Definition of H1882: dat
A royal decree or legal statute carrying the full weight of imperial authority. This word represents formal, written law that comes from the highest levels of government – the kind of official edict that shapes nations and determines destinies. When Scripture uses dat, it’s talking about law with teeth, backed by the power of kings and empires.
What This Word Actually Means
The Hebrew word dat (דָּת) appears in some of the most politically charged moments in Scripture. This word specifically refers to royal edicts or statutes – not just any law, but the kind that comes with royal seals and imperial authority.
When we see dat in action, we’re witnessing moments where earthly power intersects with God’s purposes. It’s the word used for Haman’s genocidal decree against the Jews in Esther 3:15, and it’s also the word for the Persian law that couldn’t be changed – even by the king himself – in Daniel 6:8.
Etymology Alert
Here’s something fascinating: dat isn’t originally Hebrew at all. It’s of uncertain, perhaps foreign derivation – most likely a Persian loanword that entered Hebrew during the exile period. This makes perfect sense, considering that most uses of this word occur in books written during or after the Persian period (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel).
The Word Behind the Word
The appearance of dat in Hebrew tells a story about cultural exchange and historical reality. When the Israelites encountered the Persian administrative system, they needed vocabulary to describe concepts that hadn’t existed in their earlier monarchical period.
Persian administrative law was different from anything Israel had experienced. It was systematic, written, and – crucially – unchangeable once sealed with the royal signet. This immutability of Persian law becomes a key plot point in both Daniel and Esther, where the inflexibility of the legal system creates dramatic tension.
Cultural Context
In the Persian Empire, a dat wasn’t just a suggestion from the king – it was an unalterable reality. Persian kings, despite their absolute power, couldn’t change their own decrees once they were officially sealed. This legal inflexibility, which seems strange to us, was actually designed to prevent royal caprice and provide legal stability across a vast empire.
How Scripture Uses It
The word dat appears predominantly in the post-exilic literature, reflecting the historical reality of Jewish life under Persian rule. Here’s how Scripture deploys this powerful term:
In Esther, dat becomes a word of both terror and salvation. Haman’s genocidal decree is a dat, but so is the counter-decree that allows the Jews to defend themselves. The same legal mechanism that threatens destruction becomes the instrument of deliverance.
In Daniel, the unchangeable nature of the dat becomes central to the story. When Daniel’s enemies manipulate Darius into signing a decree that no one can pray to any god except the king, the Persian legal system’s inflexibility traps even the king himself.
In Ezra, we see dat in its most positive light – as Artaxerxes’ royal commission authorizing Ezra’s mission to Jerusalem. Here, foreign imperial law becomes the vehicle for God’s restoration of His people.
Translation Challenge
English has no perfect equivalent for dat. “Law” is too general, “decree” misses the permanence, and “edict” sounds archaic. The word carries connotations of imperial authority, written codification, and legal permanence that don’t translate neatly into any single English word.
Why Translators Struggle With This Word
The challenge with dat is that it represents a specific legal concept from the Persian administrative system that has no direct modern equivalent. Different translations handle this in various ways:
- Some emphasize the royal authority aspect (“royal decree”)
- Others focus on the written nature (“statute,” “ordinance”)
- Still others highlight the permanent character (“law”)
But none of these quite captures the full semantic range of a Persian dat – a written, sealed, unchangeable royal decree with empire-wide authority.
“When Scripture uses dat, it’s showing us how God can work through the most rigid human systems to accomplish His purposes – even when those systems seem designed to thwart Him.”
Where You’ll Find This Word
Primary passages where this word appears:
- Ezra 7:12 – Artaxerxes’ commission to Ezra as “a scribe of the law of the God of heaven”
- Esther 1:19 – The unchangeable law of the Persians and Medes regarding Queen Vashti
- Esther 3:15 – Haman’s decree to destroy all Jews throughout the Persian Empire
- Daniel 6:8 – The law that no one can pray to any god or man except King Darius
Notable translations across versions:
- ESV: “law,” “decree,” “edict”
- NIV: “law,” “decree,” “edict”
- NASB: “law,” “decree,” “edict”
Other translation options: royal statute, imperial decree, written ordinance, sealed law, unchangeable edict
Words in the Same Family
Root family:
Synonyms and near-synonyms:
- H2706 – choq – statute, ordinance (emphasizes what is prescribed)
- H4687 – mitzvah – commandment (emphasizes divine command)
- H8451 – torah – law, instruction (emphasizes teaching and guidance)
Key Takeaway
Understanding dat helps us see how God sovereignly works through human political systems – even pagan ones – to accomplish His purposes. The same Persian legal framework that could threaten God’s people could also become the instrument of their protection and restoration.
Dig Deeper
Internal Resources:
- H1881 (Hebrew dat) – The Hebrew cognate of this Aramaic term
- Esther 3:15 analysis – When royal decrees become instruments of genocide
- Daniel 6:8 analysis – The unchangeable law that traps even kings
External Scholarly Resources:
- Blue Letter Bible entry – Comprehensive lexical data
- Bible Hub concordance – Usage examples and translations
- StudyLight Hebrew Lexicon – Ancient Hebrew Research Center definitions
- Biblical Archaeology Society on Persian Loanwords – Cultural and linguistic context
All external links open in new windows for continued study
