← H2165 H2167 →

זְמָן

𐤆𐤌𐤍

zᵉmân

H2166 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Appointed time, set moment, fixed occasion—refers to a specific point in time or period established for a particular purpose. In all attestations, denotes a time that has been determined or designated, rather than a general or abstract sense of 'time.' Frequently indicates a scheduled occasion, especially in official or administrative contexts.

Semantic Range

appointed time, scheduled moment, fixed occasion; (by extension) season, set period (always with a sense of prior determination or official designation)

Root / Etymology

Root: זמן. Although primarily attested in Biblical Aramaic rather than Biblical Hebrew, the form derives from the root זמן, meaning 'to appoint, to designate.' The noun form זְמָן is formed through the Aramaic nominal pattern, functioning as 'appointed moment' or 'set time.' The same root underlies related Hebrew forms such as זְמַן (modern Hebrew for 'time' or 'period'), but in the Hebrew Bible this specific nominal form occurs only in Aramaic sections.

Historical & Contextual Notes

זְמָן appears only in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel and Ezra) and not in Hebrew narrative or poetry. In these contexts, it is used to refer to scheduled or appointed moments, particularly in administrative or decreed situations (such as times set by royal edict). The term is distinct from Hebrew עֵת (ʽēt, 'time, season'), which covers broader meanings including appropriate or significant times, and מוֹעֵד (moʽed, 'appointed time, festival'), which can refer specifically to cultic or ritual observances. By contrast, זְמָן is used in Persian-period administrative Aramaic and does not carry a cultic or religious nuance in its biblical use. Standard English translations as 'season' or 'time' can obscure the concept of appointment or fixedness inherent in זְמָן. In post-biblical Hebrew, the noun זְמַן becomes common, especially in Rabbinic texts, with a meaning closer to 'period of time' or 'occasion.'

Translation Consistency

primary "appointed time" 7 occurrences

zeman consistently denotes a specific, predetermined occasion rather than general time. “Appointed time” matches the primary sense in the SILEX definition and the majority of attested English renderings (e.g. “appointed”), preserves the idea of a scheduled or officially designated moment, and yields natural English phrasing across contexts.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"times" (2x) "seasons" (1x) "appointed times" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from זְמָן; the same as זְמָן; {an appointed occasion}; season, time.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

זמן (zâman) — to set, to appoint, to fix (a time), to determine

Root זמן to appoint, to designate, to set (a time)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2163 זָמַן those appointed
H2164 זְמַן they appointed themselves
H2165 זְמָן in their appointed times

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2166-05 זִמְנָ֡/א zimena ANcmsd/Td time the appointed time the appointed time 4
H2166-03 וְ/זִמְנִין֩ vezimenin AC/Ncmpa and times and appointed times and times 2
H2166-04 זְמָ֣ן zeman ANcmsa a season appointed time appointed time 2
H2166-01 וְ/זִמְנָ֣/א vezimena AC/Ncmsd/Td and the time and the appointed time and the appointed time 1
H2166-02 וְ/זִמְנַיָּ֔/א vezimenaya AC/Ncmpd/Td and the seasons and the appointed times and the seasons 1
H2166-06 זִמְנִ֣ין zimenin ANcmpa times appointed times appointed times 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2166-04 Daniel 2:16 זְמָ֣ן zeman ANcmsa time appointed time appointed time
H2166-02 Daniel 2:21 וְ/זִמְנַיָּ֔/א vezimenaya AC/Ncmpd/Td and the seasons and the appointed times and the seasons
H2166-05 Daniel 3:7 זִמְנָ֡/א zimena ANcmsd/Td when the appointed time the appointed time
H2166-05 Daniel 3:8 זִמְנָ֔/א zimena ANcmsd/Td time the appointed time the appointed time
H2166-05 Daniel 4:33 זִמְנָ֞/א zimena ANcmsd/Td time the appointed time the appointed time
H2166-03 Daniel 6:11 וְ/זִמְנִין֩ vezimenin AC/Ncmpa and times and appointed times and times
H2166-03 Daniel 6:14 וְ/זִמְנִ֤ין vezimenin AC/Ncmpa and-times and appointed times and times
H2166-04 Daniel 7:12 זְמַ֥ן zeman ANcmsa a season appointed time appointed time
H2166-01 Daniel 7:22 וְ/זִמְנָ֣/א vezimena AC/Ncmsd/Td and the time and the appointed time and the appointed time
H2166-06 Daniel 7:25 זִמְנִ֣ין zimenin ANcmpa times appointed times appointed times
H2166-05 Ezra 5:3 זִמְנָ/א֩ zimena ANcmsd/Td time the appointed time the appointed time
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