H1779 H1779
A legal case, lawsuit, or plea before a judge; a judicial verdict, sentence, or act of judgment
This Hebrew noun sits at the heart of Israel's legal vocabulary. In its primary sense, dîn refers to the cause or case brought before a tribunal—'between plea and plea' (Deut 17:8). Jeremiah charges the wicked with failing to 'plead the cause' (dîn) of the orphan (Jer 5:28), while Proverbs 31:8 calls the king to 'open your mouth for the cause of all the unfortunate.' The Spanish 'causa' and French 'cause' mirror this legal-case meaning directly. In its secondary sense, dîn denotes the judgment itself—the verdict rendered or condemnation pronounced. Job wrestles with both dimensions: his cause lies before God (Job 35:14), yet he fears the 'judgment of the wicked' (Job 36:17). The German 'Gericht' elegantly covers both case and court.
Senses
1. legal cause, lawsuit, plea — A legal cause, case, or plea brought before a judge for adjudication. Deuteronomy 17:8 uses it for distinguishing 'between case and case' in the courts. Jeremiah indicts Israel's leaders for neglecting the dîn of the fatherless (Jer 5:28; 22:16), and the psalmist trusts God to 'maintain my cause' (Ps 9:4; 140:12). The Spanish 'causa' and French 'cause' directly render this forensic sense of a matter under judicial consideration. Covers 14 of 21 occurrences. 14×
AR["الخِصامُ", "حُكْمَ", "حُكْمَ-", "حُكْمِ", "دَعوى", "دَعْوَى", "دَيْنَ", "قَضِيَّتَكِ", "مِنَ-الدَّعْوَى", "وَ-دَعْوَايَ", "وَ-دَعْوَى"]·ben["এবং-আমার-মোকদ্দমাকে", "বিচার", "বিচার-", "বিচার-থেকে", "বিবাদ", "বিবাদের-মধ্যে", "মামলা-তোমার"]·DE["Gericht", "Midian", "Rechtsspruch", "justice-of", "plea", "und-mein-Sache", "zu-plea"]·EN["and-my-cause", "case", "case-of", "cause-of", "cause-of-", "from-judgment", "justice-of", "plea", "quarrel", "the-case", "the-cause-of", "to-plea", "your-cause"]·FR["Madian", "cause", "et-cause", "jugement", "plea", "à-plea"]·heb["דין", "דינך", "ו-דיני", "ל-דין", "מ-דין"]·HI["और-मेरा-मुकदमा", "को-मुकदमा", "तेरे-मुकदमे", "न्याय", "न्याय-से", "मुकदमा", "मुकदमा-", "मुकद्दमा", "मुक़दमा", "विवाद"]·ID["Perkara", "dan-perkara-ku", "dan-tuntutan", "dari-pengadilan", "keadilan", "perkara", "perkara-", "perkaramu", "pertengkaran", "tuntutan"]·IT["a-plea", "causa", "e-causa", "plea"]·jav["kaliyan-perkawis", "pangadilan", "pasulayan", "perkawis", "perkawis-ipun", "perkawis-panjenengan", "prakawis", "prakawis-saking", "saha-prekawis-kula", "saking-pangadilan"]·KO["그리고-송사-를", "네-소송을", "다툼과", "소송", "소송-에서", "소송-을", "소송을", "소송이", "송사", "에-송사", "의-송사를-"]·PT["Causa", "a-causa", "causa", "causa-de", "causa-de-", "de-justiça", "e-a-minha-causa", "justiça-de", "justiça-para", "juízo", "litígio", "tua-causa"]·RU["-к-тяжбе", "дело", "дело-твоё", "и-дело-мое", "от-суда", "суд", "суд-", "судом-", "суду", "тяжбой"]·ES["a-causa", "causa", "causa-de", "causa-del", "del-juicio", "juicio", "juicio-de", "pleito", "tu-causa", "y-mi-causa"]·SW["haki-ya", "kesi", "kesi-yako", "kutoka-haki", "mashindano", "na-haki-yangu", "na-kesi", "shauri", "shauri-la-"]·TR["-den-davadan", "dava", "davanı-senin", "davası", "davasını", "davasını-", "davayı", "hakkını", "ile-dava", "ve-davamı"]·urd["انصاف-سے", "اور-مقدمے-کے", "اور-میرا-مقدمہ", "حق", "حق-کو", "عدالت", "مقدمہ", "مقدمہ-", "مقدمہ-تیرا", "مقدمے"]
2. judgment, verdict — The judicial verdict, sentence, or act of condemnation that results from deliberation. In Esther 1:13, the king consults those 'who knew law and judgment' (dîn). Job reflects on the 'judgment and justice' that have seized him (Job 36:17) and fears that 'judgment is before' the wicked (Job 19:29). The German 'Gericht' and French 'jugement' capture this resultative sense—not the case itself, but the ruling rendered upon it. Covers 7 occurrences, concentrated in wisdom literature. 7×
AR["الْحُكْمَ", "دَينونَةٌ", "دَيْنُونَةً", "دَيْنُونَةٍ", "وَ-حُكْمًا", "وَ-دَينونَةَ"]·ben["(শাস্তি)", "[শাস্তি]", "আর-ন্যায়-বিচার", "ও-বিচার", "ন্যায়-বিচার", "বিচার", "বিচারের"]·DE["Gericht", "und-Gericht"]·EN["[there-is-judgment]", "and-judgment", "and-the-judgment-of-", "judgment", "there-is-judgment"]·FR["[ודין]", "cause", "et-jugement", "jugement"]·heb["דין", "ו-דין", "שדון", "שדין"]·HI["और-न्याय", "दीन", "न्याय", "न्याय-के"]·ID["Dan-penghakiman-", "K", "dan-keadilan", "penghakiman"]·IT["[ודין]", "causa", "e-causa"]·jav["(pangadilan)", "Lan-pangadilan-ipun", "[kiyamat]", "lan-pangadilan", "pangadilan"]·KO["(심판을)", "[심판을]", "그리고-심판이", "그리고-재판을", "심판-을", "심판과", "재판-의"]·PT["E-julgamento-de-", "[julgamento]", "e-juízo", "julgamento", "o-juízo"]·RU["и-суд", "и-суд-", "суд", "суда"]·ES["Y-juicio-de-", "juicio", "juicio.", "que-hay", "y-juicio"]·SW["[hukumu]", "hukumu", "na-hukumu", "na-hukumu-ya"]·TR["Ve-yargısını-", "[yargı]", "ve-hukuku", "yargı", "yargıyı"]·urd["اور-انصاف", "اور-فیصلہ", "عدالت", "عدالت-کے", "فیصلہ"]
Related Senses
H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H4941 3. ordinances, statutes (plural) (110×)H8199 1. to judge, adjudicate (98×)G2919 1. judge, pass judgment (76×)H8199 2. judge (person, office-holder) (61×)G2920 1. judgment / condemnation (48×)H7378 1. Qal: quarrel, contend, strive (42×)H4941 4. prescribed ordinance, regulation (34×)G1832 1. it is lawful, it is permitted (32×)G2917 1. judgment, condemnation (27×)G2919 2. be judged, stand trial (27×)H5360 1. vengeance, retribution (27×)H7378 2. Qal: plead, defend, litigate (22×)G2723 1. accuse, bring charges against (20×)G2923 1. judge (one who judges/decides) (19×)G2632 1. condemn, pass judgment against (18×)H1777 1. judge, adjudicate (18×)H1576 1. recompense, retribution (17×)H5359 1. vengeance, retribution (17×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דִּין n.[m.] judgment—Dt 17:8 + 16 times; sf. דִּינִי ψ 9:5, דִּינֵךְ Je 30:13;— 1. כסא דין throne of judgment Pr 20:8; משׁמים השׁמעת דין from heaven thou didst cause judgment to be heard ψ 76:9. 2. cause, plea, בין דין לדין between plea and plea Dt 17:8; דין דין plead a cause Je 5:28; 22:16; 30:13; עשׂה דין maintain the cause ψ 9:5; 140:13; ידע דין consider the cause Pr 29:7; דין לפניו the…