2 Kings 17:37

[EchadHashem]

Can someone give me a good definition for each:

choq - statutes
mishpat - ordinances
Torah - law
mitsvah - commandment

I would like to have better resolution on each of these as found in 2 Kings and other places.

Thanks

[debi b]

Just for context…

2 Kings 17:1-2
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Adonai, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

Hoshea is the last King of Israel.

2 Kings 17
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria… For so it was, that the people of Israel had sinned against the Adonai their Elohim…and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the nations, whom the Adonai cast out from before the people of Israel…

And the people of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against Adonai their Elohim

1 and they built for themselves high places…

2 And they set up for themselves pillars and Asherim in every high hill, and under every green tree;

3 And there they burned incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Adonai carried away before them…

4 For they served idols, about which Adonai had said to them, you shall not do this thing.

Then Adonai warned Israel, and Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the Torah which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

For the people of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

What is the biggest issue with Jeroboam? He set up a different place and way to worship…

Now the north is carried away and replaced by other people. These foreign people are having some real problems in the land. So, there is a priest that teaches them the “ways of Adonai” and they wind up with some weird mix of ideas. The admonition is: DON’T DO THAT.

37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the Torah, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall be careful to do for all time; and you shall not fear other gods.

Statutes/Chukim - generally all things having to do how to approach Adonai

Ordinances/Mishpatim - generally issues dealing with people to people things

Torah - every instruction/teaching

Commandment/Mitzvah - this is a noun that comes from the verb “tzvah” meaning to make firm, establish, appoint, arrange, to charge – so I think basically it is getting at the idea of all things established by Adonai.