H2708 H2708
A prescribed statute or ordinance; a binding regulation from God or a ruler, often permanent and ritual in character.
Chuqqah is the feminine form of choq and denotes a prescribed statute or enacted ordinance, overwhelmingly used for divine laws with a permanent, ritual character. The phrase chuqqat olam ('an everlasting statute') recurs throughout Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers for Passover regulations, priestly duties, and Day of Atonement rituals (Exod 12:14; Lev 16:29). Yet chuqqah also names the fixed ordinances of nature—the appointed seasons (Jer 5:24) and the cosmic decrees governing heaven and earth (Jer 31:35; 33:25). Spanish 'estatuto,' French 'statut,' and German 'Satzung' consistently render it as formal enacted law.
Senses
1. statute or ordinance — The core sense: a specific statute or ordinance prescribed by God, binding as a permanent obligation on Israel. This covers the ritual statutes of Passover (Exod 12:14, 43), priestly regulations (Exod 27:21; 28:43), the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29, 34), and the recurring phrase chuqqat olam ('an everlasting statute'). Also includes God's statutes given to the patriarchs (Gen 26:5) and the statutes Moses teaches Israel. Spanish 'estatuto-de,' French 'statut-de,' and German 'Satzung-von' reflect this juridical-ritual core. 93×
AR["فَريضَةً", "فَرِيضَةً", "فَرِيضَةَ", "فَرِيضَةُ", "فَرِيضَةِ"]·ben["চিরস্থায়ী-বিধি", "বিধি"]·DE["Satzung-von", "ein-Satzung-von"]·EN["a-statute-of", "statute-of"]·FR["statut-de", "un-statut-de"]·heb["חוקת"]·HI["विधि"]·ID["Ketetapan", "ketetapan"]·IT["statuto-di", "un-statuto-di"]·jav["Pranatan", "pranatan"]·KO["규녨", "규례", "규례-", "규례-의", "규례로", "규례이다", "법령이라"]·PT["(é-a)-lei-de", "Estatuto-de", "estatuto", "estatuto-de"]·RU["устав", "уставу", "установлением"]·ES["Estatuto-de", "estatuto-de", "estatuto-de-"]·SW["Amri", "amri", "amri-ya", "amri-ya-", "ndiyo-sheria-ya", "sheria-ya", "sheria-ya-"]·TR["kural", "kural-", "kuralı", "kuralının"]·urd["فرض", "فریضہ", "قانون"]
Gen 26:5, Exod 12:14, Exod 12:17, Exod 12:43, Exod 27:21, Exod 28:43, Lev 3:17, Lev 7:36, Lev 10:9, Lev 16:29, Lev 16:31, Lev 16:34 (+38 more)
2. sense 2 — The plural form used for the ordinances of nature or of nations—the fixed decrees governing cosmic and social order. Jer 5:24 speaks of the 'appointed weeks' of harvest as chuqqot; Jer 31:35 names the sun and moon as governed by chuqqot; Jer 33:25 invokes the chuqqot of heaven and earth. Also includes Jer 10:3 on the 'customs of the peoples' (pagan practices). This sense shifts from specific Mosaic ritual law to the broader concept of established order, whether divine or cultural. 8×
AR["فَرَائِضَ", "فَرَائِضُ", "فَرَائِضِ"]·ben["নিয়ম", "নিয়মের", "বিধি", "বিধিগুলি", "বিধিগুলি-"]·DE["Satzung", "Satzungen", "[חקות]"]·EN["statutes-of", "the-customs-of"]·FR["statut"]·heb["חוקות"]·HI["नियम", "नियमित", "विधियाँ", "विधियां", "विधियों", "विधियों-का"]·ID["ketetapan", "ketetapan-ketetapan"]·IT["statuti", "statuto"]·jav["pranatan", "pranatan-", "pranatan-pranatan", "tatènan"]·KO["규례들", "규례들-이", "규례들은", "규례들의", "매여진-법령들을", "법칙들을"]·PT["estatutos", "estatutos-de"]·RU["уставах", "уставы", "установленные"]·ES["establecidas-de", "estatutos-de"]·SW["amri", "amri-za", "desturi-za", "sheria-za", "yaliyowekwa"]·TR["adetleri", "düzenleri", "düzenlerini", "kuralları", "kuralları-o", "kurallarıdır", "kurallarını"]·urd["احکام", "رسمیں", "فرائض", "قانون", "قوانین"]
3. sense 3 — A prepositional construction ('in the statutes of') used to describe walking in or following someone else's statutes, typically in a negative context of Israel imitating foreign nations. Lev 20:23 warns against walking 'in the statutes of' the nations; 1 Kgs 3:3 notes Solomon walked 'in the statutes of' David; 2 Kgs 17:8, 19 condemn Israel for walking 'in the statutes of' the nations. The consistent prepositional framing—eng 'in-statutes-of,' spa 'en-estatutos-de,' deu 'in-Satzungen-von'—marks this as a distinct syntactic-semantic pattern emphasizing conformity or imitation. 4×
AR["بِ-فَرَائِضِ", "فِي-فَرَائِضِ"]·ben["বিধানগুলিতে-", "বিধিগুলোতে", "বিধিতে"]·DE["in-Satzungen-von", "in-der-Satzungen-von"]·EN["in-statutes-of", "in-the-statutes-of"]·FR["dans-le-statuts-de", "dans-statuts-de"]·heb["ב-חוקות", "ב-חוקת"]·HI["में-विधियों", "विधियों-में"]·ID["dalam-ketetapan-ketetapan"]·IT["in-il-statuti-di", "in-statuti-di"]·jav["ing-paugeran", "ing-pranatan", "wonten-pranatan"]·KO["규례들을-따라", "법령들-안에서", "에-규례들-의"]·PT["em-estatutos-de", "nos-estatutos-de"]·RU["в-уставах"]·ES["en-estatutos-de", "en-los-estatutos-de"]·SW["katika-amri", "katika-sheria", "katika-sheria-za-", "za-Daudi"]·TR["kurallarında"]·urd["فرائض-میں", "قوانین-میں", "میں-آئین"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֻקָּה104 n.f. Ex 13:10 something prescribed, enactment, statute;—ח׳ Nu 9:14 + 2 times; cstr. חֻקַּת Ex 12:14 + 28 times; pl. חֻקּוֹת Je 5:24 + 12 times; חֻקֹּת Lv 20:23; Je 31:35; sf. חֻקּוֹתַי Gn 26:5 + 14 times; חֻקֹּתַי Lv 18:4 + 21 times etc.;— 1. sg. statute, of special ritual laws: of passover Ex 13:10 (J); elsewhere only in P (and H), חקת הפסח Ex 12:43; Nu 9:12, 14; ח׳ התורה Nu 19:2;…