מָדַי
𐤌𐤃𐤉
Maday
H4077 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person belonging to or associated with Madai, the ancestor of the Medes, or a native/inhabitant of the land of Media. The term functions as an ethnonym, designating individuals from the Median people or the land of Media, especially in post-Exilic biblical texts in Aramaic sections. Its semantic range includes both the ethnonym ('a Mede, person of Median origin') and, at times, a reference to the land of Media itself as a collective.
Semantic Range
a Mede, a person of Median origin, an inhabitant of Media, the Median people (collective), relating to the Median empire
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root מד- (uncertain etymology), likely a loanword incorporated into Aramaic/Hebrew usage from an external ethnonym related to the people or region of Media (Old Persian Māda, Akkadian Mādāyu). This form is Aramaic, corresponding with the Hebrew מָדַי (Maday), but pronounced within the Aramaic section of the text.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word מָדַי appears in the Aramaic portions of the biblical text, notably in Daniel (e.g., Daniel 5:28; 6:9, 16; 8:20), often together with פָּרַס (Persia), designating the Medes within the context of the Medo-Persian empire. This reflects historical realities of imperial succession and administration. In contrast to the Hebrew form (מָדַי), the Aramaic term appears after the Babylonian period, highlighting shifts in political power during the late exilic and post-exilic periods. English translations often render the term as 'Median' or 'Mede,' but in biblical context it refers specifically to the ethno-geographic group known from Ancient Near Eastern sources rather than to later ethnic or national identities. The term is distinguished from the similar-sounding 'Madian' (Midianite, מִדְיָן), which refers to a completely different group in biblical history. The word's usage is geopolitical and ethno-historical, with its prominence in late biblical discourse reflecting the shifting centers of political power in the ancient Near East.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to מָדַי; {a Madian or native of Madai}; Median.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מד (m-d) — Media, Median identity, belonging to the Medes
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4075 | מָדַי | the Mede |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4077-01 |
מָֽדָיָ֔/א | madaya | ANgmsd/Td |
the-Mede | the Mede | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4077-01 |
Daniel 6:1 | מָֽדָיָ֔/א | madaya | ANgmsd/Td |
the-Mede | the Mede |