The Hebrew Verb דּוּן: To Judge, Plead, or Contend

The Hebrew verb דּוּן (root: ד־ו־ן) means “to judge,” “to litigate,” “to contend,” or “to argue a case.” It is used in legal and judicial contexts, and sometimes in a broader sense of striving or pleading a cause. The root appears both as a verb and as a noun (e.g., דִּין, meaning “judgment” or “justice”).

In the Tanakh, this verb is typically found in the Qal binyan, though it is relatively rare as a verb form. Much more frequently, its root is expressed through nouns and derivatives, such as דָּן (judge), דִּין (judgment), and the name of the tribe דָּן.

 

Qal Binyan Conjugation of דּוּן (“to judge, contend”)

Past (Perfect) Tense

Person Form
1st person singular דַּנְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular דַּנְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular דַּנְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular דּוּן
3rd person feminine singular דָּנָה
1st person plural דַּנּוּ
2nd person masculine plural דַּנְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural דַּנְתֶּן
3rd person plural דָּנוּ

Present (Participle) Tense

Gender/Number Form
Masculine singular דָּן
Feminine singular דָּנָה
Masculine plural דָּנִים
Feminine plural דָּנוֹת

Future (Imperfect) Tense

Person Form
1st person singular אָדִין
2nd person masculine singular תָּדִין
2nd person feminine singular תָּדִינִי
3rd person masculine singular יָדִין
3rd person feminine singular תָּדִין
1st person plural נָדִין
2nd person masculine plural תָּדִינוּ
2nd person feminine plural תָּדֵ֫ינָה
3rd person plural יָדִינוּ

Imperative Mood

Person Form
2nd person masculine singular דּוּן
2nd person feminine singular דִּינִי
2nd person masculine plural דִּינוּ
2nd person feminine plural דֵּ֫ינָה

 

Usage in Scripture

  • Genesis 6:3לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָּאָדָם לְעֹלָם
    “My Spirit shall not strive [or plead] with man forever.” — one of the few direct verbal uses in the Tanakh.
  • Psalm 9:9הוּא יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק יָדִין לְאֻמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים
    “He shall judge the world in righteousness; He shall minister judgment to the peoples in uprightness.”
  • Deuteronomy 33:21כִּי שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל
    (While not using the verb דון directly, the theme of judgment is linked by root with דִּין and related words.)

 

Summary

The verb דּוּן means “to judge” or “to contend,” appearing rarely in verbal form but frequently reflected in related nouns throughout the Bible. Its core idea centers on judicial process, debate, and divine justice. In modern Hebrew, it retains legal and argumentative connotations, and its root is still used in phrases involving judgment, reasoning, and deliberation.

About Biblical Hebrew

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