H1881 — דָּת (dâth)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H1881
Original: דָּת
Transliteration: dâth
Pronunciation: dawth
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: Of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation
Occurrences: 21 unique verses (23 tokens)
First Occurrence: Deu 33:2 — "from his right hand went a fiery law (dâth) for them"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation; a royal edict or statute:—commandment, commission, decree, law, manner.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
decree (and his decree / the decree / of the decree)	8	38%
commandment (for a commandment / king's commandment)	4	19%
law (according to the law / according to law / law of his / among the laws / their laws)	7	33%
manner (according to the manner)	1	5%
commissions	1	5%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Esther	19	11.4
Ezra	1	0.4
Deuteronomy	1	0.1

Esther dominates overwhelmingly (90% of all occurrences). The word is essentially a Persian-period term for royal edict or law, which explains its heavy concentration in Esther — a book set in the Persian court. Deuteronomy 33:2 is the sole pre-exilic occurrence and uses dâth uniquely for divine law.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Royal Edict / Specific Decree¶

The most common usage: a particular order issued by the king, often paired with "commandment." - Est 3:15 — "The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree (dâth) was given in Shushan the palace" - Est 4:3 — "in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree (dâth) came, there was great mourning" - Est 9:14 — "the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree (dâth) was given at Shushan" - Est 4:8 — "the copy of the writing of the decree (dâth) that was given at Shushan to destroy them"

2. Established Law / Legal Code¶

Standing laws of a kingdom or people, not a single edict but an ongoing legal norm. - Est 1:19 — "let it be written among the laws (dâth) of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered" - Est 3:8 — "their laws (dâth) are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws (dâth)" - Est 4:11 — "there is one law (dâth) of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre" - Est 4:16 — "I also and my maidens will fast... and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law (dâth)"

3. Custom / Established Protocol¶

Prescribed manner or procedure, closer to "regulation" than formal legislation. - Est 1:8 — "the drinking was according to the law (dâth); none did compel" - Est 1:13 — "for so was the king's manner (dâth) toward all that knew law and judgment" - Est 2:12 — "after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner (dâth) of the women"

4. Divine Law (Unique Usage)¶

A single poetic application to God's law given at Sinai — the only pre-exilic occurrence. - Deu 33:2 — "he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law (dâth) for them"

5. Royal Commission / Authorization¶

Official documents conveying royal authority. - Ezr 8:36 — "they delivered the king's commissions (dâth) unto the king's lieutenants"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
דָּבָר (dâbâr)	H1697	8x (38%)	"the king's commandment and his decree" — paired in edict-promulgation formula
יוֹם (yôwm)	H3117	8x (38%)	"on that day / this day's decree" — temporal frame for decree execution
נָתַן (nâthan)	H5414	9x (43%)	"the decree was given" — standard formula for edict promulgation
עַם (ʻam)	H5971	7x (33%)	"published unto all people" — scope of edict's reach
שׁוּשַׁן (Shûwshan)	H7800	7x (33%)	"given in/at Shushan" — location of decree issuance
יְהוּדִי (Yᵉhûwdîy)	H3064	6x (29%)	Jews as target or beneficiary of decree
מְדִינָה (mᵉdîynâh)	H4082	6x (29%)	"in every province" — administrative scope formula
עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh)	H6213	6x (29%)	"to do according to the decree" — compliance pattern
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (ʼĂchashvêrôwsh)	H325	4x (19%)	King Ahasuerus as decree source
הָמָן (Hâmân)	H2001	4x (19%)	Haman as decree instigator

Synonyms¶

דִּין (dîyn) H1779 — judgment, cause, legal case (judicial decision rather than legislative enactment)

Word Family / Cognates¶

דָּת (dâth) H1882 — (Aramaic) decree, law — the Aramaic cognate, used in Daniel and Ezra

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
תּוֹרָה (tôwrâh)	H8451	"law"	tôwrâh = divine instruction/teaching, covenantal law from God; dâth = royal/civil edict or statute, human authority
דָּת (dâth)	H1882	"decree, law"	Aramaic cognate used in Daniel/Ezra Aramaic sections; H1881 is the Hebrew form used in Esther and Deu 33:2

Semantic Domain¶

[002003003016] Laws — other words in domain: אֲמָנָה (H548), אֲמָנָה (H549), אֱסָר (A633), גְּזֵרָה (A1510), גְּזֵרָה (H1509), חֹק (H2706)

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occurrences	PMI	Notes
ἐκτίθημι (ektíthēmi) G1620	7	9.56	"to set forth, declare" — highest PMI; used for edict-promulgation contexts
νόμος (nómos) G3551	6	4.82	"law" — used when dâth means established law/legal code
βασιλεύς (basileús) G935	14	2.93	"king" — high raw co-occurrence from royal-decree context (not a direct translation)
προστάσσω (prostássō) G4367	3	6.91	"to command, ordain" — used for decree-as-command

No single dominant LXX equivalent — the Greek translators varied between ektíthēmi for the edict-issuing action and nómos for the standing-law sense.