H2165 H2165
Appointed time, season; a late Hebrew term for a fixed or designated period, borrowed from Persian.
A late biblical Hebrew noun meaning 'appointed time' or 'season,' appearing in post-exilic books that show Persian cultural influence. In Neh 2:6, Nehemiah sets a 'time' for his return to the king — a specific, agreed-upon date. Ecclesiastes 3:1 famously declares that there is a 'time' for everything under heaven, using this word for the appointed season. In Esther 9:27, 31, it refers to the fixed times of Purim observance. Arabic 'zaman' and Ethiopic 'zemen' are cognates, and the word likely entered Hebrew through Old Persian, reflecting the administrative vocabulary of the exile.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An appointed or designated time — a fixed period set by arrangement or divine ordering. Nehemiah uses it for the deadline he negotiated with King Artaxerxes (Neh 2:6). Ecclesiastes 3:1 employs it for the divinely appointed 'season' for every human activity. Esther 9:27, 31 fixes the annual 'times' for celebrating Purim. The Arabic cognate 'zaman' and the Aramaic 'zeman' confirm the broad Semitic range, while the likely Old Persian origin reflects post-exilic linguistic borrowing. Spanish 'tiempo' and French translations preserve the straightforward temporal sense. 4×
AR["زَمَانًا", "شَيْءٍ", "فِي‒أَوْقَاتِهَا", "وَ‒كَ‒وَقْتِهِمَا"]·ben["ও-তাদের-সময়-অনুসারে", "তাদের-সময়ে", "সময়"]·DE["[בזמניהם]", "[וכזמנם]", "[זמן]"]·EN["and-according-to-their-time", "at-their-times", "time"]·FR["[בזמניהם]", "[וכזמנם]", "[זמן]", "temps"]·heb["ב-זמניהם-ם", "ו-כ-זמנם-ם", "זמן"]·HI["उनके निर्धारित समयों पर", "और-निर्धारित समय-के अनुसार", "समय"]·ID["ada-musim", "dan-menurut-waktunya", "pada-waktu-waktu-mereka", "waktu"]·IT["[בזמניהם]", "[וכזמנם]", "[זמן]", "tempo"]·jav["ing-wekdalipun", "lan-miturut-wekdalipun", "wekdal"]·KO["그리고-대로-그것들의-때에", "때", "시간을", "에-그것들의-때들에"]·PT["e-conforme-tempo-seu", "há-tempo", "nos-tempos-seus", "tempo"]·RU["в-сроки-их", "время,", "и-по-сроку-их", "срок"]·ES["en-sus-tiempos", "tiempo", "y-conforme-a-su-tiempo"]·SW["katika-nyakati-zao", "mwaka", "wakati", "wakati-uliowekwa"]·TR["ve-zamanlarına-göre-", "zaman", "zamanlarında"]·urd["ان-کے-وقتوں-میں", "اور-ان-کے-وقت-کے-مطابق", "وقت"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זְמָ֑ן n.m. (late) appointed time, time (Arabic زَمَنٌ, Ethiopic ዘመን: Biblical Aramaic 𝔗 זְמַן, but Syriac ܙܰܒܢܳܐ, Mand. זיבנא, Mand. זבאן, v. NöM 152; on OPers. origin v. Biblical Aramaic Sam. ࠆࠁࠍ, Palm. זבנא, cf. ReckendorfZMG 1888, 394)—sg. זְמָ֑ן Ne 2:6 Ec 3:1; sf. וְכִזְמַנָּ֑ם Est 9:27, בִּזְמַנֵּיהֶם v 31 (on Dagh. cf. Ges§ 20. 2. c).