4083. medinah

Lexical Summary

medinah: province, provinces

Original Word: מְדִינָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mdiynah
Pronunciation: meh-dee-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (med-ee-naw')
NASB: province, provinces
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H4082 (מְדִינָה - provinces)]

1. province

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

province

(Aramaic) corresponding to mdiynah -- province.

see HEBREW mdiynah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to medinah
Definition
a district, province
NASB Translation
province (8), provinces (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[מְדִינָה] noun feminine (judicial) district, province (K^{§ 60, 3}) d); also Biblical Hebrew); — emphatic מְדִינְתָּא (M:§ 72 c) Ezra 5:8; Ezra 6:2; construct מְדִינַת Daniel 2:48,49; Daniel 3:1,12,30; Ezra 7:16; plural absolute מְדִנָן Ezra 4:15, emphatic מְדִינָתָא Daniel 3:2,3.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and General Sense

The term denotes an administratively defined territory, commonly rendered “province.” It conveys the idea of a governed district with a resident body of officials, a treasury, and accountability to higher imperial authority.

Distribution in Scripture

The word appears eleven times, clustered in two historical settings: post-exilic Judah under the Persian Empire (Ezra) and the Babylonian–Persian court narratives (Daniel). In Ezra the focus is Jerusalem’s place within a vast empire; in Daniel the emphasis falls on God’s sovereignty over those very provinces.

Usage in Ezra

Ezra’s references highlight imperial record keeping and taxation.
• Ezra 4:15 records an appeal to “the archives, where the records of your fathers have been preserved,” to show Jerusalem’s rebellious past. The city’s welfare is evaluated in relation to the well-being of the entire province.
• Ezra 5:8 speaks of “the province west of the Euphrates,” indicating a Persian administrative zone that included Judah. The construction of the temple was to be inspected by the king’s representatives, demonstrating how covenant restoration unfolded under foreign oversight.
• Ezra 6:2 refers to the search of archives in Ecbatana, reinforcing that local obedience to God must pass imperial scrutiny yet ultimately prevails because the decree of Cyrus aligns with divine purpose.
• Ezra 7:16 mentions “all the silver and gold that you may obtain from the whole province of Babylon,” illustrating how God channels imperial resources for His house.

Usage in Daniel

Daniel’s occurrences portray the frailty of human dominion beside the kingdom of God.
• Daniel 2:48 shows Daniel “placed… over the whole province of Babylon,” underscoring that wisdom from God elevates His servant above pagan administrators.
• Daniel 2:49 extends Daniel’s influence by appointing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego “over the affairs of the province of Babylon,” revealing covenant community presence within governmental structures.
• Daniel 3:1–3 depicts Nebuchadnezzar summoning “the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces” to the image-dedication ceremony, exposing the pressure toward idolatry exerted through political machinery.
• Daniel 3:12 contrasts faithful Jews with the provincial officials, affirming that allegiance to the Most High transcends civil expectation.
• Daniel 3:30 concludes with the deliverance of the three men and their further promotion “in the province of Babylon,” testifying that steadfast faith influences an entire administrative region.

Historical Context

After Assyria and Babylon, the Persian Empire refined its satrapal system, subdividing satrapies into provinces. Judah became “beyond the River” province, governed from Samaria. Local governance, taxation, and security were enforced by Persian officials, but the system also created pathways for Jewish leadership—exemplified by Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel—to advocate covenant priorities within imperial frameworks.

Theological Themes

1. God’s Sovereignty Over Nations: The repetitive mention of provinces stresses that global structures are subject to divine orchestration (Daniel 2:21).
2. Faithfulness in Public Office: Daniel and his companions demonstrate that covenant loyalty can coexist with responsible service in secular administration.
3. Provision Through Secular Authority: Imperial treasuries finance temple rebuilding, illustrating Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD.”
4. Mission in Diaspora: Provinces become stages for witness; the exiles impact the most powerful empire without compromising holiness.

Ministry Implications

• Christians serving within governmental or corporate hierarchies can model integrity and God-dependence, trusting that promotion or opposition alike serve larger redemptive purposes.
• Prayer for governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-2) aligns with Ezra’s experience of royal favor and Daniel’s influence over provinces.
• Church leadership may glean administrative wisdom from the provincial models—clear jurisdictions, accountability, and resource stewardship.

Prophetic and Eschatological Outlook

The rise and fall of provinces anticipates the final kingdom “that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). Earthly provinces foreshadow the universal reign of Christ, where administrative fragmentation yields to unified worship.

Related Biblical Concepts

Satrap, governor, kingdom, exile, diaspora, stewardship.

Summary

The biblical portrait of the province calls believers to recognize God’s dominion within political structures, to serve faithfully amid pluralistic governance, and to anticipate the consummate kingdom where all provinces will yield to the unrivaled rule of the Messiah.

Forms and Transliterations

בִּמְדִינַ֖ת בִּמְדִינַ֥ת במדינת וּמְדִנָ֔ן ומדנן מְדִֽינְתָּא֙ מְדִֽינָתָ֑א מְדִֽינָתָ֔א מְדִינְתָּ֖ה מְדִינַ֣ת מדינת מדינתא מדינתה bim·ḏî·naṯ bimdiNat bimḏînaṯ mə·ḏî·nā·ṯā mə·ḏî·naṯ mə·ḏî·nə·tā mə·ḏî·nə·tāh mediNat məḏînaṯ medinaTa məḏînāṯā medineTa məḏînətā medineTah məḏînətāh ū·mə·ḏi·nān umediNan ūməḏinān

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 4:15
HEB: וּֽמְהַנְזְקַ֤ת מַלְכִין֙ וּמְדִנָ֔ן וְאֶשְׁתַּדּוּר֙ עָבְדִ֣ין
NAS: to kings and provinces, and that they have incited
KJV: unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved
INT: and damaging to kings and provinces revolt may be made

Ezra 5:8
HEB: אֲזַ֜לְנָא לִיה֤וּד מְדִֽינְתָּא֙ לְבֵית֙ אֱלָהָ֣א
NAS: that we have gone to the province of Judah,
KJV: that we went into the province of Judea,
INT: have gone of Judah to the province to the house God

Ezra 6:2
HEB: דִּ֛י בְּמָדַ֥י מְדִינְתָּ֖ה מְגִלָּ֣ה חֲדָ֑ה
NAS: which is in the province of Media,
KJV: in the palace that [is] in the province of the Medes,
INT: which of Media the province A scroll a

Ezra 7:16
HEB: תְהַשְׁכַּ֔ח בְּכֹ֖ל מְדִינַ֣ת בָּבֶ֑ל עִם֩
NAS: in the whole province of Babylon,
KJV: in all the province of Babylon,
INT: find the whole province of Babylon with

Daniel 2:48
HEB: עַ֖ל כָּל־ מְדִינַ֣ת בָּבֶ֑ל וְרַב־
NAS: the whole province of Babylon
KJV: the whole province of Babylon,
INT: over the whole province of Babylon great

Daniel 2:49
HEB: עֲבִֽידְתָּא֙ דִּ֚י מְדִינַ֣ת בָּבֶ֔ל לְשַׁדְרַ֥ךְ
NAS: the administration of the province of Babylon,
KJV: the affairs of the province of Babylon:
INT: the administration forasmuch of the province of Babylon Shadrach

Daniel 3:1
HEB: בְּבִקְעַ֣ת דּוּרָ֔א בִּמְדִינַ֖ת בָּבֶֽל׃
NAS: of Dura in the province of Babylon.
KJV: of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
INT: the plain of Dura the province of Babylon

Daniel 3:2
HEB: וְכֹ֖ל שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י מְדִֽינָתָ֑א לְמֵתֵא֙ לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת
NAS: the rulers of the provinces to come
KJV: the rulers of the provinces, to come
INT: and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication

Daniel 3:3
HEB: וְכֹל֙ שִׁלְטֹנֵ֣י מְדִֽינָתָ֔א לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת צַלְמָ֔א
NAS: the rulers of the provinces were assembled
KJV: the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together
INT: and all the rulers of the provinces the dedication of the image

Daniel 3:12
HEB: עַל־ עֲבִידַת֙ מְדִינַ֣ת בָּבֶ֔ל שַׁדְרַ֥ךְ
NAS: the administration of the province of Babylon,
KJV: the affairs of the province of Babylon,
INT: over the administration of the province of Babylon Shadrach

Daniel 3:30
HEB: וַעֲבֵ֥ד נְג֖וֹ בִּמְדִינַ֥ת בָּבֶֽל׃ פ
NAS: to prosper in the province of Babylon.
KJV: and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
INT: Meshach and Abed-nego the province of Babylon

11 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4083
11 Occurrences

bim·ḏî·naṯ — 2 Occ.
mə·ḏî·naṯ — 4 Occ.
mə·ḏî·nā·ṯā — 2 Occ.
mə·ḏî·nə·tā — 1 Occ.
mə·ḏî·nə·tāh — 1 Occ.
ū·mə·ḏi·nān — 1 Occ.