מִנְיָן (min.yan)
min.yan
number
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun minyan means simply “number.” It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezra 6:17, where it counts the animals offered by the returned exiles. The form is related to a root meaning time or appointed season, suggesting that counting was originally tied to marking specific moments rather than abstract quantities.
Its single occurrence highlights a practical detail of worship: the precise enumeration of bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering. By specifying the exact number, the text emphasizes order and obedience in restoring temple rituals after the Babylonian exile. The word itself carries no theological weight beyond its literal sense of a counted total.
Translators render it as “number” without variation, reflecting its straightforward usage. Unlike Hebrew terms for counting that might imply estimation or division, this Aramaic form denotes a fixed, known quantity. Its rarity makes it a linguistic curiosity rather than a doctrinal key, serving only to record the specific scale of the sacrifice.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word minyan appears only once in Scripture, found in Ezra 6:17. It simply means number. The text uses it to list the animals offered by the returned exiles for the dedication of the temple. This was not a random count but a precise enumeration required for the burnt offering and sin offerings.
While the word itself is just a technical term, its presence reminds us that God cares about order in worship. The people did not guess at the quantity; they followed the specific instructions given to them. This attention to detail shows their desire to restore proper rituals after years of exile.
For your faith, this small detail highlights how God values obedience in practical matters. Whether you are leading a large group or managing small tasks, doing things with care and accuracy honors Him. It is a quiet reminder that our service to God can include both spiritual devotion and careful attention to the details He has set before us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ [the] number of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מִנְיָ֖ן1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 6:17
They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
The word minyan specifies that the twelve male goats for sin offerings corresponded exactly to the number of Israel's tribes, linking the sacrifice to the entire community.