天命

Attested earliest on Zhou dynasty's bronze inscriptions,^[1] though during the Western Zhou period, the concept was not exactly worded as 天命 (tiānmìng) but 大令 (dàlìng), 大命 (dàmìng), 魯令 (lǔlìng) & 天令 (tiānlìng) (however, 令 (lìng) and 命 (mìng) were indeed used interchangeably).^[2] Goldin (2017)^[3] links Zhou's concept 天命 (tiānmìng) to Shang's concept 帝令 (dìlìng) "the Deity's command" attested in the Shang's oracle bones.

For the era name, see also Manchu ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ
ᡶᡠᠯᡳᠩᡤᠠ (abkai fulingga).

天命

1. the myriad of things in nature which make up the law of nature or natural law
2. the will of heaven
3. the Mandate of Heaven

   • 佑闢四方，惠弘天命。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     佑辟四方，惠弘天命。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Late Western Zhou, 彔伯冬簋 "Lubo Dong gui" inscription, translated based on Shim (2012)^[4] and Grundmann (2022)^[5]

     Yòu pì sìfāng, huì hóng tiānmìng.

     Assisting in expanding the four directions and helping to broaden the Mandate of Heaven.

   • 假哉天命！ [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Jiǎ zāi tiānmìng!

     Great is the appointment of Heaven!

   • 非予罪，時惟天命。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     非予罪，时惟天命。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE

     Fēi yǔ zuì, shí wéi tiānmìng.

     It is not my fault. It is Heaven's just decree.

4. one's fate or destiny

   盡人事而聽天命／尽人事而听天命  ―  jìn rénshì ér tīng tiānmìng  ―  to do one's best and leave the rest to fate

5. one's nature or natural instincts
6. one's innate skills or gifts
7. one's life span or life expectancy

• (the Mandate of Heaven): (literary) 大命 (dàmìng), (literary) 景命 (jǐngmìng)

天命

1. (historical) the Tianming era (a Chinese era name; the era of Nurhaci as khan of the Later Jin, from the proclamation of the dynasty in 1616 until 1627)

• (era names of Qing) 天命 (Later Jin), 天聰 / 天聪 (Tiāncōng) (Later Jin), 崇德 (Chóngdé), 順治 / 顺治 (Shùnzhì), 康熙 (Kāngxī), 雍正 (Yōngzhèng), 乾隆 (Qiánlóng), 嘉慶 / 嘉庆 (Jiāqìng), 道光 (Dàoguāng), 咸豐 (Xiánfēng), 祺祥 (qíxiáng) (cancelled), →同治 (Tóngzhì), 光緒 / 光绪 (Guāngxù), 宣統 / 宣统 (Xuāntǒng) ^{(Category: zh:Chinese era names)}

• 天命 on the Chinese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^zh
• Mandate of Heaven on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

天命

Wikipedia ^ja

• (Tokyo) てんめー (Heiban – )^[1][2][3][4]
• (Tokyo) てんめー (Atamadaka – )^[1][2][3][4]
• IPA^(key):

天(てん)命(めい) • (tenmei) 

1. mandate of heaven, will of heaven; divine decree; fate, destiny

• IPA^(key):

天命(いのちなり) • (inochinari) 

1. (archaic) fate, destiny

天命 • (cheonmyeong) (hangeul 천명)

1. hanja form^? of 천명

天命

1. chữ Hán form of thiên mệnh.