דְּתָבָר
𐤃𐤕𐤁𐤓
dᵉthâbâr
H1884 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An official, administrator, or magistrate entrusted with governance or judicial authority, often serving as a judge, counsellor, or legal expert in an imperial administrative context, particularly within the Persian Empire as reflected in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
judge, magistrate, administrator, counsellor, legal official, Persian imperial appointee
Root / Etymology
Of Persian origin, ultimately from Old Persian 'dāta-bara', meaning 'bearer of the law' or 'law carrier' (dāta = 'law', bara = 'bearing, carrying'). Borrowed into Aramaic administrative vocabulary and used in official contexts under Persian rule. Not a native Hebrew word, but appears in Aramaic sections of the biblical text.
Historical & Contextual Notes
דְּתָבָר appears in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (notably Ezra 7:12, 21, 25) during the Persian period. The role referenced by this term aligns with the administrative ranks of the Persian imperial bureaucracy, designating individuals authorized to interpret, implement, or adjudicate law. English translations often render it as 'judge,' 'counsellor,' or 'magistrate,' but modern readers should understand it as a technical title reflecting Persian legal administration rather than a generic local judge. It differs from native Hebrew terms such as שֹׁפֵט (shofet, broadly 'judge' in Israelite society), having narrower and more formal associations with imperial governance. The later KJV translation as 'judge' is an approximation rather than a direct equivalence of function or title. Its use is limited to post-exilic texts reflecting the later period of Israelite history under Persian rule.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) of Persian origin; meaning one skilled in law; a judge; counsellor.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
דְּתָבָר (dᵉthâbâr) — law, law-bearer, legal official, judge, counsellor
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1884-01 |
דְּתָבְרַיָּ/א֙ | detaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
magistrates | the law-bearers | the law-bearers | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1884-01 |
Daniel 3:2 | דְּתָבְרַיָּ/א֙ | detaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
the justices | the law-bearers | the law-bearers |
H1884-01 |
Daniel 3:3 | דְּתָ֨בְרַיָּ֜/א | detaveraya | ANcmpd/Td |
magistrates | the law-bearers | the law-bearers |