דִּין (din)
din
judgment
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun din refers to a legal judgment or the act of adjudicating a dispute. It encompasses the entire judicial process, from the initial plea and cause presented in court to the final verdict of condemnation or vindication. In texts like Job and Jeremiah, it often describes the tension between human conflict and divine justice, highlighting God’s role as the ultimate arbiter.
Its meaning extends beyond courtroom settings to include governance and righteous rule. Proverbs frequently links din with wisdom, suggesting that proper judgment is essential for social order. The word captures both the procedure of settling a strife and the authority of the one who decides it, reflecting a society where legal clarity was central to communal life.
This term shares its root with the Aramaic din, showing consistency across Semitic languages in denoting legal decision-making. Translators typically render it as "judgment" or "cause," depending on whether the context emphasizes the verdict or the dispute itself. Its usage in wisdom literature underscores the belief that true justice requires discernment rather than mere power.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word din points to the serious business of justice, covering everything from a legal dispute to the final verdict. In ancient Israel, this was not just about courts but about how society treated its most vulnerable members. When Proverbs links judgment with wisdom, it suggests that true understanding involves seeing things clearly and fairly, rather than relying on power or status.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that God is the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong. While human systems can fail or be corrupted, as seen in the cries of Job and Jeremiah, we can trust that justice ultimately belongs to Yahweh. This offers comfort when we feel unheard, knowing that our cause is known even if it seems hidden from human eyes.
We are invited to reflect this character by caring for those who cannot speak for themselves. Just as the righteous king in Proverbs 20:8 brings clarity to evil, we can seek to bring fairness into our own circles. This is a call to live with integrity, trusting that God sees the truth and will right what is wrong.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] cause of4×
- judgment2×
- dispute2×
- that/ a judgment1×
- from/ judgment1×
- cause/ your1×
- and/ judgment of1×
- and/ judgment1×
- and/ dispute1×
- a cause1×
- [the] case of1×
- [the] case1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- דִּ֣ין5×
- דִּ֥ין2×
- שַׁ/דּֽוּן\׃\ \ס1×
- מִ/דִּין֙1×
- לְ/דִ֗ין1×
- וָ/דִֽין\׃1×
- וְ/דִין\־1×
- דִּינֵ֖/ךְ1×
- דִּין\־1×
- דִּ֝֗ין1×
- דִּ֖ין1×
- דִ֑ין1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 20:8
A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.
This verse highlights the ideal ruler who uses clear judgment to remove evil from his realm.
-
Jeremiah 22:16
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so then it was well. Wasn’t this to know me?” says Yahweh.
Here, caring for the poor in a legal cause is directly linked to truly knowing God.
-
Job 35:14
How much less when you say you don’t see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!
Job acknowledges that even when he cannot see God, his case remains before Him.
-
Deuteronomy 17:8
If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses.
This law establishes a process for resolving difficult disputes that local leaders could not settle.