Dina is a courtroom word: deciding a case, then handing down the verdict. It closes what stood open. In Yeshua’s teaching, judgment becomes a mirror: the measure you use is used on you, the verdict you give is the verdict you stand under.
| Form | Pattern | Translit | Script | Standard | Qala rendering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dina | noun | dinā | דינא ܕܝܢܐ | judgment | judgment: 44 occurrences; Palestinian Aramaic attested |
| dan | verb (Peal) | dān | תדונון ܬܕܘܢܘܢ (corpus form tdunun) | to judge | judge (Matthew 7:1) |
| dayana | agent noun | dayyānā | דינא ܕܝܢܐ | a judge | a judge (Luke 18:2); unpointed, it is spelled exactly like dina |
| mdita | noun | mdi(n)tā | מדינתא ܡܕܝܢܬܐ | city, town | town; the old lexicons file it under D-Y-N: a district of jurisdiction, the place where a judge sits (Luke 2:11, "the town of David") |
One caution: the little connector den ("but, now, then") is spelled with these same letters (ܕܝܢ) and appears 1,073 times in the corpus. It is a different word entirely, a light discourse particle that turns the flow of a sentence; it carries no weight of its own and no courtroom in it.
| Stem | Form | Sense | Witness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peal | dan | to judge | corpus: la tdunun "do not judge" (Matthew 7:1) |
| Ethpeel | etdin | to be judged | corpus: tetdinun "you will be judged" (Matthew 7:1); the passive answering the active in one sentence |
| Pael · Ethpaal · Aphel · Ettaphal · Shaphel | — | — | not attested for this root |
Watch your inner courtroom for a few minutes. Notice each quick verdict about strangers, friends, and yourself. Read the measure you use, then remember: it will measure you.
Say slowly: la tdunun, tetdinun. Do not judge, you will be judged.