1780. din

Lexical Summary

din: court, judgment, just

Original Word: דִּין
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: diyn
Pronunciation: deen
Phonetic Spelling: (deen)
NASB: court, judgment, just
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H1779 (דִּין דּוּן - cause)]

1. judgement

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

judgment

(Aramaic) corresp. To duwn -- judgement.

see HEBREW duwn

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) from din
Definition
judgment
NASB Translation
court (2), judgment (2), just (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

דִּין noun masculine^{Ezra 7:26} judgement; — absolute ׳ד Daniel 4:34 = justice (of ways of God); emphatic דִּינָה מִתְעֲבֵד מִנֵּהּ Ezra 7:26 judgment be executed upon him; דִּינָא = judges, court Daniel 7:10,26 #NAME? Daniel 7:22 (reading ׳וְד יְהִב [יְתִב וְשָׁלְטָנָא], Ew Bev Kmp Dr); ᵑ0 however = judgment was given in favour of (see Dr).

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Scope

דִּין (dîn) is the Aramaic counterpart to the Hebrew concept of “judgment” or “legal decision.” In its five Old Testament occurrences it consistently refers to an authoritative decree, judicial verdict, or court proceeding carried out under God’s sovereign oversight.

Occurrences and Immediate Contexts

1. Ezra 7:26 anchors דִּין in the Persian period. Artaxerxes empowers Ezra to enforce “the law of your God and the law of the king,” warning, “Whoever does not comply … shall be swiftly punished, whether by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment”. Here דִּין describes the binding judgment that upholds covenant faithfulness within an imperial framework.
2. Daniel 4:37 records Nebuchadnezzar’s post-humbling confession that God’s “ways are just” (dîn). The Babylonian king recognizes a higher court—divine justice transcends royal authority.
3. Daniel 7:10, 22, 26 move from earthly tribunals to the heavenly throne room:
• “The court was convened, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10).
• “Judgment was rendered in favor of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:22).
• “But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:26).

Across these verses דִּין portrays an eschatological session in which God vindicates His people and terminates anti-God rule.

Historical Setting

All five texts arise in the post-exilic era, when Israel lived under foreign empires. Earthly kings (Persian and Babylonian) wielded significant legal power, yet each narrative insists that ultimate judgment rests with the “King of heaven” (Daniel 4:37). דִּין therefore functions as a bridge between imperial legal systems and the unassailable court of God.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: Whether administered through Persian edicts (Ezra) or in the heavenly council (Daniel), every דִּין originates with God.
• Eschatological Hope: Daniel 7 links judgment with the transfer of dominion to “the saints of the Most High,” prefiguring the consummation of God’s kingdom.
• Vindication of the Faithful: The term underscores God’s commitment to uphold righteousness and to deliver His people from oppressive powers.
• Moral Accountability: Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony in Daniel 4 shows that even the mightiest rulers must answer to God’s just verdicts.

Ministry Application

Pastoral teaching can draw on דִּין to assure believers of God’s unerring justice in present trials and future hope:
• Encourage trust when human courts fail; God’s court “will convene.”
• Cultivate humility in leadership, remembering Nebuchadnezzar’s lesson that “He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
• Inspire perseverance, as ultimate judgment is “rendered in favor of the saints.”

Connection to New Testament Revelation

The heavenly tribunal of Daniel 7 anticipates passages such as Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15, where the Son of Man executes final judgment. The vindication promised by דִּין finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, “appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42).

Summary

דִּין encapsulates God’s righteous verdicts in history and eternity. Whether expressed through Persian statutes, Babylonian confessions, or apocalyptic visions, every occurrence points to the same reality: the Lord of heaven convenes His court, renders just decisions, vindicates His people, and dethrones every earthly power opposed to His rule.

Forms and Transliterations

דִּ֑ין דִּינָ֕ה דִּינָ֥א דין דינא דינה וְדִינָ֖א וְדִינָ֣א ודינא dî·nā dî·nāh Din dîn diNa dînā diNah dînāh vediNa wə·ḏî·nā wəḏînā

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 7:26
HEB: מַלְכָּ֔א אָסְפַּ֕רְנָא דִּינָ֕ה לֶהֱוֵ֥א מִתְעֲבֵ֖ד
NAS: of the king, let judgment be executed
KJV: of the king, let judgment be
INT: of the king strictly judgment become be executed

Daniel 4:37
HEB: קְשֹׁ֔ט וְאֹרְחָתֵ֖הּ דִּ֑ין וְדִי֙ מַהְלְכִ֣ין
NAS: and His ways just, and He is able
KJV: and his ways judgment: and those that walk
INT: are true and his ways just who walk

Daniel 7:10
HEB: קָֽדָמ֣וֹהִי יְקוּמ֑וּן דִּינָ֥א יְתִ֖ב וְסִפְרִ֥ין
NAS: before Him; The court sat,
KJV: before him: the judgment was set,
INT: before were standing the court sat and the books

Daniel 7:22
HEB: עַתִּיק֙ יֽוֹמַיָּ֔א וְדִינָ֣א יְהִ֔ב לְקַדִּישֵׁ֖י
NAS: came and judgment was passed
KJV: came, and judgment was given
INT: the Ancient of Days and judgment was passed of the saints

Daniel 7:26
HEB: וְדִינָ֖א יִתִּ֑ב וְשָׁלְטָנֵ֣הּ
NAS: But the court will sit
KJV: But the judgment shall sit,
INT: the court will sit and his dominion

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1780
5 Occurrences

dîn — 1 Occ.
dî·nā — 1 Occ.
dî·nāh — 1 Occ.
wə·ḏî·nā — 2 Occ.