תְּרֵין (te.ren)
te.ren
two
A:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew word terēn is a straightforward numerical term meaning "two." It functions primarily as a cardinal number, identifying a pair of items or people, but it also serves as an ordinal indicator for "second" and appears in compound forms to express numbers like twenty or two hundred. Despite its simplicity, this specific Aramaic form carries significant weight in the biblical text because of where it appears.
Its most notable usage occurs in Ezra 4:12, where officials write to King Artaxerxes describing the Jews as having come from Babylon to rebuild "this rebellious and wicked city." Here, terēn is part of a phrase referring to the two cities that had been rebuilding simultaneously—Jerusalem and the temple complex. The term highlights the dual nature of the reconstruction effort, which the Persian authorities viewed as a coordinated political threat rather than a religious restoration.
As an Aramaic word found in the later books of the Old Testament, terēn reflects the linguistic shift toward Imperial Aramaic during the post-exilic period. While Hebrew typically uses shnayim for "two," this Aramaic form underscores the international context of Ezra and Nehemiah, where official correspondence and historical records were conducted in the lingua franca of the empire.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Numbers in Scripture often carry more weight than we first notice. The term terēn simply means two, yet its appearance in Ezra reveals how God works through specific, counted moments in history. In the political tensions of Ezra 4, this word helps describe a dual effort that seemed like a threat to empire but was actually part of God’s preservation plan.
We see this same precise counting again in Ezra 6:17 during the temple dedication. The list includes two hundred rams alongside other sacrifices. These numbers are not random; they show order and intentionality. Even when the work stopped or faced opposition, the details mattered to God. He keeps track of the steps we take toward restoration.
This word reminds us that God values precision. Whether it is a pair of cities under scrutiny or hundreds of animals offered in worship, nothing is too small for His attention. We can trust that He sees the specific circumstances of our lives and uses them for His purposes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- two [plus]1×
- two1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּרְתֵּ֔ין1×
- תְּרֵֽי\־1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 4:24
Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
The word appears here as 'second' to mark the specific year Darius began his reign, highlighting the timeline of the halted work.
-
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.
This verse uses the term for 'two hundred' rams in the dedication offerings, showing the precise scale of the restored worship.