מִדָּה

tribute in money

Definition

The Hebrew word מִדָּה (middâh) refers to a specific type of tax or tribute, particularly a monetary payment imposed by a ruling authority. In its biblical usage, it denotes a regular financial obligation, such as a toll or levy, paid to a king or empire. In Ezra 4:13, it is mentioned as a form of revenue that would be withheld if Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt, harming the Persian king's treasury. The term appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the book of Ezra, where it is used interchangeably with similar terms for tax.

Biblical Usage

This word is used four times in the Old Testament, all within the Aramaic sections of the book of Ezra (Ezra 4:13, 4:20, 6:8, 7:24). It consistently describes a financial tribute or tax owed to the Persian Empire. The context involves official correspondence and decrees regarding the administration of Judah under Persian rule, highlighting the practical realities of imperial taxation on the Jewish community after the exile.

Etymology

מִדָּה (middâh) is an Aramaic loanword used in the Hebrew Bible, corresponding to the Hebrew מִדָּה (H4060), which generally means 'measure' or 'portion.' The semantic development moved from the concept of a measured portion to a measured or assessed payment, hence a tax or tribute. This reflects the administrative language of the Persian period, where Aramaic was the lingua franca of the empire.

Semantic Range

While primarily an administrative term, מִדָּה underscores the theme of God's people living under foreign dominion and the practical obligations of that existence. Its use in Ezra reminds readers that even under pagan rule, God's providence is at work, as seen in the Persian decrees that ultimately allowed for the temple's rebuilding (Ezra 6:8). It connects to broader biblical themes of stewardship, justice in taxation, and God's sovereignty over political systems.

In the cultural context of the Persian Empire, a מִדָּה was a standardized tax or toll, part of the complex revenue system that sustained the imperial administration. This differed from occasional spoils of war; it was a regular, expected financial burden on subject peoples. Understanding this term highlights the economic pressures faced by the post-exilic Jewish community as they navigated loyalty to God and obligations to their foreign overlord.

מִנְדָּה (mindâh, H4503) — A nearly identical Aramaic term for tribute, used in parallel with מִדָּה in Ezra 4:13 and 4:20. בְּלוֹ (belô, H1093) — Another Aramaic term for tax or imperial levy, often mentioned alongside מִדָּה in Ezra 4:13, 4:20, and 7:24, possibly indicating a different category of tax or offering.

Word Details

Scripture References