Lexical Summary
iddan: Time, period, season
Original Word:עִדָּן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:`iddan
Pronunciation:id-dawn'
Phonetic Spelling:(id-dawn')
KJV: time
NASB:time, moment, times, situation
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to that ofH5708 (עֵד - Witness)]
1. a set time
2. technically, a year
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
time
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to that ofed; a set time; technically, a year -- time.
see HEBREWed
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
iddahDefinitiontime
NASB Translationmoment (2), situation (1), time (8), times (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Daniel 2:9 (
id., Syriac
, perhaps loan-word from Assyrian
adannu,
fixed,
appointed, or
definite, time; [Arabic
probably Aramaic loan-word, Schw
ZMG liii (1899), 197]); — absolute
Daniel 7:12 +; emphatic
Daniel 2:8 +; plural absolute
Daniel 4:13 +, emphatic
Daniel 2:21; —
in General,time, as durationDaniel 2:8;Daniel 7:12; involving specific conditionsDaniel 2:9,21; (point of)timeDaniel 3:5,15.
, =year (as modern Greek , see EASophocles1173): =seven years,Daniel 4:13;Daniel 4:20;Daniel 4:22;Daniel 4:29;Daniel 7:25 (i.e. 3 2-Janyears, see Dr; perhaps read dual for plural, compare Bev GunkSchöpf. 201).
Topical Lexicon
Occurrences and Literary Settingעִדָּן appears thirteen times, all in the Aramaic sections of Daniel (Daniel 2–7). The word punctuates royal dialogue (Daniel 2:8–9; 3:5, 15), hymnic praise (Daniel 2:21), narrative judgment oracles (Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32), and apocalyptic visions (Daniel 7:12, 25). Its strategic placement binds court tales to prophetic revelation, unifying the book around a single theme: all “times” are in the hand of the Most High.
Divine Sovereignty over History
Daniel 2:21 sets the theological keynote: “He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them”. Here עִדָּן anchors a hymn declaring that political change is not random but governed by God’s deliberate schedule. The same conviction re-surfaces when Nebuchadnezzar warns the advisers that they are “trying to gain time” (Daniel 2:8); the court magicians may bargain, yet the divine timetable is immovable.
Judgment and Restoration of Kings
Nebuchadnezzar’s punitive “seven times” (Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32) illustrate that God not only sets eras but also measures personal chastening. The king’s madness is neither arbitrary nor indefinite; its duration is divinely fixed to bring him to confession: “the Most High still rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes” (Daniel 4:25). The repeated phrase “seven times” emphasizes completeness—judgment lasts exactly as long as necessary for repentance.
Liturgical and Cultural Moment
InDaniel 3:5 and 3:15, עִדָּן marks the precise instant when worshippers must bow before the golden image. The earthly king attempts to control the moment of worship, but the fiery-furnace narrative proves that God alone determines the true “time” for allegiance. The faithful Hebrews recognize that temporal threats cannot override eternal authority.
Apocalyptic Chronology
Daniel 7:12 juxtaposes two terms: “a time and a season” (עִדָּן וְזִמְנָה). The fourth beast’s dominion is curtailed within a divinely allotted span, underscoring that evil empires operate on a leash. Verse 25 sharpens the focus: “the saints will be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” The singular-plural-fraction pattern signals a limited oppression that nevertheless advances God’s redemptive agenda. Later biblical writers echo this schema—Revelation’s “time, times, and half a time” and “forty-two months” draw directly from Daniel’s vocabulary, reinforcing prophetic continuity.
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
• Confidence: Because God “changes the times,” believers may rest assured that geopolitical upheavals cannot thwart His kingdom (Psalm 31:15;Acts 17:26).
• Patience: Whether enduring personal trial (Nebuchadnezzar) or collective persecution (Daniel 7:25), the faithful know their suffering has an appointed limit.
• Discernment: The attempt to “change the set times and laws” (Daniel 7:25) warns the church to distinguish divine ordinances from human decrees, maintaining allegiance when political powers redefine morality.
• Worship: Earthly rulers may dictate the hour of music and prostration, yet true worship responds to God’s timing, not cultural pressure (Daniel 3:16–18;John 4:23).
Related Canonical Links
•Genesis 1:14;Psalm 104:19 — heavenly bodies mark “seasons,” prefiguring God’s governance of time in Daniel.
•Ecclesiastes 3:1 — “For everything there is a season,” thematically parallel toDaniel 2:21.
•1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 — Paul speaks of “times and seasons” with the same certainty of divine control.
•Revelation 12:14 — “time, times, and half a time” confirms the prophetic timetable inaugurated in Daniel.
Key Passages for Study and Teaching
Daniel 2:21;Daniel 3:15;Daniel 4:25;Daniel 7:12;Daniel 7:25
Summary
עִדָּן encapsulates the truth that every historical moment, from imperial rise to individual repentance, unfolds under God’s sovereign schedule. Recognizing this frees God’s people to live with courage, humility, and hope, trusting that the “Ancient of Days” will consummate His purposes at exactly the right time.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּעִדָּנָ֡א בְעִדָּנָ֡א בעדנא וְעִדָּֽן׃ וְעִדָּנִ֖ין ועדן׃ ועדנין עִדָּ֥ן עִדָּֽן׃ עִדָּנִ֖ין עִדָּנַיָּא֙ עִדָּנָ֖א עדן עדן׃ עדנא עדניא עדנין ‘id·dā·nā ‘id·dā·nay·yā ‘id·dā·nîn ‘id·dān ‘iddān ‘iddānā ‘iddānayyā ‘iddānîn bə‘iddānā ḇə‘iddānā bə·‘id·dā·nā ḇə·‘id·dā·nā beiddaNa idDan iddaNa iddanaiYa iddaNin veidDan veiddaNa veiddaNin wə‘iddān wə‘iddānîn wə·‘id·dā·nîn wə·‘id·dān
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
