H4083 H4083
Province, district — an administrative region under imperial governance, especially in Persian and Babylonian contexts
The noun מְדִינָה (medinah) designates an administrative province or jurisdictional district within a larger empire. It appears exclusively in post-exilic and exilic literature, reflecting the political realities of Babylonian and Persian governance. In Ezra, it names the province 'Beyond the River' (Ezra 4:15; 5:8; 6:2; 7:16), the satrapy encompassing Judah and its neighbors. Daniel uses it for the province of Babylon over which Daniel is appointed chief (Dan 2:48-49) and the plain of Dura within that province where Nebuchadnezzar erects his golden image (Dan 3:1-3, 12, 30). The word carries an inherently bureaucratic tone — it names territory as an object of administration, taxation, and royal appointment. Spanish 'provincia' and French 'province' map directly.
Senses
1. province, district, administrative region — An administrative province or governed district within a major empire, particularly the Babylonian and Persian systems. In Ezra, the province 'Beyond the River' is the satrapal region encompassing Judah, referenced in correspondence about the temple's rebuilding (Ezra 4:15; 5:8; 6:2; 7:16). In Daniel, it designates the province of Babylon itself, over which Daniel receives authority (Dan 2:48-49), and the setting of the golden image decree (Dan 3:1-3, 12, 30). The word always implies centralized imperial governance with appointed officials. Spanish 'provincia' and Aramaic cognate מְדִינְתָּא reinforce the administrative register. 11×
AR["الوِلايَة", "الْوِلاَيَاتِ", "فِي-وِلاَيَةِ", "لِ-وِلَايَةِ", "وَ-بِ-الْبُلْدَانِ", "وِلايَة", "وِلاَيَةِ", "وِلَايَةِ"]·ben["-প্রদেশে", "আর-প্রদেশগুলির", "প্রদেশগুলোর", "প্রদেশে", "প্রদেশের"]·DE["[במדינת]", "[ומדנן]", "[מדינת]", "[מדינתא]", "[מדינתה]"]·EN["and-provinces", "in-province-of", "province", "province-of", "the-province", "the-province-of", "the-provinces"]·FR["[במדינת]", "[ומדנן]", "[מדינת]", "[מדינתא]", "[מדינתה]"]·heb["ב-מדינת", "ו-מדנן", "מדינות", "מדינת", "מדינתא", "מדינתה"]·HI["और-प्रांतों-को", "प्रांत", "प्रांत-में", "प्रांत-में-है", "प्रांतों", "में-प्रांत"]·ID["dan-provinsi-provinsi", "di-provinsi", "provinsi", "provinsi-provinsi"]·IT["[ומדנן]", "[מדינת]", "[מדינתא]", "[מדינתה]", "in-provincia-di", "provincia", "provincia-di"]·jav["dhateng-griya", "ing-propinsi", "lan-pambrontakan", "propinsi"]·KO["그-지방", "그리고-지방들", "에-지방", "지방", "지방들의"]·PT["a-província", "a-província-de", "as-províncias", "e-províncias", "na-província-de", "província-de"]·RU["-областей", "-области", "-областью", "в-области", "и-провинциям", "провинции", "провинцию"]·ES["en-la-provincia-de", "la-provincia", "la-provincia-de", "las-provincias", "provincia", "y-provincias"]·SW["jimbo-la", "katika-mkoa-wa", "mikoa", "mkoa", "mkoa-wa", "na-mikoa"]·TR["eyaletin", "eyaletinde", "eyaletinde-", "eyaletindeki", "eyaletine", "eyaletinin", "ve-eyaletlere"]·urd["اور-صوبوں-کو", "صوبوں-کے", "صوبے", "صوبے-میں", "میں-صوبے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מְדִינָה] n. f. (judicial) district, province (K§ 60, 3) d); also BH);—emph. מְדִינְתָּא (M-A§ 72 c) Ezr 5:8; 6:2; cstr. מְדִינַת Dn 2:48, 49; 3:1, 12, 30; Ezr 7:16; pl. abs. מְדִנָן 4:15, emph. מְדִינָתָא Dn 3:2, 3.