זְבַן
𐤆𐤁𐤍
zᵉban
H2084 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To obtain, acquire, or gain (especially through purchase); the primary sense involves making a transaction to obtain something, typically through payment. In context, often denotes to buy, purchase, or acquire goods, possessions, or property.
Semantic Range
to buy, to purchase, to acquire, to gain by payment or transaction
Root / Etymology
Root: זבן. This Aramaic root carries the meaning 'to buy, purchase, acquire'. The verb form זְבַן derives directly from this root, expressing the act of acquiring through a transactional exchange, most commonly involving payment. It is related to the Hebrew root קנה (to acquire, buy), but develops independently in Aramaic as the standard word for purchase.
Historical & Contextual Notes
זְבַן appears only in Biblical Aramaic portions of the Tanakh (primarily Daniel and Ezra), reflecting the administrative and economic vocabulary of the Persian and later periods. It is used in legal or commercial contexts, often with objects such as land, goods, or provisions (e.g., Daniel 2:8). In contrast to Hebrew קנה, which is the standard verb for 'to buy' in Hebrew sections, זְבַן is characteristic of Aramaic usage, indicating linguistic influence and sociolinguistic transition during the exilic and post-exilic periods. English translations usually render it as 'buy,' 'purchase,' or 'acquire,' which adequately reflect its meaning in context. Later Aramaic dialects and related languages (e.g., Syriac) retain the root with similar meanings. The sense of voluntary or transactional acquisition is always implied; there is no connotation of taking by force. The word did not have a religious or cultic connotation, remaining in the realm of commerce and daily life.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to the root of זְבִינָא; to acquire by purchase; gain.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זבן (z-b-n) — to buy, to purchase, to acquire by exchange
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2081 | זְבִינָא | Zebina |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2084-01 |
זָבְנִ֑ין | zavenin | AVqrmpa |
are gaining | the buying ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2084-01 |
Daniel 2:8 | זָבְנִ֑ין | zavenin | AVqrmpa |
are gaining | the buying ones |