Dina is a courtroom word for deciding a case and for the verdict that follows. It appears 39 times. In Yeshua's teaching the verdict comes back around, and the measure you use on others is the measure used on you.
| Form | Pattern | Translit | Script | Standard | Qala rendering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dina | noun | dinā | דינא ܕܝܢܐ | judgment | judgment: 39 occurrences |
| dan | verb (Peal) | dān | תדונון ܬܕܘܢܘܢ (as written: 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 Gospels. It is a different word, a small particle that turns a sentence.
The verb appears in the Peal, dan, to judge, and in the Ethpeel, etdin, to be judged, and Matthew 7:1 uses both (la tdunun, do not judge; tetdinun, you will be judged).
For a few minutes today, count the quick verdicts you make about strangers, friends and yourself. Then say la tdunun, tetdinun, do not judge, you will be judged.