דִּכֵּן
𐤃𐤊𐤍
dikkên
H1797 pronoun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this', 'that', or 'the same', primarily used to highlight or identify a specific person, object, or matter within a given context. In some contexts, it denotes emphasis or specification ('this very one'). Most occurrences are in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, functioning similarly to the Hebrew zeh.
Semantic Range
this, that, the same, this very, this one, the aforementioned, that one
Root / Etymology
From the Aramaic root דך (dekh), a demonstrative pronoun, with the addition of the suffix -ן (-en) to give prominence or emphasis. The form is characteristic of Imperial Aramaic and its dialectal developments. The Hebrew root is uncertain, but it parallels the Hebrew demonstrative זה (zeh, 'this').
Historical & Contextual Notes
דִּכֵּן appears only in sections of the Hebrew Bible written in Aramaic, such as Daniel and Ezra, and is representative of standard Aramaic demonstrative pronoun forms of the late Persian period. Its use is purely pronominal or adjectival, never verbal, often introducing or specifying a noun. English translations often render it as 'this', 'that', or 'the same', but it may have a more emphatic sense than the generic demonstrative, especially when contrasted with דֵּךְ (dekh, 'that') or when accompanied by additional deictic markers. Later translations and traditions sometimes use the word 'the same' to capture its precise function. Its usage does not carry theological or religious connotation and reflects the spoken Aramaic of the administrative and literary elite during the Second Temple period in Yehud and the wider Persian Empire.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) prolonged from דֵּךְ; this; same, that, this.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דך (d-k) — point out, indicate, show
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1791 | דֵּךְ | this one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1797-01 |
דִּכֵּ֥ן | diken | APdxbs |
that | this very one | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1797-01 |
Daniel 2:31 | דִּכֵּ֥ן | diken | APdxbs |
that | this very one |
H1797-01 |
Daniel 7:20 | דִכֵּ֜ן | diken | APdxcs |
that | this very one |
H1797-01 |
Daniel 7:21 | דִכֵּ֔ן | diken | APdxcs |
that | this very one |