2084. zeban

Lexical Summary

zeban: To buy, purchase

Original Word: זְבַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zban
Pronunciation: zeh-BAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (zeb-an')
KJV: gain
NASB: bargaining
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to the root of H2081 (זְבִינָא - Zebina)]

1. to acquire by purchase

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

gain

(Aramaic) corresponding to the root of Zbiyna'; to acquire by purchase -- gain.

see HEBREW Zbiyna'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) a prim. root
Definition
to buy, gain
NASB Translation
bargaining (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[זְבַן] verb buy, gain (ᵑ7 id., buy, Syriac Old Aramaic, Nabataean, Palmyrene זבן (often) Lzb²⁶⁶ SAC⁴⁷, compare Assyrian zibânîtu, scales);-

Pe`al Participle active plural זָ˜בְנִין Daniel 2:8 time ye (are seeking to) gain.

Topical Lexicon

Linguistic and Cultural Background

זְבַן (2084) enters the biblical record through Imperial Aramaic—the lingua franca of commerce and diplomacy in the Babylonian and Persian courts. In cognate Semitic tongues the root regularly appears in market contexts (“to buy, to sell”), and Daniel’s Aramaic audience would immediately hear the ring of the marketplace in the king’s accusation.

Old Testament Occurrence

Daniel 2:8: Nebuchadnezzar confronts the court magicians after demanding they recount and interpret his dream: “The king replied, ‘I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my command is firm’” (Berean Standard Bible). The single biblical use is idiomatic—“to buy time”—yet the commercial imagery remains intact.

Historical Setting

The narrative lies early in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, shortly after the first deportation (circa 605 BC). Babylon’s royal advisors, steeped in omen literature and paid to divine, face immediate execution if they cannot supply the dream itself. Amid this political pressure, their attempt to “buy time” exposes their impotence, clearing the stage for Daniel’s God-revealed wisdom (Daniel 2:19–23, 27–28).

Theological Significance

1. Exposure of Human Wisdom: The counselors’ plea to “gain time” highlights the bankruptcy of pagan wisdom when confronted with true revelation (Isaiah 44:25; 1 Corinthians 1:20).
2. Sovereignty of God: Their delay tactic contrasts with the immediacy of God’s answer to Daniel, underscoring divine sovereignty over historical circumstances and human schemes (Daniel 2:21).
3. Moral Accountability: “Buying time” cannot avert judgment. Likewise, no human negotiation postpones divine reckoning (Hebrews 9:27).

Connections to Broader Biblical Themes

• Proverbs repeatedly warns against deceitful speech in the marketplace (Proverbs 11:1; 20:17). The Aramaic idiom carries that mercantile connotation of dishonest bargaining.
• The New Testament calls believers to the opposite posture: to “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5)—investing moments for God’s glory rather than deferring obedience.
• Daniel’s decisive faith prefigures Christ, who “always spoke what the Father taught” (John 8:28) and never sought to bargain away the appointed hour (John 12:27).

Practical Ministry Application

1. Integrity in Crisis: When pressured, God’s people should imitate Daniel—seek the Lord, then speak truth—rather than adopt the world’s evasive strategies.
2. Urgency of Obedience: Ministries must resist the lure of “buying time” regarding repentance, evangelism, or difficult decisions. Scripture exhorts, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
3. Stewardship of Time: Believers are called to leverage every opportunity for the gospel, turning the commercial notion of purchase from self-preservation to Kingdom investment.

Summary

Though זְבַן surfaces only once, its marketplace metaphor and dramatic setting amplify enduring lessons on honesty, dependence on divine revelation, and wise stewardship of time in service to the sovereign God.

Forms and Transliterations

זָבְנִ֑ין זבנין zā·ḇə·nîn zāḇənîn zaveNin

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:8
HEB: עִדָּנָ֖א אַנְתּ֣וּן זָבְנִ֑ין כָּל־ קֳבֵל֙
NAS: for certain that you are bargaining for time,
KJV: that ye would gain the time,
INT: time ye you are bargaining all according to

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2084
1 Occurrence

zā·ḇə·nîn — 1 Occ.