דִּכְרוֹן
a register
Definition
Dikrôwn refers to an official written record or register, specifically a document kept for legal or administrative purposes. In the Old Testament, it consistently denotes a formal memorandum or archive consulted by Persian authorities. In Ezra 4:15, it is the 'record' or 'book of the chronicles' of Jerusalem's past rebellions, cited to warn King Artaxerxes. In Ezra 6:2, it is the 'record' where King Darius's search locates the original decree authorizing the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. The word emphasizes the permanence and authority of written documentation in governance.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only in the Aramaic portions of the book of Ezra, both times in the context of Persian imperial archives. It is used when officials reference or search official state records to support legal or political decisions. In Ezra 4:15, adversaries of the Jews cite the 'record' to argue against rebuilding Jerusalem. In Ezra 6:2, a search of the 'record' in the royal treasury confirms Cyrus's earlier decree, ultimately favoring the Jewish cause. The usage highlights the role of bureaucracy in the Persian Empire.
Etymology
Derived from Aramaic (דִּכְרוֹן or דׇּכְרָן), it corresponds to the Hebrew word זִכְרוֹן (zikrôwn, H2146), meaning 'remembrance' or 'memorial.' Both come from the root meaning 'to remember.' In Aramaic, the term developed a more specific, administrative sense of a written record meant to preserve memory officially, as seen in its Persian context.
Semantic Range
While not a core theological term, dikrôwn illustrates God's sovereignty working through human systems of record-keeping and law. The discovery of the decree in Ezra 6:2, a seemingly mundane administrative act, directly enables the fulfillment of God's promise to restore the temple. It shows how divine providence can operate through official documents and foreign governments to accomplish His purposes for His people.
In the Persian Empire (c. 5th century BC), meticulous record-keeping was a hallmark of administration. Royal decrees, chronicles, and financial records were stored in central archives, like the one at Ecbatana mentioned in Ezra 6:2. A 'dikrôwn' was not a casual note but an authoritative state document. This contrasts with a modern understanding of a 'record' as any written account, lacking the specific connotation of imperial legal authority.
זִכְרוֹן (zikrôwn, H2146) — The Hebrew counterpart, often with a broader sense of 'remembrance' or 'memorial,' not limited to an official document. סֵפֶר (sēpher, H5612) — A more general term for 'book' or 'document.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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