Word Studies¶
Question¶
What does Daniel 7 establish (E/N), and how do the three readings (HIST, PRET, FUT) compare?
בְּלָא (bela) — H1080¶
Original: בְּלָא (Aramaic) Transliteration: bela Definition: To wear out, afflict; corresponding to Hebrew H1086 (balah) but used only in a mental sense; to harass continually.
Morphology in Daniel 7:25¶
- יְבַלֵּא (yeballe) = Pa'el Imperfect 3ms
- Pa'el stem = INTENSIVE action
- Imperfect aspect = ONGOING, habitual activity
- Combined: intensive, continuous wearing out of the saints
Translations¶
1 occurrence total: - "shall wear out" (1) — Dan 7:25
Key Verse¶
- Dan 7:25: "and shall wear out the saints of the most High" — the ONLY biblical occurrence; a hapax legomenon in Aramaic Scripture.
Hebrew Cognate: H1086 בָּלָה (balah)¶
The Hebrew cognate (16 occurrences) provides semantic range for the Aramaic hapax: - Physical decay of garments: Deut 8:4; 29:5; Neh 9:21; Josh 9:13 - Cosmic aging: Psa 102:26; Isa 50:9; 51:6 ("heavens shall wax old like a garment") - Bodily exhaustion: Psa 32:3 ("my bones waxed old"); Lam 3:4; Gen 18:12 - Consumption: Job 13:28; 1Ch 17:9
Critical pattern: ALL Hebrew cognate occurrences describe gradual, extended processes — never sudden or brief events. This semantic field supports a prolonged period of persecution in Dan 7:25, not a short-lived crisis.
שְׁנָא (shna) — H8133¶
Original: שְׁנָא (Aramaic) Transliteration: shna / shanah Definition: To change, alter, be different. Corresponding to Hebrew shanah.
Stem Distribution (Critical for Interpretation)¶
The stem determines whether the change is intransitive, transitive, passive, or causative:
Pe'al (intransitive: "be different"): - Dan 3:27 — garments not changed by fire - Dan 5:6, 5:9 — countenance changed - Dan 6:17 — purpose not changed - Dan 7:3 — beasts diverse one from another - Dan 7:19 — fourth beast different from all - Dan 7:23 — fourth kingdom diverse from all kingdoms - Dan 7:24 — another king diverse from the first
Pa'el (transitive: "change, frustrate"): - Dan 3:28 — changed/frustrated the king's word - Dan 4:16 — heart changed from man's - Dan 7:7 — passive participle: different from all beasts
Ithpa'el (passive: "be changed"): - Dan 2:9 — time/conditions be changed - Dan 3:19 — countenance changed - Dan 5:10, 7:28 — countenance changed
Haph'el (causative: "cause to change, alter"): - Dan 2:21 — God changes (מְהַשְׁנֵא) times and seasons (DIVINE PREROGATIVE) - Dan 6:8, 6:15 — decree cannot be changed - Dan 7:25 — think to change (לְהַשְׁנָיָה) times and law (USURPATION) - Ezra 6:11 — whoever alters the decree - Ezra 6:12 — to alter/destroy
Translations¶
26 total occurrences: - "be changed" (4), "was changed" (3), "changed" (3), "diverse" (3) - "shall be diverse" (2), "changeth" (1), "to change" (1), "shall alter" (1), "to alter" (1)
Key Observation: Dan 2:21 vs. Dan 7:25¶
Both Dan 2:21 and Dan 7:25 use the Haph'el (causative) stem of shanah: - Dan 2:21: God is the subject — "He changeth (מְהַשְׁנֵא Haph'el ptcp) times and seasons" - Dan 7:25: The horn is the subject — "think to change (לְהַשְׁנָיָה Haph'el inf) times and law"
The identical causative stem creates a deliberate lexical link: the horn attempts what only God legitimately does. This is usurpation of divine prerogative.
Key Verses¶
- Dan 7:3: "diverse (שָׁנְיָן Pe'al ptcp) one from another" — beasts are inherently different
- Dan 7:7: "diverse (מְשַׁנְּיָה Pa'el passive ptcp) from all the beasts" — the fourth beast stands uniquely apart
- Dan 7:23: "shall be diverse (תִשְׁנֵא Pe'al impf) from all kingdoms" — the fourth kingdom categorically different
- Dan 7:24: "shall be diverse (יִשְׁנֵא Pe'al impf) from the first" — the little horn different from predecessors
- Dan 7:25: "think to change (לְהַשְׁנָיָה Haph'el inf)" — causative alteration of divine order
דָּת (dat) — H1882¶
Original: דָּת (Aramaic) Transliteration: dat / dath Definition: Law, decree. Corresponding to Hebrew/Persian loan word.
BDB Categories¶
- Decree of king: Dan 2:13, 2:15; Ezra 7:26; with suffix Dan 2:9
- Unchangeable law of Medes and Persians: Dan 6:9, 6:13, 6:16
- Law of God (in mouth of non-Jews): Dan 6:6; Ezra 7:12, 14, 21, 25, 26; absolute form Dan 7:25
Translations¶
14 total occurrences: - "according to the law" (3), "of the law" (2), "the law" (2) - "the laws" (1), "and the law" (1), "And the decree" (1), "the decree" (1), "concerning the law" (1), "and laws" (1), "for you" (1)
Critical Grammatical Note: Absolute vs. Emphatic¶
BDB explicitly categorizes the ABSOLUTE form דָת in Dan 7:25 under category 3 = law of God (not decree of king or Medo-Persian law). The EMPHATIC form דָּתָא appears elsewhere for specific royal/political decrees. The absolute form in Dan 7:25 points to divine law as the object of the horn's attempted alteration.
Key Verses¶
- Dan 7:25: "think to change times and law (דָת)" — ABSOLUTE form = divine law
- Dan 6:5: "concerning the law (דָת) of his God" — Daniel's faithfulness to divine law
- Ezra 7:26: "the law (דָת) of thy God, and the law (דָת) of the king" — both divine and royal law distinguished
סְבַר (sbar) — H5452¶
Original: סְבַר (Aramaic) Transliteration: sbar / sebar Definition: To bear in mind, think, intend. A primitive root with Syriac cognate.
Morphology in Daniel 7:25¶
- יִסְבַּר (yisbar) = Pe'al Imperfect 3ms
- Followed by infinitive (לְהַשְׁנָיָה) = "think TO change"
- HAPAX LEGOMENON — occurs only once in all of Scripture
Translations¶
1 occurrence total: - "and think" (1) — Dan 7:25
Key Verse¶
- Dan 7:25: "and think (יִסְבַּר) to change times and laws"
Interpretive Significance¶
The word means "intend/think" — the horn INTENDS to change, but the verb implies the attempt, not necessarily its success. BDB: "think, intend, followed by infinitive." The Syriac cognate carries the sense of "hope, expect, suppose." This nuance suggests the effort may not fully succeed — it is aspiration or presumption, not accomplished fact.
עִדָּן (iddan) — H5732¶
Original: עִדָּן (Aramaic) Transliteration: iddan Definition: A set time; technically, a year. From a root corresponding to Hebrew 'eth.
BDB Usage Categories¶
- General time (duration): Dan 2:8, 7:12
- Specific conditions: Dan 2:9, 2:21
- Point of time: Dan 3:5, 3:15
- Definite time = year: Dan 4:16, 4:23, 4:25, 4:32 ("seven times" = seven years for Nebuchadnezzar)
- Dan 7:25: עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן = "a time, times, and half a time" (= 3.5 years)
Translations¶
15 total occurrences: - "times" (4), "the time" (2), "at" (2), "time" (2) - "the times" (1), "and time" (1), "a time" (1), "and times" (1), "of time" (1)
Key Verses¶
- Dan 4:16: "let seven times (עִדָּנִין) pass over him" — 'iddan = year (Nebuchadnezzar's seven years of madness)
- Dan 4:23, 25, 32: Same formula confirming 'iddan = year in context
- Dan 7:25: "a time (עִדָּן) and times (עִדָּנִין) and the dividing of time (פְלַג עִדָּן)" = 1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 times
- Dan 7:12: "their lives were prolonged for a season and time (עִדָּן)" — general duration
Connection to Daniel 12:7 and Revelation¶
- Dan 12:7: "a time, times, and an half" (מוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי — Hebrew, using mo'ed instead of 'iddan)
- Rev 12:14: "a time, and times, and half a time" (Greek: καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ)
- Rev 13:5: "forty and two months" = 42 months = 3.5 years
- Rev 12:6: "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" = 1,260 days = 3.5 years
The Daniel 4 precedent (where 'iddan = literal year) establishes the baseline meaning. All three readings must account for this 3.5-time period, whether literal (FUT), symbolic via day-year (HIST), or historical (PRET).
דִּין (diyn) — H1780¶
Original: דִּין (Aramaic) Transliteration: diyn / dina Definition: Judgment. Corresponding to Hebrew diyn (H1779).
BDB Usage¶
- Dan 4:37 (4:34): justice (of ways of God), absolute form
- Ezra 7:26: emphatic דִּינָה — judgment executed upon offender
- Dan 7:10: emphatic דִּינָא — "the judgment was set" (the court sat)
- Dan 7:22: "judgment was given to the saints of the most High"
- Dan 7:26: emphatic דִּינָא — "the judgment shall sit"
Translations¶
5 total occurrences: - "judgment" (2), "the judgment" (1), "and judgment" (1), "But the judgment" (1)
Key Verses¶
- Dan 7:10: "the judgment (דִּינָא) was set, and the books were opened" — the court convenes
- Dan 7:22: "judgment (דִּינָא) was given to the saints" — verdict rendered in favor of saints
- Dan 7:26: "But the judgment (דִּינָא) shall sit" — court reconvenes for sentencing
Greek Equivalent: G2920 κρίσις (krisis)¶
Rev 14:7 uses κρίσεως (genitive of krisis) for "the hour of his judgment is come" — the same judgment concept as the Aramaic דִּינָא in Dan 7:9-10. This is the clearest NT echo of the Daniel 7 judgment scene.
עֲקַר (aqar) — H6132¶
Original: עֲקַר (Aramaic) Transliteration: aqar Definition: To pluck up by the roots. Denominative verb from root meaning "root."
Morphology in Daniel 7:8¶
- אֶתְעֲקַרָה (et'aqarah) = Hithpe'el Perfect 3fp — "were uprooted"
- Passive voice: the three horns WERE uprooted (by the little horn)
Translations¶
2 total occurrences: - "there were" (1) — contextual translation - "plucked up by the roots" (1) — Dan 7:8
Key Verse¶
- Dan 7:8: "there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots (אֶתְעֲקַרָה) before it" — violent removal of three predecessor horns by the little horn.
Interpretive Significance¶
The root metaphor (denominative from "root") implies complete, permanent removal — not merely political defeat but total eradication. The three horns are not subdued or vassalized but destroyed at their foundation.
עֲנַן (anan) — H6050¶
Original: עֲנַן (Aramaic) Transliteration: anan Definition: Cloud. Corresponding to Hebrew 'anan (H6051).
Translations¶
1 occurrence total: - "clouds" (1) — Dan 7:13
Key Verse¶
- Dan 7:13: "one like the Son of man came with the clouds (עֲנָנֵי) of heaven" — plural construct form, "clouds of heaven."
Theophanic Significance¶
The cloud in OT theology consistently marks the visible presence of God: - Pillar of cloud guiding Israel: Exo 13:21-22; 14:19,24 - Cloud covering Sinai: Exo 19:9,16 - Cloud filling the tabernacle: Exo 40:34-35 - Cloud over the mercy seat on Day of Atonement: Lev 16:2 - Cloud filling Solomon's temple: 1Ki 8:10-11 - Cloud in Ezekiel's visions: Ezk 10:3-4,18
The "clouds of heaven" in Dan 7:13 carry this full theophanic weight — the Son of Man comes with the visible manifestation of divine presence.
Greek Equivalent: G3507 νεφέλη (nephele)¶
All major NT Son of Man cloud-coming passages use nephele: - Mat 24:30; 26:64; Mrk 14:62 — Jesus' own words citing Dan 7:13 - Rev 1:7 — "Behold, he cometh with clouds" - Rev 14:14 — "upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man" - Acts 1:9 — ascension "a cloud received him"
κρίσις (krisis) — G2920¶
Original: κρίσις (Greek) Transliteration: krisis Definition: Decision, judgment (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice.
Translations¶
48 total occurrences: - "judgment" (18), "of judgment" (8), "damnation" (2), "the judgment" (2) - "accusation" (2), "judgments" (2), "condemnation" (2)
Key Verses¶
- Rev 14:7: "the hour of his judgment (κρίσεως) is come" — aorist "has come" (ēlthen), indicating the judgment has arrived
- Mat 12:41-42: "shall rise in judgment (κρίσει)" — day of judgment references
- Jhn 5:22: "the Father hath committed all judgment (κρίσιν) unto the Son"
- Act 8:33: "in his humiliation his judgment (κρίσις) was taken away" — citing Isa 53
- 2Th 1:5: "righteous judgment (κρίσεως) of God"
Dan 7 Connection¶
Rev 14:7 is the clearest NT echo of the Dan 7:9-10 judgment scene. The Greek κρίσις corresponds to the Aramaic דִּינָא of Dan 7:10. The aorist ēlthen ("has come") in Rev 14:7 indicates the judgment has arrived — present reality, not distant future. The worship command in Rev 14:7 ("worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea") echoes Exodus 20:11, connecting judgment to creation and law.
βλασφημία (blasphemia) — G988¶
Original: βλασφημία (Greek) Transliteration: blasphemia Definition: Vilification, especially against God; blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.
Translations¶
19 total occurrences: - "blasphemy" (7), "blasphemies" (5), "of blasphemy" (2), "the blasphemy" (1) - "evil speaking" (1), "railings" (1), "a railing" (1)
Key Verses¶
- Rev 13:1: "upon his heads the name of blasphemy (βλασφημίας)"
- Rev 13:5: "a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (βλασφημίας)" — verbatim from Dan 7:8,20 LXX (στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα)
- Rev 13:6: "opened his mouth in blasphemy (βλασφημίας) against God"
- Rev 17:3: "full of names of blasphemy (βλασφημίας)"
- Mat 12:31: "all manner of sin and blasphemy (βλασφημία) shall be forgiven"
- Mat 26:65: "He hath spoken blasphemy (βλασφημίαν)"
Dan 7 Connection¶
The blasphemy chain connects three texts: 1. Dan 7:25: "speak great words against the Most High" (Aramaic: מִלִּין לְצַד עִלָּאָה יְמַלִּל) 2. 2Th 2:4: "exalteth himself above all that is called God" (ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεόν) 3. Rev 13:5-6: "mouth speaking great things and blasphemies... blasphemy against God" (στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας)
Rev 13:5 is a near-verbatim quotation of the LXX rendering of Dan 7:8/20, establishing literary dependence. Nave's Topical Bible groups all three passages together under BLASPHEMY, recognizing them as parallel descriptions of the same blasphemous activity.
νεφέλη (nephele) — G3507¶
Original: νεφέλη (Greek) Transliteration: nephele Definition: A cloud; properly, cloudiness.
Translations¶
26 total occurrences: - "cloud" (13), "clouds" (6), "a cloud" (4), "the clouds" (2), "with a cloud" (1)
Key "Clouds" Verses (Dan 7:13 Parallels)¶
- Mat 24:30: "the Son of man coming in the clouds (νεφελῶν) of heaven with power and great glory"
- Mat 26:64: "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man... coming in the clouds (νεφελῶν) of heaven"
- Mrk 14:62: "ye shall see the Son of man... coming in the clouds (νεφελῶν) of heaven"
- Rev 1:7: "Behold, he cometh with clouds (νεφελῶν)"
- Rev 14:14: "upon the cloud (νεφέλην) sat one like unto the Son of man"
Key "Cloud" Verses (Other)¶
- Acts 1:9: "a cloud (νεφέλη) received him out of their sight" — ascension
- 1Th 4:17: "caught up... in the clouds (νεφέλαις), to meet the Lord in the air"
- Mat 17:5: "a bright cloud (νεφέλη) overshadowed them" — transfiguration
Dan 7:13 Connection¶
Three-author NT convergence on nephele + Son of Man: 1. Jesus (Mat 24:30; 26:64; Mrk 14:62) — self-identifies as Daniel's Son of Man 2. Luke (Acts 7:56 via Stephen; Acts 1:9) — Son of Man at God's right hand, ascension cloud 3. John (Rev 1:7; 14:14) — coming with clouds, seated on cloud
All NT authors who reference Dan 7:13 treat it as messianic/eschatological. The Aramaic עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא ("clouds of heaven") is consistently rendered with nephele in the NT allusions, maintaining the theophanic cloud tradition from OT (Exo 13:21; 1Ki 8:10; Lev 16:2) through to eschatological fulfillment.
Summary of Lexical Networks¶
The Dan 7:25 Cluster¶
Four Aramaic terms converge in this single verse to define the horn's activity: 1. מלל (speak) — Pa'el: intensive speaking against the Most High 2. בלא (H1080, wear out) — Pa'el: intensive, ongoing persecution of saints 3. סבר (H5452, think/intend) — Pe'al: intention, not accomplished fact 4. שׁנה (H8133, change) — Haph'el infinitive: causative alteration of divine order
Plus the objects of alteration: 5. זמנין (times) — what God alone changes (Dan 2:21) 6. דת (H1882, law) — absolute form = divine law (BDB category 3)
The Dan 2:21 / Dan 7:25 Lexical Bridge¶
| Element | Dan 2:21 (God) | Dan 7:25 (Horn) |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | מְהַשְׁנֵא (Haph'el ptcp) | לְהַשְׁנָיָה (Haph'el inf) |
| Stem | Causative | Causative |
| Subject | God | The horn |
| Object | Times and seasons | Times and law |
| Status | Divine prerogative | Attempted usurpation |
The Judgment Vocabulary Chain¶
| Language | Term | Number | Key Verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aramaic | דִּינָא (dina) | H1780 | Dan 7:10, 22, 26 |
| Greek | κρίσις (krisis) | G2920 | Rev 14:7 |
| Connection | Same judgment concept across testaments | Dan 7:9-10 -> Rev 14:7 |
The Blasphemy/Cloud/Son of Man Vocabulary¶
| Aramaic (Dan 7) | Greek (NT) | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| פֻם מְמַלִּל רַבְרְבָן (mouth speaking great things) | στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας (G988) | Rev 13:5 = verbatim LXX of Dan 7:8 |
| עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא (clouds of heaven, H6050) | νεφέλη (G3507) | Mat 24:30; Rev 1:7; 14:14 |