What is the difference between laws, commands, commandments, decrees, and statutes?

There are many analogies between the words of David to his son and those of the Lord to Joshua (Joshua 1). The king must first of all "be of good courage and be a man." Obedience to the Lord and dependence upon Him are the proofs of this strength which is to be used to "walk in his ways." The walk itself is directed by the Word of God, as we see here and in Psalm 119. The Word has different characteristics and it is necessary to pay attention to all of them. Here it is said: "To keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies; (v. 3). Such is the whole of the Word. His statutes are the things He has established and to which His authority is attached; His commandments, the expression of His will to which we are obliged to submit ourselves; His ordinances (or judgments), the principles He conveys and according to which He acts; and finally, His testimonies are the thoughts He has communicated to us and which faith must receive. All this constituted "the law of Moses" for the Israelite and was to be the divine standard for the walk of the faithful. A life ordered in this manner must prosper in whatever aspect one might consider it: "That thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself." This was to have been the secret of the reign of Solomon and his successors. With these principles there would not ever have failed him "a man on the throne of Israel. "

It will be noticed that the law, or revelation of God, is referred to under ten different terms having distinct meanings, apparently, as follows: Law (torah) occurs twenty-five times — the law of Moses as a whole. Commandments (mitsrah), occurs twenty-two times — the ten moral laws. Testimonies (edal or eduth), used twenty-three times — the law as bearing witness to God. Precepts (piqqudion), used twenty-one times — the law as a charge upon man. Statute (choq), used on twenty-two occasions — the permanent written law in contrast to a customary law. Judgments (mishpat), used twenty times — that which is ordained by authority. Way (orah), occurs five times — an ordinary path (vv. 9, 15, 101, 104, 128). Way (derek), used thirteen times — a trodden path. Word (dabar, or 'logos'), used twenty-three times — the matter or substance of what is said. Word (imrah), used nineteen times — the actual saying or speech (vv. 11, 38, 41, 50, 58, 67, 76, 82, 103, 116, 123, 133, 140, 148, 154, 158, 162, 170, 172).

With the help of a good concordance I find that there are 8 words that the Psalmist uses - each approx the same number of times (around 20, just over 20) and a ninth that is used occasionally. Sometimes they appear in our translations in the singular and sometimes plural: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments and 2 totally different words that are both translated as 'word' in the King James Version - several other translations give one of these as 'word' or 'words' and the other as 'promises'. Finally, he occasionally uses the word 'ways'.

Let me very briefly just give some passing comments about these terms used to describe God's word. The use of the term 'word' shows us the amazing truth that God has spoken; God's word - God has spoken. The term translated as 'law' is the Hebrew word Torah, also meaning 'teaching' - it is what God has taught and we therefore need to learn. 'Judgments' are decisions which God has made, the term translated 'statutes' comes from the word for engraving, implying that these are unchangeable words. 'Precepts' are authoritatively imposed, and 'commandments' require obedience. To me the term 'testimonies' indicates that God's word is a testimony or witness to God; and the use of the word for 'promises' reminds us that God's word isn't just instruction but God makes many wonderful promises too.

Now, although different terms are used, each with its own emphasis, I will not be stressing that but taking each as telling us about God's word in general.

Several words are used, each meaning the law, but viewed from different standpoints. (1) Law (Torah)—direction, teaching. (2) Testimony (Eduth)—witness, testimony. (3) Precept (Piqqudim)—charges. (4) Statute (Choq)—decreed limit. (5) Commandment (Mitvah)—precept. (6) Word (Dabar)—word, matter, thing. (7) Judgment (Misphat)—judgment. (8) Way (Derek)—trodden path.

These words are by no means interchangeable; no two of them mean quite the same. Each has its own significance. This should at once be recognized by all who believe that the very words of Scripture are what they are affirmed to be in Psalm 14:6; "pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times," that is, entirely free from any admixture of human dross. There is a design in the selection and use of the very words of the Scriptures.

There is first of all complete submission. Remember that a “commandment” is a divine imperative decree: it is an order. Whether to Adam or to Noah, they had to submit. Adam did not, but Noah did submit. Are we willing to submit our will to His will? This submission is not imposed upon us, we are not forced to submit to our Lord Jesus! That would be servile. No, it is because we love Him that we willingly and gladly submit to Him.

The verse continues: “ … to keep thy precepts diligently”. There is nothing superficial about this submission! It is not a partial submission, but complete. There is no reserve, no holding back part, no hesitation, but a glad and whole-hearted surrender.

Verse 4: PIK-KOO-DEEM = Precepts (or Commandments). It occurs 21 times in verses 4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168 and 173 (always in the plural). It means a charge given to us by God for which we are responsible, “to place in trust”, or “to take oversight”.

Verse 5: CHUQQIM = Statute. This is sometimes translated a “portion” (as for the priests in Genesis 47:22) and on one occasion “task” (Exodus 5:14). The word occurs 22 times in verses 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 26, 33, 48, 54, 64, 68, 71, 80, 83, 112, 117, 118, 124, 135, 145, 155 and 171. It comes from the root to cut into, to hack, and hence to engrave, to carve. See Job 13:27 that might be translated “around the roots of my feet hast Thou dug up (the ground)”, or “hast made a trench, so that I cannot go on”, i.e. “hast stopped up my way”. Thou hast marked out to my feet how far they shall go. It has the idea of that which is established, or definite; an appointed portion of food, or task; a definite limit, as in Job 26:10, Proverbs 8:29; an appointed law, statute or ordinance. It is therefore a divine direction for my obedience, or to arrest disobedience. It stimulates obedience. It is the Law as a permanent record of God's will.

Verse 6: MITZ-VAH = Commandments (plural). It occurs 22 times. See verses 6, 10, 19, 21, 32, 35, 47, 48, 60, 66, 73, 86, 96, 98, 115, 127, 131, 143, 151, 166, 172 and 176. It comes from the root to command and has the idea of prohibit too. It is a divine imperative decree. Examples of this are that God forbade Adam from eating of the tree and told Noah to build the ark. It is a command imposed by God's absolute authority. It shows us the requirement of His will.

And here I must distinguish between law and the law, not as men do between an essential law and the decalogue, but between its principle and its enactments. Law is practically the principle of requiring from one, subject to the lawgiver, a certain line of conduct which he imposes by authority. So that we have the two principles: requirement, which may take the form of prohibition; and authority. There may be a sanction withal, a motive acting on fears or hopes, as is usual in laws applied to men's conduct. This modifies the character, but hardly enters, I think, into its essence; still it does characterize law as we have to say to it. Adam was under a law: something was prohibited by authority. Men were living without law then till Moses, and Israel was put under law at Sinai — positive requirement by authority. Now this clearly goes on the principle of the responsibility of Adam or his children, men in the flesh. There was no giving of life. Life might be kept or had by fulfilment, it was not given. We have, as to what is required, three cases of law. The law given to Adam was a simple test of obedience. It implied no sin, no lust; but authority and obedience. But if man is put on the ground of responsibility as to right and wrong, I must expect a perfect rule to be given to him, and so there was; but it must not go beyond the duty of the being in the position in which he stood, or it would not be a test of his responsibility. The law given to Adam was perfect in this way. It was a simple test of obedience — perhaps I might add, of confidence.

[*I am aware that this great transaction between Jehovah and Israel consists of two parts, which for many purposes are to he considered distinct. The first part consists of the publication of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17), commonly called the moral law. The second part is the enactment of the statutes of the nation. (Ex. 21 — 23.) For many purposes these are to be treated as distinct, but they are commonly in scripture, I believe, considered as together constituting Jehovah's covenant with Israel from Mount Sinai, and which proved in the end a furnace to them. For both the commandments and the statutes alike called for obedience, and put Israel under works of law, which obedience they had themselves pledged, and which law they had voluntarily adopted (Ex. 19:8; Ex. 24:3, 7), and for breach and despite of which they are even to this day suffering the judgment of the fiery mount. The people were still standing in the presence of that mount, while the statutes of the kingdom, as well as the Ten Commandments, were delivered. (Ex. 24:17.)]

Verses 1-17 of Exodus 20 put on record the ten commandments which specially summarized the demands made by the holy law of God. The next chapter opens with the "judgments," which were to be set before them. If we turn to Malachi 4:4, we find both "statutes" and "judgments" mentioned as well as the "law." The three words evidently cover all the legislation that reached Israel through Moses, and as we begin to consider the legislation we shall do well to note that in the days of Malachi, nearly a thousand years after it was first given, it was still as binding as at the beginning. It was for "all Israel," and valid all through that dispensation. What God originates at the beginning of any dispensation stands good, and He never swerves from it however much His people may do so.