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מְדִינָה

𐤌𐤃𐤉𐤍𐤄

mᵉdîynâh

H4082 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דין to judge, administer, govern

Definition

A specific administrative district or province; a defined territory governed as a unit within a larger realm, typically with local authorities, often appointed by or subordinate to a higher power. The term denotes a geographical and political-administrative unit, especially in the context of imperial administration. In post-exilic contexts, it refers to provinces of the Persian Empire, including Yehud (Judah), within the imperial hierarchy.

Semantic Range

province, administrative district, imperial subdivision, jurisdictional territory, governed region

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root דִּין (din), meaning 'to judge, administer, govern.' The noun מְדִינָה is formed with the mem prefix and commonly denotes 'place of governance/judgment,' thus shifting from the notion of 'judging' to 'a governed territory' or 'province.' The root sense involves processes of judgment/administration, but the derived noun refers specifically to the administrative unit itself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In earlier biblical Hebrew, the term מְדִינָה is rare or absent; it is prominent in post-exilic books (e.g., Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel), which reflect the language and administrative structure of the Persian period. The meaning is shaped by the imperial context—Persian mādīnā—indicating a province within the broader administration of the empire, often led by a governor (פֶּחָה pechah) or other official. The term stands in contrast to other regional terms such as חֵבֶל (territorial tract), תְּחוּם (border, boundary), and שָׁפָה ('district,' in some contexts), which may emphasize different aspects (e.g., geographical, tribal, or border meanings). By the Persian period, מְדִינָה is used to describe Yehud (Judah) as an official province, and likewise other territories under Persian rule. Later usage of 'province' in English translations often imports modern or European administrative categories, which do not fully capture the nuances of the ancient Near Eastern system. English translations at times obscure the imperial context; the term does not denote ethnic or tribal territory but an administrative district under larger imperial control. In Septuagint Greek, the term is typically rendered νομός (nomos) or ἐπαρχία (eparchia), both of which emphasize the administrative division in the context of Hellenistic or Roman governance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דִּין; properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region; ([idiom] every) province.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דין (d-y-n) — to judge, administer, govern

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1777 דִּין Judge
H1778 דִּין those who judge
H1779 דִּין legal judgment
H1780 דִּין legal judgment
H1781 דַּיָּן to a judicial official

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4082-07 מְדִינָֽה medinah HNcfsa province governed province 13
H4082-08 מְדִינ֖וֹת medinot HNcfpc provinces governed provinces of 11
H4082-10 וּ/מְדִינָה֙ umedinah HC/Ncfsa and province and governed province 10
H4082-05 הַ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa the provinces the governed provinces 8
H4082-04 הַ/מְּדִינָ֑ה hamedinah HTd/Ncfsa the province the governed province 4
H4082-01 בַּ/מְּדִינָ֔ה bamedinah HRd/Ncfsa in the province in the province 1
H4082-06 לַ/מְּדִינוֹת֙ lamedinot HRd/Ncfpa to the provinces to the governed provinces 1
H4082-12 וְ/הַ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת vehamedinot HC/Td/Ncfpa and the governed provinces 1
H4082-11 בַ/מְּדִינָ֔ה vamedinah HRd/Ncfsa in the province 1
H4082-03 בִּ/מְדִינ֨וֹת bimedinot HR/Ncfpc in-provinces in provinces of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

53 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4082-05 1 Kings 20:14 הַ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa of the provinces the governed provinces
H4082-05 1 Kings 20:15 הַ/מְּדִינ֔וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa the provinces the governed provinces
H4082-05 1 Kings 20:17 הַ/מְּדִינ֖וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa the provinces the governed provinces
H4082-05 1 Kings 20:19 הַ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa the provinces the governed provinces
H4082-09 Ezekiel 19:8 מִ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת mimedinot HR/Ncfpa from their provinces from governed provinces
H4082-02 Lamentations 1:1 בַּ/מְּדִינ֔וֹת bamedinot HRd/Ncfpa in the provinces in the administrative provinces
H4082-12 Ecclesiastes 2:8 וְ/הַ/מְּדִינ֑וֹת vehamedinot HC/Td/Ncfpa and the governed provinces
H4082-11 Ecclesiastes 5:7 בַ/מְּדִינָ֔ה vamedinah HRd/Ncfsa in the province
H4082-07 Esther 1:1 מְדִינָֽה medinah HNcfsa provinces governed province
H4082-05 Esther 1:3 הַ/מְּדִינ֖וֹת hamedinot HTd/Ncfpa of the provinces the governed provinces
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