A2166 — זְמָן (zᵉmân)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2166
Original: זְמָן
Transliteration: zᵉmân
Pronunciation: zem-awn'
Part of Speech: Masculine noun (Aramaic)
Root: זָמַן (zâman, H2163) — primitive root: to fix (a time), appoint
Hebrew Cognate: H2165 זְמָן (zᵉmân) — appointed occasion, season, time (Hebrew; Neh 2:6, Est 9:27, 31, Ecc 3:1)
Occurrences: 11 unique verses (12 tokens) in 2 books
First Occurrence: Ezr 5:3 — "At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

(Aramaic) From H2163 (zâman); the same as H2165: season, time. An appointed occasion — a fixed, designated, or scheduled point in time. The word carries the inherent sense of pre-arrangement or divine/royal scheduling, distinguishing it from general time-duration words.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
times	3	27.3%
that time	2	18.2%
the same time	2	18.2%
a season	1	9.1%
and the seasons	1	9.1%
and the time	1	9.1%
but (idiomatic)	1	9.1%
time	1	9.1%

Note: KJV translates the plural form זִמְנִין (zimnin) as "times" (Dan 6:10, 13; 7:25) and the singular/emphatic forms variously as "time," "season," or as part of temporal phrases ("at that time," "at the same time").

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Daniel	10	2.8
Ezra	1	0.4

Concentrated almost exclusively in Daniel's Aramaic sections (Dan 2–7), with a single occurrence in Ezra's Aramaic passage. This distribution reflects the word's Aramaic character — it appears only in the Aramaic-language portions of the OT.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Divine Sovereignty over Time-Periods¶

God's authority to change, appoint, and govern the epochs of history. - Dan 2:21 — "And he changeth the times (zimnin) and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings" - Dan 7:25 — "and think to change times (zimnin) and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time"

2. Specific Calendar Occasion / Appointed Moment¶

A fixed point on the calendar when something is scheduled to occur. - Dan 3:7 — "Therefore at that time (zimna), when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp..." - Dan 3:8 — "Wherefore at that time (zimna) certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews" - Ezr 5:3 — "At the same time (zimna) came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river" - Dan 4:36 — "At the same time (zimna) my reason returned unto me"

3. Fixed Repetition / Scheduled Regularity¶

Recurring appointed times in a pattern of observance. - Dan 6:10 — "he kneeled upon his knees three times (zimnin) a day, and prayed" - Dan 6:13 — "but maketh his petition three times (zimnin) a day"

4. Duration or Period Granted¶

A span of time allotted by decree or providence. - Dan 2:16 — "Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time (zᵉmân)" - Dan 7:12 — "yet their lives were prolonged for a season (zᵉmân) and time" - Dan 7:22 — "and the time (zᵉmân) came that the saints possessed the kingdom"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
דִּי (diy)	H1768	5x (45%)	Relative particle: "the time that..." (Dan 7:22)
דֵּן (den)	H1836	4x (36%)	Demonstrative: "at that time" (beh-zimna deken)
מֶלֶךְ (melek)	H4430	4x (36%)	Royal context: times set or changed by kings
יְהַב (yᵉhab)	H3052	4x (36%)	"Give time" — granting a period (Dan 2:16; 7:25)
עִדָּן (ʻiddân)	H5732	3x (27%)	Paired: "times and seasons" or parallel time-words
יוֹם (yôwm)	H3118	3x (27%)	"Three times a day" — daily schedule
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyel)	H1841	3x (27%)	Daniel as the subject in time contexts
עַד (ʻad)	H5705	3x (27%)	"Until" — temporal boundary marker

Word Family / Cognates¶

H2163 זָמַן (zâman) — primitive root verb: to fix (a time), appoint (3 occurrences: Ezr 10:14, Neh 10:35, 13:31)
H2165 זְמָן (zᵉmân) — Hebrew cognate noun: appointed occasion, season, time (4 occurrences: Neh 2:6, Est 9:27, 9:31, Ecc 3:1)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
עִדָּן (ʻiddân)	H5732	"times" (4x), "time"	ʻiddân = a set time-period, technically a year; used in the prophetic formula "time, times, half a time"; emphasizes duration. zᵉmân = an appointed occasion or scheduled moment; emphasizes the fixing/scheduling.
עֵת (ʻêth)	H6256	"times" (14x)	ʻêth = Hebrew word for narrative/prophetic time, broad temporal concept; zᵉmân = Aramaic administrative/appointed time
פַּעַם (paʻam)	H6471	"times" (37x)	paʻam = a step/stroke, hence "occurrence" or "instance" (counting); zᵉmân = a scheduled, calendar-fixed time
καιρός (kairos)	G2540	"times" (7x)	kairos = Greek for opportune/appointed season; the LXX equivalent that most closely maps to zᵉmân

Note on Dan 7:25 Pairing with ʻiddân¶

In Dan 7:25, both zᵉmân and ʻiddân appear: the horn "thinks to change times (zimnin) and laws" while the saints are given into his hand "until a time (ʻiddân) and times (ʻiddânîn) and the dividing of time (ʻiddân)." The two words serve distinct roles — zᵉmân is the object of the horn's attempted alteration (appointed festivals/seasons), while ʻiddân measures the duration of the horn's power.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occurrences	PMI Score	Notes
καιρός (kairos) G2540	8	13.19	Primary — dominant LXX rendering across nearly all occurrences
ἡμέρα (hemera) G2250	3	2.57	Occasional — "day" rendering in temporal phrases

The strong LXX alignment with καιρός (G2540) confirms zᵉmân's semantic focus on appointed/opportune time rather than mere duration (which would favor χρόνος G5550).