Lexical Definition

‎מִצְוָה‎ mitsvâh (mits-vaw') commandment ^H:N-F
from ‎צָוָה‎

(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance, precept.

• a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law)

1) commandment
1a) commandment (of man)
1b) the commandment (of God)
1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)

See Greek: δικαίωμα · ἔνταλμα · ἐντολή · κρίσις · λέγω · λόγος · νόμος · ὁδός · ῥῆμα · φωνή

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מִצְוָה‎₁₈₁ noun feminine commandment; — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Prov 6:23 +; construct ‎מִצְוִת‎ Josh 22:3 +; suffix ‎מִצְוָ˜תְךָ‎ Deut 26:13; Ps 119:96 ‎מִצְוָתוֺ‎ Num 15:81 plural ‎מִצְוֺת‎ absolute Lev 26:14 +(‎מִצְווֺת‎ Neh 9:14); construct Neh 4:2* +; suffix ‎מִצְוֺתַי‎ Gen 26:5 +, etc.; — not used before D and Jeremiah; in Jeremiah only of man's commands; not Ezekiel nor Minor Prophets, except Malachi; —

1. commandment, of man: king, 1Kgs 2:43; 2Kgs 18:36 = Isa 36:21; 2Chr 8:15 + 14 t.; ‎אב‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Jer 35:14; Jer 35:16; Jer 35:18; Prov 6:20 ‎אנשׁים‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Isa 29:13 plural only Jer 35:18; Prov 10:8; Neh 10:33* ‎המצוה‎, the order (title of property) Jer 32:11.

2. of God:
a. singular the commandment, code of law: 2Chr 8:13; Ezra 10:3; Ps 19:9* especially of D ‎׳‎‎שׁמר המ‎ Deut 8:1; Deut 8:2 + 5 t. D; ‎׳‎‎עשׂח המ‎ Deut 6:25; Deut 15:5 ‎אשׁר צוּה‎ ‎׳‎‎(ה)מ‎) Deut 26:13; Deut 30:11; Deut 31:5 ‎׳‎‎סוּר מִן המ‎ Deut 17:20 ‎הֵפַר‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Num 15:31 (P); || ‎תּוֺרָה‎ Exod 24:12 (R^D) Josh 22:5 (D) 2Chr 14:3*; 2Chr 31:21 +‎חֻקִּים‎, ‎מִשְׁפָּטִים‎ Deut 5:28; Deut 6:1 +.
b. plural of commands of D and later codes with 2 plural (ye shall, shall not; Br^{Hex. new ed., 246 ff.}), Lev 4:2 + 5 t. P, Isa 48:18 + 25 t. (late; especially Ps 119:20 t.); ‎׳‎‎שׁמר מ‎ Exod 20:6 (R) Lev 22:31 (H) Deut 4:2 + 10 t. D, 1Kgs 14:8; 2Kgs 18:6 + 5 t.; ‎׳‎‎עשׂה מ‎ Lev 26:14 (H) + 5 t.; ‎׳‎‎שׁמע מ‎ Deut 11:13 + 4 t.; ‎אשׁר צוּה‎ ‎׳‎‎המ‎ Lev 27:34 (H); ‎׳‎‎עבר מ‎ Deut 26:13; 2Chr 24:20 ‎׳‎‎עזב מ‎ 1Kgs 18:18; 2Kgs 17:16; Ezra 9:10 ‎׳‎‎הפר מ‎ Ezra 9:14 in combinations, especially by Redactors and late writers; order various: (1) with ‎חֻקִּים‎ Exod 15:26 (R^D) Deut 4:40; Ezra 7:11 +; ‎׳‎‎ח‎ + ‎משׁפטים‎ Deut 26:17; 1Kgs 8:58; Neh 1:7; Neh 10:30* + ‎משׁפטים‎, ‎תורות‎ Neh 9:18 + ‎תורה‎ Neh 9:14 + ‎עדוֺת‎ Deut 6:17; 1Chr 29:19; 2Chr 34:31. (2) with ‎חֻקּוֺת‎ Lev 26:3 (H) Deut 6:2; Deut 10:13 + 9t.; ‎׳‎‎ח‎ + ‎משׁפטים‎ Lev 26:15; Deut 8:11; Deut 11:1; Deut 30:16; 1Kgs 6:12 + ‎תורה‎, ‎משׁפטים‎ Ps 89:32*, + ‎משׁפטים‎, ‎עֵדְוֺת‎ 1Kgs 2:3 + ‎תּוֺרוֺת‎ Gen 26:5 (R^D); +‎עדוֺת‎ 2Kgs 23:3. (3) with ‎משׁפטים‎ Num 36:13 (P) 1Chr 28:7; Neh 9:29; Dan 9:5 with ‎תורות‎ Exod 16:28 (R), with ‎ערות‎ Neh 9:34.
c. of special commands of God 1Sam 13:13; 1Kgs 13:21; 2Chr 29:25; Neh 13:5; Mal 2:1; Mal 2:4; Job 23:12.

3. commandment, singular, of code of wisdom Prov 19:16, || ‎תורה‎ Prov 6:23, || ‎דבר‎ Prov 13:13 plural of special commands Prov 2:1; Prov 3:1; Prov 4:4; Prov 7:1; Prov 7:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References