Lexical Summary
zeman: time, times, appointed period
Original Word:זְמָן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:zman
Pronunciation:zeh-MAHN
Phonetic Spelling:(zem-awn')
KJV: season, time
NASB:time, times, appointed period, epochs
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) fromH2165 (זְמָן - appointed time)]
1. the same as H2165
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
season, time
(Aramaic) fromzman; the same aszman -- season, time.
see HEBREWzman
see HEBREWzman
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
zemanDefinitiontime
NASB Translationappointed period (1), epochs (1), time (6), times (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Daniel 3:7 (probably loan-word from Old Persian
zrvan, zarvâna,
time,
age, Nö
M 152 Scheft
45; compare Biblical Hebrew (late); and (on change of [
b] to
m) Frä
ZA iii. 52; Nabataean , Palmyrene (Nabataean) Lzb
266; Lzb
268 SAC
48. 49); — absolute
Daniel 2:16;
Daniel 7:12; emphatic
Ezra 5:3 +; plural absolute
Daniel 6:11 +, emphatic
Daniel 2:21; —
time: specified timeDaniel 2:16;
appointed timeDaniel 7:12,22, compare
Daniel 2:21;
at that timeEzra 5:3;
Daniel 3:7,8;
Daniel 4:33; (festival)
seasonsDaniel 7:25;
time, occurrence,
Daniel 6:11;
Daniel 6:14three times in the day.Topical Lexicon
OverviewUsed eleven times in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel, זְמָן marks a distinct “appointed time” determined either by royal decree or, ultimately, by the sovereign will of God. Whether referring to a brief moment, a recurring daily practice, an historical season, or an eschatological span, the word consistently underscores that every period of history is ordered from above.
Occurrences and Narrative Function
1.Ezra 5:3 introduces the term in post-exilic Jerusalem: “At that time Tattenai governor of the region beyond the River … came to them and asked, ‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?’”. The opposition arises “at that time,” yet the larger narrative shows that the moment itself had been allowed by God to display His providential protection of the rebuilding effort.
2.Daniel 2:16 records Daniel’s request to Nebuchadnezzar “to give him time, so that he might declare the interpretation to the king”. The “time” Daniel seeks is not procrastination but a sacred interval for prayer, demonstrating that the solution to earthly crises is found in communion with the God who holds time.
3.Daniel 2:21 declares the theological heart of the word: “He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them”. The verse links זְמָן directly to the universal reign of God, reminding readers that political shifts are merely the unfolding of His timetable.
4.Daniel 3:7-8 twice repeats “at that time,” showing how quickly idolatry took hold when the music sounded. זְמָן frames the people’s capitulation and the faithful resistance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego within the same moment, contrasting human conformity with covenant loyalty.
5.Daniel 4:36 records Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration: “At that time my reason returned to me”. The king’s sanity is restored precisely when he acknowledges the Most High, turning a humiliating season into a testimony of divine mercy.
6.Daniel 6:10 andDaniel 6:13 speak of Daniel’s “three times a day” prayer rhythm. Here זְמָן defines disciplined, habitual devotion that neither decree nor threat can abolish.
7.Daniel 7:12,Daniel 7:22, andDaniel 7:25 place the term in prophetic vision:
• A beast’s life is prolonged “for a season and a time” (7:12).
• “The time came when the saints possessed the kingdom” (7:22).
• The Antichrist figure aspires “to change the appointed times and laws” and is granted authority “for a time, times, and half a time” (7:25).
Together these verses locate human history within measurable spans that God foreknows and controls, assuring believers that tribulation itself is on a divinely fixed leash.
Theological Themes
• Divine Sovereignty. Every occurrence, whether in opposition, deliverance, worship, or judgment, reinforces that God alone establishes and limits each זְמָן.
• Human Responsiveness. Daniel’s prayer life (6:10, 13) and the courage of his friends (3:7-8) model faithful stewardship of time, seizing each allotted moment for obedience.
• Prophetic Certainty. Eschatological “times” (7:12, 25) guarantee that evil regimes, however formidable, possess only temporary tenure before the “Ancient of Days” (7:22) intervenes.
• Redemptive Hope. Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration (4:36) and the ultimate inheritance of the saints (7:22) assure readers that God can transform even seasons of judgment into phases of restoration.
Historical Background
זְמָן appears exclusively in books written during the Persian period and in Aramaic, the diplomatic lingua franca of the era. Its prevalence in court settings (royal decrees, administrative edicts, international worship mandates) reflects the centralized authority of emperors. Yet each imperial “time” is simultaneously portrayed as subordinate to the eternal King.
Ministry and Discipleship Applications
• Cultivate regular prayer “times” patterned after Daniel’s thrice-daily practice, anchoring personal devotion amid cultural pressure.
• Encourage congregations to interpret current events throughDaniel 2:21, recognizing that leadership changes and geopolitical shifts are under God’s direction.
• Preach perseverance fromDaniel 7:25, reminding believers that oppressive seasons are limited and will culminate in the triumph of the saints.
• UseEzra 5:3-5 to teach that opposition encountered “at that time” in ministry can serve to display God’s vindication.
Christological Fulfillment
By controlling the “times” of Gentile empires, God prepared the stage for the advent of Messiah “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus’ proclamation, “The time is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15), echoes the Danielic assurance that history’s decisive זְמָן belongs to Him. The risen Lord now governs history until the final, climactic “time” when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
Key References for Further Study
Ezra 5:3;Daniel 2:16, 21;Daniel 3:7-8;Daniel 4:36;Daniel 6:10, 13;Daniel 7:12, 22, 25.
Forms and Transliterations
וְזִמְנִ֤ין וְזִמְנִין֩ וְזִמְנַיָּ֔א וְזִמְנָ֣א וזמנא וזמניא וזמנין זְמַ֥ן זְמָ֣ן זִמְנִ֣ין זִמְנָ֔א זִמְנָ֞א זִמְנָ֡א זִמְנָא֩ זמן זמנא זמנין vezimNa vezimnaiYa vezimNin wə·zim·nā wə·zim·nay·yā wə·zim·nîn wəzimnā wəzimnayyā wəzimnîn zə·man zə·mān zeMan zəman zəmān zim·nā zim·nîn zimNa zimnā zimNin zimnîn
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