דִּין
judgement (the suit, justice, sentence or tribunal); by implication also strife
Definition
The Hebrew noun דִּין (dîyn) primarily means 'judgment,' but this concept unfolds in several key senses throughout the Old Testament. Most commonly, it refers to a legal verdict or the formal process of adjudication, as seen when difficult cases are brought before the priests and judges (Deuteronomy 17:8). It can also denote the specific 'cause' or legal case of an individual (Job 35:14). In a broader, more dramatic sense, דִּין extends to God's act of executing justice, often in delivering a decisive sentence for or against people and nations, as when He rises to establish judgment to save all the oppressed of the earth (Psalm 76:8-9). By implication, the contention involved in a legal dispute can lead to the meaning of 'strife' (Job 19:29).
Biblical Usage
דִּין is used in legal, wisdom, and poetic contexts. It appears in the Torah's legal instructions (Deuteronomy 17:8, 19:17), in the wisdom literature concerning divine justice and human litigation (Job 19:29, 36:17), and in the Psalms celebrating God's righteous judgments (Psalm 9:4, 140:12). It is also used in the narrative of Esther regarding royal counselors (Esther 1:13). A pattern emerges where human judgment in courts is the primary context, but the most theologically significant usage is the application of the term to God's own just rule and interventions.
Etymology
The noun דִּין derives from the root verb דִּין (H1777), meaning 'to judge,' 'to contend,' or 'to plead.' This root is part of a common Semitic word family related to governance and justice. The noun form encapsulates the results or arena of the verbal action—the judgment itself, the legal case, or the place of contest. An alternate form, דּוּן (dûn), appears in Job 19:29, showing phonetic variation.
Semantic Range
דִּין is a theologically rich term central to understanding biblical justice (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat). It reveals God not as a passive observer but as the active, righteous Judge who intervenes in human affairs to uphold the cause of the needy (Psalm 140:12). This frames salvation not merely as mercy but as a just verdict against oppression. Understanding דִּין enriches reading by showing that divine judgment is a foundational aspect of God's character and His covenant relationship with Israel and the nations.
In ancient Israelite culture, דִּין was rooted in the covenant community's life. Judgment was not a distant, abstract concept but a tangible process occurring at the city gate, involving elders, priests, and witnesses. It encompassed both civil disputes and religious adherence to Torah. This integrated view of justice differs from modern secular legal systems, as it was inherently theological—administering God's law for the community's holiness and peace.
מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, H4941) — Often a broader term for justice, ordinance, or custom; דִּין can be a specific instance or verdict within מִשְׁפָּט. רִיב (rîyv, H7379) — Emphasizes contention, strife, or a legal dispute; overlaps with the strife aspect of דִּין but is less focused on the formal judicial sentence.
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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