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אֲבִידָן

𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤍

Avidan

H27 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אב, דין אב: father, ancestor; דין: to judge, to decide, to vindicate, to govern

Definition

Proper name, masculine: Abidan, an early Israelite leader, specifically a head of the tribe of Benjamin during the wilderness period. The name most likely means 'my father has judged,' with the semantic nuance of 'my father is judge' or 'the father judges.'

Semantic Range

proper name (personal name); as a theophoric or honorific name, 'my father has judged,' 'the father is judge'; component parts: father, to judge; not used as title or as an ordinary noun

Root / Etymology

Compound of אָב (av, 'father') and דִּין (din, 'to judge'). The name reflects the root meanings, but as a proper name, it signifies a statement or wish regarding divine or ancestral judgment. Thus, > אָב 'father' + דִּין 'judge' = 'my father has judged' or 'the father is judge.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Abidan appears in the Torah (Numbers 1:11; 2:22; 7:60,65; 10:24) as an early leader of the tribe of Benjamin during the wilderness wanderings, serving as a chieftain ('נָשִׂיא') who represented his tribe. The name structure is typical of Israelite anthroponyms that use 'father' (אב) as the subject and combine with a second verb root, functioning as a nominal sentence or statement of trust in divine action or inheritance. There is no evidence in the biblical text that 'Abidan' refers to a king or permanent judge in the later sense of the judges period (cf. שׁוֹפֵט). In post-biblical tradition, the meaning was often rendered as 'father of judgment,' though this misses the typically predicative force of such theophoric constructions. English translations frequently render the name simply as 'Abidan' and may footnote its meaning. The analogy with later English uses of 'judge' is limited; 'din' here refers specifically to the act of judging or rendering a decision, not necessarily holding an office or role. The components of the name do not indicate ethnic or religious membership beyond identifying the bearer as an Israelite (specifically a Benjaminitic leader in the narrative).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָב and דִּין; father of judgment (i.e. judge); Abidan, an Israelite; Abidan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אב דין (ʾ-b / d-y-n) — father, ancestor; to judge, decide, govern, vindicate

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H27-01 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp Abidan My Father Has Judged 5

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H27-01 Numbers 1:11 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp Abidan My Father Has Judged
H27-01 Numbers 2:22 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp Abidan My Father Has Judged
H27-01 Numbers 7:60 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp Abidan My Father Has Judged
H27-01 Numbers 7:65 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp of Abidan My Father Has Judged
H27-01 Numbers 10:24 אֲבִידָ֖ן avidan HNp Abidan My Father Has Judged
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