Word Studies¶
d'qaq — H1855¶
Original: דְּקַק (Aramaic) Transliteration: dᵉqaq Definition: To crumble or crush; break to pieces. Aramaic verb corresponding to Hebrew H1854.
Translations¶
All occurrences translate as "break/brake in pieces" variants (13 total occurrences, 13 unique translation forms).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:34 — Haph. Perfect 3fs הדקת: the stone "brake in pieces" the iron, brass, clay, silver, gold
- Dan 2:35 — Pe. Perfect 3mp דקו: "then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together"
- Dan 2:40 — Haph. Imperfect 3fs תדק + Haph. Participle active מהדק: the fourth kingdom "shall break in pieces and subdue all things... shall it break in pieces and bruise"
- Dan 2:44 — Haph. Imperfect 3fs תדק: God's kingdom "shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms"
- Dan 2:45 — Haph. Perfect 3fs הדקת: the stone "brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold"
- Dan 6:25 — Haph. Perfect 3mp הדקו: lions "brake all their bones in pieces"
- Dan 7:7 — fem. Participle מדקה: the fourth beast "devoured and brake in pieces"
- Dan 7:19 — fem. Participle מדקה: the fourth beast "devoured, brake in pieces"
- Dan 7:23 — Haph. Imperfect with suffix תדקנה: the fourth kingdom "shall devour... and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces"
Significance¶
All occurrences are in Daniel only — this is Daniel-specific vocabulary. The same root (d'qaq) describes the stone's action in Dan 2:34,44,45 and the fourth beast's action in Dan 7:7,19,23, creating a vocabulary chain that binds the two visions together. Both the stone and the fourth beast "crush" — but in opposite directions.
parzel — H6523¶
Original: פַּרְזֶל (Aramaic) Transliteration: parzel Definition: Iron. Aramaic masculine noun corresponding to Hebrew barzel (H1270).
Translations¶
20 occurrences, 5 translations: iron (11), the iron (4), of iron (3), as iron (1), and as iron (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:33 (2x) — the image's legs of iron, feet partly iron and partly clay
- Dan 2:34 — the stone smote the image upon its feet of iron and clay
- Dan 2:40 — "the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces"
- Dan 2:43 (2x) — "iron mixed with miry clay... iron is not mixed with clay"
- Dan 4:15, 4:23 — band of iron and brass (Nebuchadnezzar's tree dream)
- Dan 5:23 — gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, stone
- Dan 7:7 — the fourth beast with "great iron teeth"
- Dan 7:19 — "teeth of iron, and his nails of brass"
Significance¶
All 20 occurrences are in Daniel — exclusively Danielic Aramaic. The iron vocabulary links the fourth part of the image (Dan 2:33,40) directly to the fourth beast (Dan 7:7,19), reinforcing the Dan 2 / Dan 7 parallel. PRET notes that iron describes a quality (crushing strength) rather than necessarily identifying a specific nation.
malkuw — H4437¶
Original: מַלְכוּ (Aramaic) Transliteration: malkûw Definition: Dominion, kingdom, kingly, realm, reign. Aramaic feminine noun corresponding to Hebrew malkuwth (H4438).
Translations¶
57 BLB count; 65 total occurrences across 30 translation variants. Primary: "kingdom" (8), "the kingdom" (7), "his kingdom" (6), "thy kingdom" (5).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:39 (2x) — "another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass"
- Dan 2:40 — "the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron"
- Dan 2:41-42 — "the kingdom shall be divided... the kingdom shall be partly strong"
- Dan 2:44 — "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed... it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms"
- Dan 7:14 — "his dominion is an everlasting dominion... and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed"
- Dan 7:23 — "the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth"
- Dan 7:24 — "ten kings that shall arise... another shall rise after them"
- Dan 7:27 — "the kingdom and dominion... shall be given to the people of the saints"
BDB Categories¶
- Royalty/kingly authority (Dan 4:23,28,33; throne Dan 5:20)
- Organized world-kingdom (Dan 2:39,40,41,42,44; 7:23,24,27)
- Kingdom of God (Dan 3:33; 7:27; 2:44)
- Kingdom of Messiah (Dan 7:14)
- Kingdom of the saints (Dan 7:18,22,27)
malkuwth — H4438¶
Original: מַלְכוּת (Hebrew) Transliteration: malkûwth Definition: From melek; a rule, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, reign, royal. Hebrew feminine noun.
Translations¶
91 BLB count; 95 total occurrences across 36 translation variants.
Key Verses (Daniel)¶
- Dan 1:1 — "the reign of Jehoiakim"
- Dan 2:1 — "the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar"
- Dan 8:1 — "the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar"
- Dan 8:22 (2x) — "four kingdoms (malkuyot) shall stand up out of the nation"
- Dan 9:1 — "the first year of Darius... of the seed of the Medes"
- Dan 10:13 — "the prince of the kingdom of Persia"
- Dan 11:2 — "the realm of Grecia"
- Dan 11:4 — "his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided"
Significance¶
Dan 8:22 uses malkuyot (plural of malkuwth) for the four Greek successor kingdoms — this is the Hebrew equivalent used in the Hebrew sections of Daniel, while malkuw (H4437) is the Aramaic equivalent used in the Aramaic sections (Dan 2-7). The distinction matters for tracking kingdom-language across Daniel's bilingual text.
arab — H6151¶
Original: עֲרַב (Aramaic) Transliteration: ʻărab Definition: To commingle; mingle (self), mix. Aramaic verb corresponding to Hebrew arab.
Translations¶
4 BLB count; 5 total occurrences, 3 translations: mixed (3), mingle themselves (1), is (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:41 — Pa. Passive participle מערב: "iron mixed (m'arab) with miry clay"
- Dan 2:43 — Pa. Passive participle מערב: "iron mixed (m'arab) with clay"
- Dan 2:43 — Hithpa. participle מתערב: "they shall mingle themselves (mitarab) with the seed of men"
- Dan 2:43 — Hithpa. plural מתערבין: "but they shall not cleave one to another"
Significance¶
All 5 occurrences are in Dan 2:41,43 only — exclusively the iron-clay passage. The Hithpael form "mingle themselves with the seed of men" is the basis for the intermarriage interpretation. The reflexive/reciprocal Hithpael stem indicates deliberate, mutual action ("mingle themselves"), not passive mixing. PRET reads this as intermarriage alliances (cf. Dan 11:6,17 where marriage alliances between kingdoms are described).
chasaph — H2635¶
Original: חֲסַף (Aramaic) Transliteration: chăçaph Definition: Clay, potsherd. Aramaic masculine noun.
Translations¶
9 BLB count; 11 total occurrences, 5 translations: clay (5), the clay (2), with (2), and clay (1), of clay (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:33 — Absolute חסף: feet "part of iron and part of clay"
- Dan 2:34 — Emphatic חספא: the stone smote "his feet that were of iron and clay"
- Dan 2:35 — Emphatic חספא: "then was the iron, the clay... broken to pieces together"
- Dan 2:41 — Absolute חסף + construct חסף טינא: "part of potters' clay and part of iron"
- Dan 2:42 — Absolute חסף: "partly of iron, and partly of clay"
- Dan 2:43 — Emphatic חספא + construct חסף טינא: "iron mixed with miry clay"
- Dan 2:45 — Emphatic חספא: "brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay"
Significance¶
All occurrences are in Dan 2:33-45 — exclusively the image vision. The word appears nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Combined with the construct phrase חסף טינא (chasaph tina, "potter's clay" / "miry clay"), the material is emphatically fragile — potsherd-quality clay, not sturdy ceramic.
chad — H2298¶
Original: חַד (Aramaic) Transliteration: chad Definition: One; as article, single; as ordinal, first; adverbially, at once. Aramaic adjective.
Translations¶
14 BLB count; 15 total occurrences, 6 translations: a (4), first (4), one (4), decree (1), together (1), times (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:31 — צלם חד (tselem chad): "one great image" — a single unified statue
- Dan 2:35 — כחדה (ka-chadah): "as one" / "together" / "at once" — simultaneous destruction
Significance¶
The adverbial form ka-chadah in Dan 2:35 is critical: all materials were broken "as one" / "at once" / "together." This simultaneous destruction of all metals challenges sequential-replacement readings. If the kingdoms succeed each other historically (each replacing the last), only one should exist at the destruction point — yet all are destroyed ka-chadah. PRET uses this to argue the image represents a single, unified system of human dominion.
likmao — G3039¶
Original: λικμάω (Greek) Transliteration: likmáō Definition: To winnow, grind to powder; scatter like chaff.
Translations¶
2 BLB count; 4 total occurrences, 2 translations: "it will grind" (2), "to powder" (2).
Key Verses¶
- Matt 21:44 — λικμήσει αὐτόν: "on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder"
- Luke 20:18 — λικμήσει αὐτόν: "on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder"
LXX Connections¶
BLB Outline lists these LXX references: Isa 17:13, Jer 31:10, Dan 2:44, Amos 9:9. The LXX translates the Aramaic crushing action of Dan 2:44 with likmao — the same verb Jesus uses in Matt 21:44 / Luke 20:18 when describing the stone that falls and grinds to powder. This is the strongest single lexical link between Jesus's rejected-cornerstone parable and Daniel 2's stone kingdom.
acheiropoietos — G886¶
Original: ἀχειροποίητος (Greek) Transliteration: acheiropoíētos Definition: Not made with hands; unmanufactured. Compound adjective: alpha-privative + cheir (hand) + poieo (make).
Translations¶
3 BLB count; 3 occurrences: "made without hands" (2), "not made with hands" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Mark 14:58 — "I will destroy this temple that is made with hands (cheiropoietos), and within three days I will build another made without hands (acheiropoietos)"
- 2 Cor 5:1 — "a building of God, an house not made with hands (acheiropoietos), eternal in the heavens"
- Col 2:11 — "circumcision made without hands (acheiropoietos)"
Significance¶
Dan 2:34,45 says the stone was cut "without hands" (Aramaic: di-la bi-yedayin). The NT acheiropoietos language forms a theological chain: the temple Jesus builds (Mark 14:58), the resurrection body (2 Cor 5:1), and spiritual circumcision (Col 2:11) are all "not made with hands" — echoing Daniel's stone kingdom as divine in origin, not humanly manufactured.
cheiropoietos — G5499¶
Original: χειροποίητος (Greek) Transliteration: cheiropoíētos Definition: Made with hands; manufactured. Compound adjective: cheir (hand) + poieo (make).
Translations¶
6 BLB count; 6 occurrences: "made with hands" (5), "made by hands" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Mark 14:58 — temple "made with hands" (contrasted with acheiropoietos)
- Acts 7:48 — "the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands"
- Acts 17:24 — "God that made the world... dwelleth not in temples made with hands"
- Eph 2:11 — "circumcision in the flesh made by hands"
- Heb 9:11 — "a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands"
- Heb 9:24 — "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands"
Significance¶
The positive form (cheiropoietos = "made with hands") consistently refers to human/earthly constructions that are contrasted with God's superior, non-manufactured works. The pattern in Acts 7:48, 17:24, and Hebrews 9:11,24 consistently associates "made with hands" with the old covenant system, while "not made with hands" marks the new covenant reality — the same contrast Daniel 2 draws between human kingdoms (the image) and the divine stone kingdom.
phthano — G5348¶
Original: φθάνω (Greek) Transliteration: phthánō Definition: To come upon, arrive; to precede, anticipate.
Translations¶
7 BLB count; 8 occurrences, 6 translations: "is come" (3), "hath" (1), "attained" (1), "we are come" (1), "shall" (1), "prevent" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Matt 12:28 — ἔφθασεν (ephthasen, aorist active indicative): "the kingdom of God IS COME upon you"
- Luke 11:20 — ἔφθασεν: "the kingdom of God is come upon you"
- Rom 9:31 — "hath not attained to the law of righteousness"
- 2 Cor 10:14 — "we are come as far as to you"
- 1 Thess 2:16 — "wrath is come upon them to the uttermost"
- 1 Thess 4:15 — "shall not prevent them which are asleep"
LXX Connections¶
BLB Outline includes Dan 4:19 and 2 Chr 28:9 among LXX references.
Significance¶
The aorist ἔφθασεν in Matt 12:28 is PRET's primary proof text for inaugurated kingdom theology. Jesus declares the kingdom "HAS COME" (completed action) in the present, during His ministry — not at some future point. PRET argues this fulfills Dan 2:44's "in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." The kingdom is inaugurated during the Roman period (the "days of these kings"), exactly as Daniel predicted.
dabaq — H1692¶
Original: דָּבַק (Hebrew) Transliteration: dâbaq Definition: To impinge, cling or adhere; figuratively to catch by pursuit; to cleave, keep close, stick.
Translations¶
54 BLB count; 60 total occurrences across 40 translation variants. Primary: cleave (7), cleaveth (6), clave (4), followed hard (3).
Key Verses¶
- Gen 2:24 — "shall cleave (dabaq) unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh"
- Ruth 1:14 — "Ruth clave (dabaq) unto her"
- Deut 10:20 — "to him shalt thou cleave (dabaq)"
- Dan 2:43 — Aramaic cognate דבק (dabaq): "they shall not cleave (dabqin) one to another"
Significance¶
Daniel 2:43 uses the Aramaic cognate of Hebrew dabaq. The marriage/adherence connotation is established by Gen 2:24 (the foundational "cleaving" text). When Dan 2:43 says iron and clay "shall not cleave (dabaq) one to another, even as iron is not mixed with miry clay," the marriage-language echo supports reading the "mingling with the seed of men" as intermarriage alliances. The iron-clay division represents political unions attempted through marriage but failing to produce lasting cohesion.
athar — H870¶
Original: אֲתַר (Aramaic) Transliteration: ʼăthar Definition: Place; hence (with prefix ba'athar) "after" (lit. "in the track of").
Translations¶
8 BLB count; 8 occurrences, 6 translations: "his place" (2), "After" (2), "the place" (1), "to his place" (1), "place" (1), "And after thee" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:35 — אתר (athar): "no place was found for them" (the crushed image materials)
- Dan 2:39 — ובתרך (u-vatarakh): "and after thee shall arise another kingdom"
- Dan 7:6 — באתר (ba'athar): "after this I beheld"
- Dan 7:7 — באתר (ba'athar): "after this I saw in the night visions"
- Ezra 5:15 — "put them in the house... in his place (athar)"
- Ezra 6:3,5,7 — "the place (athar) where they offered sacrifices... in his place"
Significance¶
The Dan 2:39 form u-vatarakh ("and after thee") is critical. It means literally "in your track/footstep" — implying temporal succession of genuinely distinct powers. This creates a problem for Schema B, which places a Median kingdom "after" Babylon even though historically Media never ruled Babylon independently after Babylon fell; instead, Media and Persia conquered Babylon jointly under Cyrus. PRET argues Dan 8:20's identification of Media-Persia as one ram eliminates the possibility of treating Media as a separate kingdom in the succession.
alam — H5957¶
Original: עָלַם (Aramaic) Transliteration: ʻâlam Definition: Perpetuity in the future; everlasting, forever. Aramaic masculine noun.
Translations¶
20 BLB count; 20 occurrences: "for ever" (8), "ever" (4), "everlasting" (4), "old" (2), "never" (1), "and ever" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:44 — לעלמין (le-almin) + לעלמיא (le-almayya): "shall never be destroyed... shall stand for ever"
- Dan 3:33/4:3 — מלכות עלם (malkuth alam): "his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom"
- Dan 4:31/34 — "his dominion is an everlasting dominion"
- Dan 6:26 — "his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end"
- Dan 7:14 — "his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away"
- Dan 7:18 — "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever"
- Dan 7:27 — "his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom"
Significance¶
Dan 2:44 uses both le-almin and le-almayya — an emphatic doubling ("forever and ever") that stresses the permanence of God's kingdom. The same "everlasting kingdom" language appears in Dan 4:3, 4:34, 6:26, 7:14, 7:18, 7:27 — always referring to God's kingdom or the saints' kingdom, never to any human empire. PRET argues this language began its fulfillment at Christ's first advent and extends into eternity.
shna — H8133¶
Original: שְׁנָא (Aramaic) Transliteration: shᵉnâʼ Definition: To be different, be diverse, be changed. Aramaic verb.
Translations¶
21 BLB count; 26 occurrences: "be changed" (4), "was changed" (3), "changed" (3), "diverse" (3), "shall be diverse" (2), among others.
Key Verses¶
- Dan 7:3 — "diverse one from another" (intransitive, be different from)
- Dan 7:7 — מְשַׁנְּיָא (meshanneyah, Pael participle fem. sg.): the fourth beast "was diverse from all the beasts"
- Dan 7:19 — שַׁנְיָה (shanyah): "which was diverse from all the others"
- Dan 7:23 — תִשְׁנֵא (tishne): "shall be diverse from all kingdoms"
- Dan 7:24 — יִשְׁנֵא (yishne): "he shall be diverse from the first"
Significance¶
The fourth beast is emphatically "diverse" (shna) from all others — a term used four times specifically for the fourth beast (Dan 7:7,19,23,24). BDB classifies these as "be different from" with the preposition min. PRET argues this "diversity" points to Rome's unique character — a republic-then-empire with constitutional law, citizen armies, and administrative infrastructure fundamentally different from the Oriental despotisms that preceded it. The repetition of the diversity language underscores that the fourth kingdom is categorically unlike the first three.
tamid — H8548¶
Original: תָּמִיד (Hebrew) Transliteration: tâmîyd Definition: Continual, daily; properly a stretching, continuance. Hebrew masculine noun.
Translations¶
104 BLB count; 105 occurrences: "continually" (53), "the continual" (17), "continual" (9), "the daily" (7), among others.
Key Verses (Daniel)¶
- Dan 8:11 — "the daily sacrifice (tamid) was taken away"
- Dan 8:12 — "a host was given him against the daily sacrifice (tamid)"
- Dan 8:13 — "how long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice (tamid)"
- Dan 11:31 — "they shall take away the daily sacrifice (tamid)"
- Dan 12:11 — "from the time that the daily sacrifice (tamid) shall be taken away"
Significance¶
The "daily" (tamid) references in Daniel 8-12 describe the cessation of regular temple worship. PRET links this to Antiochus Epiphanes' desecration (167 BC) within the Dan 8 vision scope. The term provides context for understanding Daniel's prophetic time horizon and the relationship between the visions.
barzel — H1270¶
Original: בַּרְזֶל (Hebrew) Transliteration: barzel Definition: Iron. Hebrew masculine noun (the Hebrew equivalent of Aramaic parzel, H6523).
Translations¶
76 BLB count; 79 occurrences across 19 translation variants.
Key Verses (Iron as Quality Descriptor)¶
- Deut 4:20 — "the LORD hath taken you... out of the iron furnace" (Egypt = iron furnace)
- 1 Ki 8:51 — "out of the midst of the furnace of iron" (Egypt = iron furnace)
- Jer 28:13-14 — "thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron" (Babylon = iron yoke)
- Ps 2:9 — "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron" (divine/messianic rule = iron rod)
- Isa 48:4 — "thy neck is an iron sinew" (stubbornness = iron)
- Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15 — "rule them with a rod of iron" (messianic rule = iron rod)
Significance¶
Iron in the OT frequently describes a quality (crushing strength, unyielding hardness, oppressive power) rather than identifying a specific nation. PRET argues that Dan 2:40's "strong as iron" is a quality statement — the fourth kingdom's defining characteristic is its iron-like crushing power, not that it must be a specific empire. The "iron furnace" is Egypt in Deut 4:20, the "iron yoke" is Babylon in Jer 28:14, and the "iron rod" is God's own rule in Ps 2:9 — iron describes how power is exercised, not who exercises it.
raz — H7328¶
Original: רָז (Aramaic) Transliteration: râz Definition: Secret, mystery. Aramaic masculine noun; Persian loanword.
Translations¶
9 BLB count; 9 occurrences: "secret" (4), "secrets" (2), "the secret" (1), "The secret" (1), "of secrets" (1).
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:18 — "that they would desire mercies... concerning this secret (raz)"
- Dan 2:19 — "then was the secret (raz) revealed unto Daniel"
- Dan 2:27 — "the secret which the king hath demanded"
- Dan 2:28 — "there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets (razin)"
- Dan 2:29 — "he that revealeth secrets (razin)"
- Dan 2:30 — "this secret (raz) is not revealed to me for any wisdom"
- Dan 2:47 (2x) — "a revealer of secrets (razin)"
- Dan 4:6 — "tell me the visions of my dream... and the interpretation (pesher)"
LXX Connections¶
The LXX translates raz as μυστήριον (mysterion, G3466). This creates the raz → mysterion → apokalypsis theological chain that PRET traces from Daniel 2 into the NT.
mysterion — G3466¶
Original: μυστήριον (Greek) Transliteration: mystḗrion Definition: Mystery; a secret or hidden thing, not obvious to understanding. Neuter noun.
Translations¶
27 BLB count; 27 occurrences. Primary: "mystery" (17), "mysteries" (6).
Key Verses¶
- Matt 13:11 — "it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven"
- Rom 11:25 — "I would not... that ye should be ignorant of this mystery"
- Rom 16:25 — "the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began"
- 1 Cor 2:7 — "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom"
- Eph 1:9 — "the mystery of his will"
- Eph 3:3-9 — "by revelation he made known unto me the mystery"
- Col 1:26 — "the mystery which hath been hid from ages"
- Rev 1:20 — "the mystery of the seven stars"
- Rev 10:7 — "the mystery of God should be finished"
- Rev 17:5 — "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT"
LXX Connections¶
LXX references include Dan 2, 2:18, 4:6 — where mysterion translates Aramaic raz (H7328).
Significance¶
The NT mysterion concept is rooted in Daniel 2's raz. Paul's "mystery" language (especially Eph 3:3-9, Col 1:26, Rom 16:25) describes something previously hidden now revealed — precisely what Daniel 2:28 describes: "there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets (razin)." PRET traces this chain to argue that the NT authors understood themselves as living in the time when Daniel's raz/mysterion was being unveiled.
apokalypsis — G602¶
Original: ἀποκάλυψις (Greek) Transliteration: apokálypsis Definition: Revelation, disclosure, unveiling. Feminine noun from apokalypto (to uncover).
Translations¶
18 BLB count; 18 occurrences: "revelation" (5), "revelations" (2), "the revelation" (2), among others.
Key Verses¶
- Luke 2:32 — "a light to lighten (apokalypsis) the Gentiles"
- Rom 2:5 — "the revelation (apokalypsis) of the righteous judgment of God"
- Rom 8:19 — "the manifestation (apokalypsis) of the sons of God"
- Rom 16:25 — "the revelation (apokalypsis) of the mystery"
- 1 Cor 14:6 — "by revelation, or by knowledge"
- Gal 1:12 — "by the revelation (apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ"
- 2 Thess 1:7 — "the revelation (apokalypsis) of the Lord Jesus"
- 1 Pet 1:7,13 — "at the appearing (apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ"
- Rev 1:1 — "The Revelation (apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ"
Significance¶
Rev 1:1's opening word — apokalypsis — completes the chain: raz (Dan 2:28, Aramaic "secret") → mysterion (LXX translation, adopted by Paul) → apokalypsis (the full disclosure). PRET argues that Revelation's self-identification as an "apokalypsis" signals it is the final unveiling of what Daniel saw in seed form — making Revelation and Daniel 2 bookends of the same prophetic trajectory.
ar'a — H772¶
Original: אֲרַע (Aramaic) Transliteration: ʼăraʻ Definition: Earth, ground; also "inferior" (in Dan 2:39). Aramaic masculine noun.
Translations¶
21 BLB count; 23 occurrences: "the earth" (6), "of the earth" (6), "earth" (2), "inferior" (1), among others.
Key Verses¶
- Dan 2:35 — "the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them" (ארעא = the earth/ground)
- Dan 2:39 — ארעא מנך (ar'a minakh): KJV "inferior to thee" but literally "earthward from thee" or "lower than thee"
- Dan 4:15 — "leave the stump of his roots in the earth (ar'a)"
- Dan 7:23 — "the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth (ar'a)"
Significance¶
Dan 2:39's Ketiv reading ארעא מנך has been debated: does ar'a mean "earth" (geographic scope) or "inferior" (qualitative)? The KJV translates "inferior to thee." BDB notes the Qere reading as "earth from you." PRET also uses kol-ar'a ("all the earth") in passages like Dan 2:35 to raise the hyperbole question — does "all the earth" mean the entire globe, or the known world/empire? Similar kol-ar'a / kol-ha'aretz expressions elsewhere clearly mean limited geographic scope (Gen 41:57; 1 Ki 10:24; Ezra 1:2), which PRET uses to argue Daniel's scope is the Mediterranean/ANE world, not the entire planet.