JUDGE, noun [Latin judex, supposed to be compounded of jus, law or right, and dico, to pronounce.]

1. A civil officer who is invested with authority to hear and determine causes, civil or criminal, between parties, according to his commission; as the judges of the king's bench, or of the common pleas; judges of the supreme court, of district courts, or of a county court. The judge of a court of equity is called a chancellor.

2. The Supreme Being.

Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:25.

3. One who presides in a court of judicature.

4. One who has skill to decide on the merits of a question, or on the value of any thing; one who can discern truth and propriety.

A man who is no judge of law, may be a good judge of poetry or eloquence, or of the merits of a painting.

5. In the history of Israel, a chief magistrate, with civil and military powers. The Israelites were governed by judges more than three hundred years, and the history of their transactions is called the book of Judges.

6. A juryman or juror. In criminal suits, the jurors are judges of the law as well as of the fact.

JUDGE, verb intransitive [Latin judico.]

1. To compare facts or ideas, and perceive their agreement or disagreement, and thus to distinguish truth from falsehood.

JUDGE not according to the appearance John 7:24.

2. To form an opinion; to bring to issue the reasoning or deliberations of the mind.

If I did not know the originals, I should not be able to judge by the copies, which was Virgil and which Ovid.

3. To hear and determine, as in causes on trial; to pass sentence. He was present on the bench, but could not judge in the case.

The Lord judge between thee and me. Genesis 16:5.

4. To discern; to distinguish; to consider accurately for the purpose of forming an opinion or conclusion.

JUDGE in yourselves; is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 1 Corinthians 11:13.

JUDGE, verb transitive To hear and determine a case; to examine and decide.

Chaos shall judge the strife.

1. To try; to examine and pass sentence on.

Take ye him and judge him according to your law.

John 18.

God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. Ecclesiastes 3:17.

2. Rightly to understand and discern.

He that is spiritual, judgeth all things. 1 Corinthians 2:15.

3. To censure rashly; to pass severe sentence.

JUDGE not, that ye be not judged. Matthew 7:1.

4. To esteem; to think; to reckon.

If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord--

Acts 16:15.

5. To rule or govern.

The Lord shall judge his people. Hebrews 10:30.

6. To doom to punishment; to punish.

I will judge thee according to thy ways. Ezekiel 7:3.