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Word Studies

H8269 -- sar (שַׂר)

  • Original: שַׂר
  • Transliteration: sar
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: A head person (of any rank or class): captain, chief, general, governor, keeper, lord, master, prince, ruler, steward
  • BLB Count: 421 occurrences
  • Key Translations: "the princes" (65x, 15%), "the captains" (33x, 7.6%), "captains" (21x), "princes" (20x), "captain" (19x), "the prince" (9x), "chief" (14x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 1:7,8,9,10,11,18; 8:11,25; 9:6,8; 10:13(2x),20(2x),21(2x); 11:5; 12:1
  • Key Verses in Daniel 10-12:
  • Dan 10:13 -- "sar malkut paras" (prince/chief of the kingdom of Persia); "Michael echad ha-sarim ha-rishonim" (Michael, one of the chief princes)
  • Dan 10:20 -- "sar paras" (prince of Persia); "sar yavan" (prince of Greece)
  • Dan 10:21 -- "Michael sarkhem" (Michael your prince)
  • Dan 11:5 -- "sar" used of a military commander under the king of the south
  • Dan 12:1 -- "Michael ha-sar ha-gadol" (Michael the great prince)
  • Title Progression (PRET vs. HIST significance):
  • 10:13: echad ha-sarim ha-rishonim ("one of the chief princes") -- PRET reads this as placing Michael within a category of multiple angelic princes
  • 10:21: sarkhem ("your prince") -- possessive, Michael as Israel's patron
  • 12:1: ha-sar ha-gadol ("the great prince") -- superlative, highest rank
  • LXX Connection: LXX uses archon/archontos for sar in Daniel

H5057 -- nagiyd (נָגִיד)

  • Original: נָגִיד
  • Transliteration: nagiyd
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: A commander (occupying the front), civil, military, or religious; captain, chief, excellent thing, governor, leader, noble, prince, ruler
  • BLB Count: 44 occurrences
  • Key Translations: "ruler" (9x, 20%), "the ruler" (8x, 17.8%), "captain" (3x), "prince" (2x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 9:25,26; 11:22
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 9:25 -- "mashiach nagiyd" (Messiah the Prince/Ruler)
  • Dan 9:26 -- "nagiyd" (the prince that shall come)
  • Dan 11:22 -- "negiyd berith" (prince of the covenant) -- PRET identifies as Onias III (high priest murdered c. 170 BC, cf. 2 Macc 4:33-38)
  • Distinction from sar: nagiyd is used for appointed/designated leaders; sar is broader (any head person). In Dan 11:22, negiyd berith is a religious leader (high priest), not a military chief.

H6884 -- tsaraph (צָרַף)

  • Original: צָרַף
  • Transliteration: tsaraph
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to fuse (metal), refine (literally or figuratively): cast, refine, founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try
  • BLB Count: 33 occurrences (36 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "tried" (2x), "pure" (2x), "founder" (2x), "refiner's" (1x), "a refiner" (1x)
  • Purification Triad Member (with H1305, H3835):
  • Dan 11:35 -- litsroph (Qal Inf.Con., "to refine")
  • Dan 12:10 -- yitstsarpu (Niphal Impf.3mp, "they shall be refined")
  • Other Key Occurrences: Isa 1:25; 48:10; Jer 6:29; 9:6; Zec 13:9; Mal 3:2,3; Psa 12:7; 17:3; 26:2; 66:10; 105:19; 119:140
  • Structural Significance: Appears in both Dan 11:35 and 12:10, creating a vocabulary bracket. Only prophetic uses outside Daniel are in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Malachi -- always in contexts of God testing/purifying his people.

H1305 -- barar (בָּרַר)

  • Original: בָּרַר
  • Transliteration: barar
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to clarify (brighten), examine, select: make bright, choice, chosen, cleanse, clearly, polished, pure, purify, purge
  • BLB Count: 18 occurrences (19 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "the pure" (2x), "thou wilt shew thyself pure" (2x), "choice" (2x), "polished" (1x), "purge" (1x), "purified" (1x)
  • Purification Triad Member:
  • Dan 11:35 -- ul'barer (Piel Inf.Con., "and to purge/purify")
  • Dan 12:10 -- yitbararu (Hithpael Impf.3mp, "they shall purify themselves")
  • Other Key Occurrences: 2 Sam 22:27; Psa 18:27; Isa 49:2; 52:11; Ezk 20:38; Zep 3:9
  • Note: Different stems in 11:35 (Piel -- causative) vs. 12:10 (Hithpael -- reflexive). The shift from passive/causative to reflexive may indicate progression from external testing to internalized purification.

H3835 -- laban (לָבַן)

  • Original: לָבַן
  • Transliteration: laban
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to be (or become) white; also as denominative: to make bricks
  • BLB Count: 8 occurrences
  • Key Translations: "let us make" (1x, brickmaking), "white" (1x), "whiter" (1x), "made white" (1x), "are made white" (1x)
  • Purification Triad Member:
  • Dan 11:35 -- v'lalben (Hiphil Inf.Con., "and to make white")
  • Dan 12:10 -- yitlabbenu (Hithpael Impf.3mp, "they shall make themselves white")
  • Other Occurrences: Gen 11:3; Exo 5:7,14 (make bricks -- denominative from lebenah); Psa 51:9; Isa 1:18; Joel 1:7
  • Rarity: Only 8 total occurrences. The prophetic/purification sense appears only in Dan 11:35, 12:10, Psa 51:9, and Isa 1:18. The convergence of all three triad members (tsaraph + barar + laban) occurs ONLY in Dan 11:35 and Dan 12:10 in the entire Hebrew Bible.

H1860 -- dera'on (דְּרָאוֹן)

  • Original: דְּרָאוֹן
  • Transliteration: dera'on
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: From an unused root meaning to repulse; an object of aversion: abhorring, contempt
  • BLB Count: 2 occurrences (HAPAX PAIR)
  • Translations: "an abhorring" (Isa 66:24), "contempt" (Dan 12:2)
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 12:2 -- "l'dir'on olam" (to everlasting contempt)
  • Isa 66:24 -- "dera'on l'kol basar" (an abhorring unto all flesh)
  • Significance: This is a true hapax pair -- dera'on occurs only in these two verses. The parallel construct chains (chayyey olam // dera'on olam in Dan 12:2; dera'on l'kol basar in Isa 66:24) establish that olam carries identical temporal force in both outcomes. The Isa 66:24 connection links Dan 12:2 to an eschatological, universal-judgment context that transcends any Maccabean framework.

H7093 -- qets (קֵץ)

  • Original: קֵץ
  • Transliteration: qets
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Contracted from; an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after: after, border, end, infinite, process
  • BLB Count: 67 occurrences (71 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "at the end" (9x, 12.7%), "after" (9x), "the end" (8x), "end" (5x), "of the end" (5x)
  • Daniel Occurrences (complete eth qets chain):
  • Dan 8:17 -- "l'eth-qets ha-chazon" (for at the time of the end the vision)
  • Dan 8:19 -- "l'mo'ed qets" (for the appointed time of the end)
  • Dan 9:26(2x) -- "qets" (end, in relation to the city and desolations)
  • Dan 11:6 -- "l'qets shanim" (at the end of years)
  • Dan 11:13 -- "l'qets ha-ittim" (at the end of times)
  • Dan 11:27 -- "ki od qets la-mo'ed" (for yet the end at the appointed time)
  • Dan 11:35 -- "ad eth qets" (even to the time of the end)
  • Dan 11:40 -- "uv'eth qets" (and at the time of the end)
  • Dan 11:45 -- "uva ad qitso" (yet he shall come to his end)
  • Dan 12:4 -- "ad eth qets" (even to the time of the end)
  • Dan 12:6 -- "ad matay qets" (how long to the end)
  • Dan 12:9 -- "ad eth qets" (till the time of the end)
  • Dan 12:13(2x) -- "la-qets" (to the end); "l'qets ha-yamim" (at the end of the days)
  • Chain Analysis: The eth qets phrase creates a structural chain linking Dan 8:17 to 12:9. PRET must read all these as referring to the end of the Antiochene crisis. The chain's connection to Dan 8:17 (Gabriel's explanation of the vision) and its culmination in 12:2's resurrection language creates tension for PRET.

H6256 -- eth (עֵת)

  • Original: עֵת
  • Transliteration: eth
  • Part of Speech: Feminine noun
  • Definition: Time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.
  • BLB Count: 296 occurrences (377 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "time" (91x, 24.1%), "at" (39x), "the time" (21x), "in the time" (19x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 8:7; 9:21; 11:13,14,35,40; 12:1,4,9
  • Key Verse: Dan 12:1 -- "uva-eth ha-hi" (and at that time) -- the ba-eth ha-hi temporal connector linking 11:45 to 12:1, creating narrative continuity (PRET's argument for unified subject)

H2856 -- chatham (חָתַם)

  • Original: חָתַם
  • Transliteration: chatham
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to close up; especially to seal: make an end, mark, seal (up), stop
  • BLB Count: 27 occurrences (25 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "and sealed" (6x, 24%), "and seal" (3x), "sealed up" (2x), "seal" (2x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 9:24(4x -- multiple uses in the seventy-weeks prophecy); 12:4; 12:9
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 9:24 -- "to seal up (chatham) the vision and prophecy"
  • Dan 12:4 -- "shut up the words, and seal (chatham) the book, until the time of the end"
  • Dan 12:9 -- "the words are closed up and sealed (chathumim) until the time of the end"
  • Sealed/Unsealed Arc: Dan 12:4,9 commands sealing "until the time of the end" (ad eth qets). Rev 22:10 reverses this: "seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." CRIT PRET reads the sealing as a literary device explaining why a 6th-century text appeared in the 2nd century.

H8548 -- tamid (תָּמִיד)

  • Original: תָּמִיד
  • Transliteration: tamid
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Properly, continuance (indefinite extension); used attributively as constant/continual; elliptically, the regular (daily) sacrifice: always, continual, daily, perpetual
  • BLB Count: 104 occurrences (105 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "continually" (53x, 50.5%), "the continual" (17x), "continual" (9x), "the daily" (7x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 8:11,12,13; 11:31; 12:11(2x)
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 8:11 -- "mimmennu hurim ha-tamid" (from him the daily was taken away) -- verb: rum (H7311, Hophal)
  • Dan 11:31 -- "v'hesiru ha-tamid" (and they shall take away the daily) -- verb: sur (H5493, Hiphil)
  • Dan 12:11 -- "me-eth husar ha-tamid" (from the time the daily was taken away) -- verb: sur (H5493, Hophal)
  • Verb Difference: Dan 8:11 uses rum (H7311, "lift up/exalt") while 11:31 and 12:11 use sur (H5493, "turn aside/remove"). This vocabulary difference is significant: PRET argues 11:31/12:11 describe the same event (Antiochus removing the daily sacrifice), while 8:11 may describe the same event differently. HIST argues the different verbs signal different agents/events.

H8251 -- shiqquts (שִׁקּוּץ)

  • Original: שִׁקּוּץ
  • Transliteration: shiqquts
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Disgusting, filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol: abominable filth, idol, abomination, detestable thing
  • BLB Count: 28 occurrences (29 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "the abomination" (7x, 24.1%), "their abominations" (4x), "the abominations" (3x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 9:27; 11:31(4x); 12:11
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 11:31 -- "v'nathnu ha-shiqquts m'shomem" (and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate) -- the shiqquts placed after tamid removal
  • Dan 12:11 -- "v'lathet shiqquts shomem" (and to set up the abomination of desolation)
  • Dan 9:27 -- "for the overspreading of abominations" (shiqquts)
  • NT Connection: Matt 24:15 -- "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" (to bdelugma tes eremoseos). PRET argues Jesus reapplies Antiochus's desecration to the AD 70 crisis.
  • Distinction from pesha (Dan 8:13): Dan 8:13 uses pesha shomem ("transgression of desolation"), not shiqquts. This vocabulary difference may indicate a different referent.

G743 -- archaggelos (ἀρχάγγελος)

  • Original: ἀρχάγγελος
  • Transliteration: archaggelos
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: From arche and aggelos; a chief angel: archangel
  • BLB Count: 2 occurrences
  • Translations: "of the archangel" (1TH 4:16), "archangel" (Jude 1:9)
  • Key Verses:
  • 1 Thess 4:16 -- "with the voice of the archangel" (en phone archangelou)
  • Jude 1:9 -- "Michael the archangel" (ho de Michael ho archaggelos)
  • LXX Background: LXX of Dan 10:13,20; 12:1 references Michael; the term archaggelos itself is not in the LXX but is applied to Michael in the NT
  • PRET Significance: PRET identifies Michael as a created archangel (not Christ). The "one of the chief princes" in Dan 10:13 places Michael within a category of multiple celestial beings. HIST counters that the title progression (10:13 -> 10:21 -> 12:1) shows escalating uniqueness.

H7919 -- sakal (שָׂכַל)

  • Original: שָׂכַל
  • Transliteration: sakal
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence intelligent: consider, expert, instruct, prosper, prudent, skill, teach, understand, wisdom, wise
  • BLB Count: 63 occurrences (70 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "wise" (5x), "and understand" (3x), "prosper" (2x), "behaved himself wisely" (2x), "wisely" (2x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 1:4,17; 9:13,22,25(2x); 11:33,35(2x); 12:3,10
  • Maskilim Chain (Hiphil Participle = "those who understand/instruct"):
  • Dan 11:33 -- "u-maskiley am" (and the wise among the people) -- the maskilim instruct the many
  • Dan 11:35 -- "u-min ha-maskilim" (and some of the wise) -- the maskilim stumble/fall to refine
  • Dan 12:3 -- "v'ha-maskilim" (and the wise) -- the maskilim shine as the firmament
  • Dan 12:10 -- "v'ha-maskilim yavinu" (but the wise shall understand)
  • PRET Significance: This vocabulary chain is PRET's strongest argument for narrative continuity between the Maccabean and eschatological sections. The same maskilim persecuted in 11:33-35 are promised resurrection glory in 12:2-3. This bridges the Antiochus persecution directly to the eschatological hope.

H5828 -- ezer (עֵזֶר)

  • Original: עֵזֶר
  • Transliteration: ezer
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Aid, help
  • BLB Count: 21 occurrences (23 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "their help" (3x), "an help meet" (2x), "my help" (2x), "help" (2x)
  • Daniel Occurrence: Dan 11:34 -- "ezer me'at" (a little help)
  • Key Verses: Gen 2:18,20 (help meet); Psa 20:3; 33:20; 121:1,2; 124:8 (divine help)
  • PRET Significance: The "little help" of Dan 11:34 is identified as the Maccabean revolt. The qualifier "little" (me'at) is theologically charged: in Psalms, ezer typically refers to divine aid, but here the Maccabees provide only a "little" help. PRET reads this as the author's perspective that military resistance is secondary to the faithfulness of the maskilim who suffer and die (11:33).

H2532 -- chemdah (חֶמְדָּה)

  • Original: חֶמְדָּה
  • Transliteration: chemdah
  • Part of Speech: Feminine noun / adjective
  • Definition: Delight, desire, goodly, pleasant, precious
  • BLB Count: 25 occurrences (18 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "pleasant" (8x, 44.4%), "the desire" (3x), "goodly" (1x), "precious" (1x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 11:8,8,37
  • Key Verse: Dan 11:37 -- "chemdat nashim" (desire of women)
  • PRET Identifications for chemdat nashim:
  • (a) Tammuz/Adonis cult -- women's fertility worship popular in the Hellenistic Near East (cf. Ezek 8:14, women weeping for Tammuz at the temple gate)
  • (b) Antiochus's personal disregard for any deity or custom
  • (c) "the desire of women" = a god desired by women (i.e., Tammuz/Adonis)

H4581 -- ma'oz (מָעוֹז)

  • Original: מָעוֹז
  • Transliteration: ma'oz
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: A fortified place; figuratively, a defence: force, fort, fortress, rock, strength, strong hold
  • BLB Count: 37 occurrences (40 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "the strength" (6x, 15%), "strength" (3x), "my strength" (2x), "rock" (1x), "fortress" (1x), "of forces" (1x)
  • Daniel 11 Occurrences (6x in one chapter): Dan 11:1,7,10(2x),19,31,38(2x),39(2x)
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 11:31 -- "miqdash ha-ma'oz" (the sanctuary of the fortress/stronghold)
  • Dan 11:38 -- "eloah ma'uzzim" (god of fortresses/forces)
  • Dan 11:39 -- "mivtsrey ma'uzzim" (fortresses of strongholds)
  • PRET Significance: The concentration of ma'oz in Dan 11 (6 of 37 total uses) creates an internal vocabulary thread. Dan 11:38 "eloah ma'uzzim" (god of fortresses) is identified by PRET as Zeus Olympios, supported by 2 Macc 6:2 which states the Jerusalem temple was dedicated to Zeus Olympios under Antiochus IV. The distinction between miqdash ha-ma'oz (11:31, the temple-fortress profaned) and eloah ma'uzzim (11:38, a new deity honored) may reflect different aspects of Antiochus's religious policy.

H4150 -- mo'ed (מוֹעֵד)

  • Original: מוֹעֵד
  • Transliteration: mo'ed
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Properly, an appointment, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; an assembly; the congregation; the place of meeting; a signal
  • BLB Count: 223 occurrences (229 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "of the congregation" (146x, 63.8%), "the feasts" (4x), "appointed" (3x), "at the time appointed" (3x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 8:19; 11:27,29,35; 12:7(2x)
  • Key Verse: Dan 12:7 -- "l'mo'ed mo'adim va-chetsi" (for a time, times, and a half)
  • PRET Significance: Dan 12:7 restates the time formula in Hebrew using mo'ed rather than the Aramaic iddan of Dan 7:25. PRET argues this Hebrew restatement connects Dan 12 back to Dan 7:25 (same 3.5-year period = Maccabean persecution), proving the time formula is consistently applied to the same event across the book. The mo'ed in Dan 11:27,29,35 also marks divine appointments within the Ptolemaic-Seleucid narrative.

H7311 -- rum (רוּם)

  • Original: רוּם
  • Transliteration: rum
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise: bring up, exalt, extol, heave, high, lift up, lofty, loud, mount up, offer, promote, proud, set up, tall, take away
  • BLB Count: 194 occurrences (218 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "high" (16x, 7.3%), "ye shall offer" (6x), "lift up" (4x), "exalt" (3x), "shall be exalted" (4x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 8:11(3x),13; 11:12,36; 12:7
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 8:11 -- "mimmennu hurim ha-tamid" (the daily was rum-ed from him) -- Hophal passive
  • Dan 11:36 -- "v'yitromem" (and he shall exalt himself) -- Hithpael reflexive
  • Dan 12:7 -- "va-yarem" (and he lifted up) -- Hiphil causative
  • Tamid Verb Distinction: Dan 8:11 uses rum (Hophal) for tamid removal; Dan 11:31 and 12:11 use sur (H5493). The different verbs may indicate different agents or events. PRET argues both describe Antiochus's removal of the daily sacrifice; HIST argues the verb difference signals different powers.

H5493 -- sur (סוּר)

  • Original: סוּר
  • Transliteration: sur
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: A primitive root; to turn off (literally or figuratively): depart, eschew, put away, rebel, remove, revolt, take away, turn aside, withdraw
  • BLB Count: 301 occurrences (379 in translation DB)
  • Key Translations: "depart" (16x, 4.2%), "departed" (10x), "aside" (9x), "removed" (7x), "taken away" (6x)
  • Daniel Occurrences: Dan 9:5,11; 11:31(2x); 12:11(2x)
  • Key Verses:
  • Dan 11:31 -- "v'hesiru ha-tamid" (and they shall take away [sur, Hiphil] the daily)
  • Dan 12:11 -- "husar ha-tamid" (the daily shall be taken away [sur, Hophal])
  • Parsed Data from Dan 11:31: The verb is hesiru (Hiphil Perfect 3cp) -- "they caused to turn aside the daily." The plural subject ("arms/forces from him shall stand") aligns with Antiochus's agents. In 12:11 the verb is husar (Hophal Perfect 3ms) -- passive, "it was caused to be turned aside."

H7313 -- ruwm (Aramaic, רוּם)

  • Original: רוּם (Aramaic)
  • Transliteration: ruwm
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: (Aramaic) to extol, lift up self; corresponding to Hebrew H7311
  • Note: This is the Aramaic cognate used in Dan 5:23 and the Aramaic sections. The Hebrew rum (H7311) in Dan 11:36 (yitromem, Hithpael) describes the willful king's self-exaltation, echoing the Aramaic usage of the same root for Belshazzar's pride (Dan 5:23).
  • Original: בּוּז
  • Transliteration: buwz
  • Part of Speech: Masculine noun
  • Definition: Contempt, disrespect
  • Note: Related to the dera'on concept field but a different root. Not directly used in Daniel 10-12. Included for semantic-field completeness with H1860 (dera'on).
  • Original: שָׁקַץ
  • Transliteration: shaqats
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definition: To abominate, make detestable
  • Note: Root of shiqquts (H8251). The verbal root means "to make detestable/abominable." The noun form shiqquts specifically denotes idolatrous objects or practices, distinguishing it from to'evah (general abomination) and pesha (transgression, used in Dan 8:13).