דְּדָנִים
𐤃𐤃𐤍𐤉𐤌
Dedanim
H1720 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The inhabitants or descendants of Dedan, a people group identified with the region or settlement called Dedan, located in northwestern Arabia. In biblical contexts, דְּדָנִים refers specifically to this ethnic and/or geographic group, often in reference to their role as traders or caravan merchants.
Semantic Range
Dedanites, people of Dedan, inhabitants of Dedan, traders or caravan merchants from Dedan
Root / Etymology
From the root דָּדָן, which is considered a proper name and thus etymology is uncertain. The name is used geographically and ethnically; דְּדָנִים (Dedanim) is the plural (collective) form indicating people originating from or associated with Dedan.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term דְּדָנִים appears in prophetic and poetic texts (e.g., Isaiah 21:13, Ezekiel 27:15, 27:20, Jeremiah 25:23), commonly referencing a people linked to trade routes connecting Arabia with Israel and surrounding regions. Their association with caravan trade and valuable goods such as precious stones, ivory, and textiles is noted in the wider ancient Near Eastern context. While English translations often render דְּדָנִים as 'Dedanites,' they sometimes confuse this group with related peoples, such as the Rodanim/Rhodians (due to textual transmission variants in Genesis 10:4/1 Chronicles 1:7), but the historical and geographical referent is to a specific northwest Arabian people or their descendants. Term usage does not denote religious, but rather ethnic or geographic identity; no evidence supports applying later religious or political identifiers (e.g., 'Jew') to this group.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural of דְּדָן (as patrial); Dedanites, the descendants or inhabitants of Dedan; Dedanim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דדן (d-d-n) — proper name (Dedan), possibly descend/be low (uncertain)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1719 | דְּדָן | and Dedan |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1720-01 |
דְּדָנִֽים | dedanim | HNgmpa |
of Dedanites | Dedanites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1720-01 |
Isaiah 21:13 | דְּדָנִֽים | dedanim | HNgmpa |
of Dedanites | Dedanites |