 5:22); and the celestial bodies: “He hath also
stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass” (Ps. 148:6
cf). “Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of
the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves
thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me,
saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for
ever” (Jer. 31:35-36). Moreover, the word
%
denotes a “law” promulgated in a
country: “And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh
should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not
Pharaoh’s” (Gen. 47:26).
Finally, and most important, the “law” given by God is also referred to as a
%&
“When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and
I do make them know the statutes [
%
] of God, and his laws [
]” (Exod. 18:16).
The word’s synonyms are
(
, “commandment”;
, “judgment”;
,
“covenant”;
, “law”; and
$
, “testimony.” It is not easy to distinguish between
these synonyms, as they are often found in conjunction with each other: “Ye shall
diligently keep the commandments [
(
] of the Lord your God, and his testimonies
[
], and his statutes [
%
], which he hath commanded thee” (Deut. 6:17).
$%%
(
9 .
, 2708), “statute; regulation; prescription; term.” This noun occurs
about 104 times.
)
$%%
is found for the first time in God’s words of commendation about Abraham
to Isaac: “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my
commandments [
(
], my statutes [
$%%
], and my laws [
]” (Gen. 26:5),
together with its synonyms
(
, and
!
The primary use of
$%%
is in the Pentateuch, especially in Leviticus and Numbers. It is extemely rare in the
poetical books and in the prophetic writings (except for Jeremiah and Ezekiel).
The meaning of “fixed” is similar to the usage of
%
, in the sense of the laws of
nature: “Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not
appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jer. 33:25; cf. Job 38:33). Even as the
Israelites had a period of rainfall from October to April, there was a fixed period of
harvest (from April to June): “Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord
our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto
us the appointed weeks of the harvest” (Jer. 5:24). ln addition to regularity of nature, the
word
$%%
signifies regular payment to the priests: “Which the Lord commanded to