מִצְוָה181 H4687
Commandment, precept, directive — a binding instruction from God as covenant law or from a human authority as an executive order.
Mitswah is the quintessential word for divine commandment in the Hebrew Bible, appearing overwhelmingly in Deuteronomy and the Psalms as the stipulations God gives Israel to keep. 'The commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light' (Prov 6:23) captures its life-giving character. Whether singular — referring to the whole body of covenant law — or plural — enumerating specific precepts — mitswah frames obedience as Israel's grateful response to God's deliverance. A smaller but distinct usage applies the word to royal or priestly directives: the king's command (2 Chr 24:21), or an administrative order to be carried out. The consistent rendering across languages — 'mandamiento/commandement/Gebot' — underscores its authoritative weight.
Senses
1. Commandment(s) — divine/covenant precept — A commandment or precept given by God as covenant legislation — the mitzvot Israel is called to observe. Used both in the singular to denote the whole code of divine instruction and in the plural for specific precepts. Spanish 'mandamientos,' French 'commandements,' and German 'Gebote' all carry the same covenantal force. Central to Deuteronomic theology (Deut 6:1, 8:1) and the piety of the Psalms, where the psalmist delights in God's mitswah (Ps 119:96). In Leviticus 4-5, unwitting violation of any mitswah requires atonement. 172×
AR["(وَصَايَاهُ)", "(وَصَايَايَ)", "الْوَصِيَّةِ", "وَصَايَاهُ"]·ben["(তাঁর-আজ্ঞাসমূহ)", "(তাঁর-আজ্ঞাসমূহের)", "আদেশ", "তাঁর-আজ্ঞা", "তাঁর-আজ্ঞাগুলি", "তাঁর-আজ্ঞাগুলো", "তাঁর-আজ্ঞাসমূহ", "তাঁর-আদেশগুলি"]·DE["Gebote-von-ihn", "der-Gebot", "sein-Gebote"]·EN["commandments-of-him", "his-commandments", "the-commandment"]·FR["commandements-de-lui", "le-commandement", "son-commandements"]·heb["ה-מצווה", "מצוותיו"]·HI["आज्ञा", "आज्ञाओं-उसकी", "उसकी-आज्ञाएं", "उसकी-आज्ञाओं"]·ID["perintah", "perintah-perintah-Nya", "perintah-perintahNya", "perintah-perintahnya"]·IT["comandamenti-di-lui", "i-suoi-comandamenti", "il-comandamento", "suo-comandamenti"]·jav["dhawuh-Panjenenganipun", "pepakon", "pepakon-Nipun", "pepakon-Panjenengané", "pepakon-pepakon-Nipun", "pepakon-pepakonipun", "pepakèn-pepakèn", "perintah-perintahipun", "prentah-ipun", "prentahipun"]·KO["그-계명과", "그-명령들과", "그-명령들을", "그분의-명령들을", "그의-계명들과", "그의-계명들을", "그의-명령들과", "그의-명령들을", "명령들-그분의"]·PT["mandamentos-dele", "mandamentos-seus", "o-mandamento", "seus-mandamentos"]·RU["-заповедь", "заповедей-Его", "заповеди-Его"]·ES["el-mandamiento", "mandamientos-de-él", "sus-mandamientos"]·SW["(amri-zake)", "amri", "amri-yake", "amri-zake", "hukumu-zake", "maagizo-yake", "na-amri-zake", "za-amri-zake"]·TR["buyruklartını", "buyruklarını", "buyruğu", "emirlerini"]·urd["(اس-کے-احکام)", "-حکم", "احکام-اس-کے", "احکام-اُس-کے", "اس-کے-احکام", "اُس-کے-احکام", "اُس-کے-حکموں", "اُس-کے-حکموں-کو", "حکموں-اس-کے"]
2. Command / directive — authoritative order — A specific command, directive, or decree issued by a human authority — a king, commander, or priest — typically in the pattern 'according to the command of.' Spanish shifts to 'mandato/por mandato de,' and German uses constructions like 'nach dem Gebot,' marking the executive or administrative register. Found in historical narratives where royal authority is exercised: the king's command at 2 Chr 24:21, Hezekiah's reform directives at 2 Chr 29:15, 25, and the administrative order in 2 Kgs 17:34. 12×
AR["بِ-وَصِيَّةِ", "بِأَمْرِ", "بِـ-أَمْرِ", "بِـ-وَصِيَّةِ", "كَ-وَصِيَّةِ", "كَأَمْرِ", "كَـ-أَمْرِ", "كَوَصِيَّةِ", "وَ-كَـ-أَمْرِ", "وَكَالوَصِيَّةِ"]·ben["-আদেশ-অনুসারে", "-আদেশে", "-আদেশের-অনুসারে", "আজ্ঞা-অনুসারে", "আজ্ঞায়", "আদেশ-অনুসারে", "এবং-আজ্ঞা-অনুসারে", "ও-আদেশ-অনুসারে"]·DE["in-Gebote", "und-Gebot", "und-gemaess-zu-der-Gebot", "wie-Gebote"]·EN["according-to-command-of", "according-to-commandment-of", "according-to-the-command-of", "and-according-to-the-commandment", "and-as-command-of", "as-command-of-", "at-the-commandment-of", "by-command-of", "by-commandment-of"]·FR["commandement", "et-commandement", "et-selon-à-le-commandement"]·heb["ב-מצווה", "ו-כ-מצווה", "כ-מצווה"]·HI["अअग्य-के-अनुसअर-", "आज्ञा-के-अनुसार", "आज्ञा-पर", "आज्ञा-से", "और-आज्ञा-के-अनुसार", "और-के-अनुसार-आज्ञा"]·ID["atas-perintah", "dan-menurut-perintah", "menurut-perintah", "menurut-perintah-", "pada-perintah"]·IT["comandamento", "e-comandamento", "e-secondo-a-il-comandamento"]·jav["lan-miturut-dhawuhipun", "lan-miturut-pepakèn", "margi-pepakon", "miturut-dhawuh", "miturut-dhawuhipun", "miturut-dhawuhipun-", "miturut-pepaken"]·KO["같이-명령", "그리고-명령을-따라", "명령-대로", "에-명령", "에-명령에", "에-명령에-따라"]·PT["conforme-mandado-de", "conforme-mandamento-de", "conforme-mandamento-de-", "e-conforme-mandamento-de", "e-conforme-o-mandamento", "pelo-mandamento-de", "por-mandado-de"]·RU["в-заповеди", "и-по-заповеди", "и-по-повелению", "по-заповеди", "по-повелению", "по-повелению-"]·ES["ante-el-mandamiento-de", "conforme-a-mandamiento-de", "por-mandato-de", "según-mandamiento-de", "según-mandato-de", "y-conforme-al-mandamiento", "y-según-mandato-de"]·SW["kama-amri-ya-", "kulingana-na-amri", "kwa-amri", "kwa-amri-ya", "kwa-amri-ya-", "kּmitswat", "na-amri", "wּkmitswat"]·TR["emrinde", "emrine-göre", "emrine-göre-", "emriyle", "ve-buyruğa", "ve-emrine-göre"]·urd["اور-حکم-کے-مطابق", "اور-کے-مطابق-حکم", "حکم-سے", "حکم-پر", "حکم-کے-مطابق", "حکم-کے-مطابق-", "حکم-کے-موافق"]
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
מִצְוָה181 n.f. commandment;—מ׳ Pr 6:23 +; cstr. מִצְוַת Jos 22:3 +; sf. מִצְוָֽתְךָ Dt 26:13 ψ 119:96; מִצְוָתוֹ Nu 15:31; pl. מִצְוֹת abs. Lv 26:14 + (מִצְווֹת Ne 9:14); cstr. 4:2 +; sf. מִצְוֹתַי Gn 26:5 +, etc.;—not used before D and Je; in Je only of man’s commands; not Ez nor Minor Proph., except Mal;— 1. commandment, of man: king, 1 K 2:43; 2 K 18:36 = Is 36:21; 2 Ch 8:15 + 14 times; מ׳ אב…