Lexical Summary dayyan: judges Original Word: דַּיָּן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance judge (Aramaic) corresp. To dayan -- judge. see HEBREW dayan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from din Definition a judge NASB Translation judges (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [דַּיָּן] noun masculine judge; — plural דַּתָּנִין Ezra 7:25. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 1782, דַּיָּן (dayyān), denotes an official “judge” or “magistrate.” While the noun appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, its single occurrence illuminates a wide biblical theology of righteous adjudication under God’s ultimate sovereignty. Usage in Ezra 7:25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people beyond the Euphrates who know the laws of your God, and you are to teach anyone who does not know them.” (Ezra 7:25) Here דַּיָּן describes the qualified leaders Ezra is commanded to install. The context emphasizes: Historical Setting Artaxerxes’ seventh-year edict (circa 458 B.C.) tasked Ezra with restoring Torah life among returning exiles. Persian policy often empowered local religion to stabilize provinces; yet Scripture presents the command as providential, aligning civil structure with divine revelation. The דַּיָּן positioned Israel’s community to function under covenant norms despite Gentile overlordship. Biblical Theology of Judging 1. Origin in God’s own character: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). Earthly judges mirror His justice. Relationship to the Torah Ezra 7:25 binds juridical authority to teaching ministry. The judge is simultaneously a custodian of Torah and a catechist. This union echoes Deuteronomy 17:9, where priests and judges deliver binding instruction, ensuring that justice is inseparable from revelation. Christological Connections While דַּיָּן never applies directly to the Messiah in the Old Testament, its concept anticipates Jesus Christ, who is “appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). He embodies perfect wisdom and executes flawless judgment, fulfilling the ideal toward which Ezra’s judges pointed. New Testament Continuity 1 Corinthians 6:2–3 teaches that the saints “will judge the world” and even “angels,” reflecting the enduring vocation of God’s people as righteous adjudicators. James 2:12 therefore exhorts believers to “speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom,” grounding moral conduct in the expectation of divine review. Implications for Church Leadership Elders and overseers must be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2) and to “manage” (1 Timothy 3:4), paralleling the dual mandate given to דַּיָּנִים. Discipline within the congregation (Matthew 18:15-20) requires both judicial clarity and redemptive instruction, echoing Ezra’s model. Application for Believers • Pursue wisdom rooted in Scripture to render fair decisions in family, church, and civic life. Conclusion Though דַּיָּן appears only once, it encapsulates a rich biblical vision: God establishes human judges to administer His just law, instruct His people, and prefigure the perfect justice realized in Christ. The term summons every believer to uphold truth, practice discernment, and live under the gracious rule of the ultimate Judge. Forms and Transliterations וְדַיָּנִ֗ין ודינין vedaiyaNin wə·ḏay·yā·nîn wəḏayyānînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 7:25 HEB: מֶ֣נִּי שָׁפְטִ֞ין וְדַיָּנִ֗ין דִּי־ לֶהֱוֹ֤ן NAS: magistrates and judges that they may judge KJV: magistrates and judges, which may judge INT: appoint magistrates and judges who become 1 Occurrence |
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