Raw Strong's Lookup Data¶
H3499 — יֶתֶר (yether)¶
Transliteration: yether Pronunciation: yeh-ther Part of Speech: masculine noun (n-m) Total Occurrences: 106 BLB Count: 101 Definition: from; properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free) — abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with.
Key Translations: - "rest/remnant/residue" — ~75% of occurrences (majority usage) - "exceeding" — 1 occurrence: Daniel 8:9 (unique translation in context of surpassing) - "the excellency" — 1 occurrence: Genesis 49:3 ("excellency of dignity, excellency of power") - "plentifully" — 1 occurrence: Psalm 31:23 - "Excellent" — 1 occurrence: Proverbs 17:7 - "their excellency" — 1 occurrence: Job 4:21
Daniel 8:9 Usage: wattigdal-yether = "grew exceeding/surpassingly great" — the ONLY place in the OT where yether modifies the verb gadal. The word conveys SURPLUS, EXCESS, going BEYOND what preceded. Combined with the three-stage progression (ram: gadal alone; goat: gadal ad me'od; horn: gadal yether), it requires the little horn to surpass both previous empires.
Verses where yether = excellence/surplus/preeminence: - Gen 49:3: "the excellency (yether) of dignity, and the excellency (yether) of power" - Job 4:21: "their excellency (yether) which is in them" - Psa 31:23: "plentifully (yether) rewardeth the proud doer" - Pro 17:7: "Excellent (yether) speech becometh not a fool" - Dan 8:9: "waxed exceeding (yether) great"
H4704 — מִצְּעִירָה (mits'eirah)¶
Transliteration: mitstsᵉʻîyrâh Pronunciation: mits-tseh-ee-raw Part of Speech: feminine noun (n-f) Total Occurrences: 1 (HAPAX LEGOMENON) BLB Count: 1 Definition: feminine of; properly, littleness; concretely, diminutive — little.
Only occurrence: Daniel 8:9 Significance: This is a HAPAX LEGOMENON — occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. The noun form (not adjective) emphasizes the STATE or ORIGIN of littleness. The horn comes "from littleness" (min + noun) rather than simply being described as "little" (adjective). This matches Rome's origin as a small city-state on the Tiber that grew to become the greatest empire.
Contrast with H2191 (ze'ir): Dan 7:8's Aramaic "little horn" uses ze'ir as an adjective. Dan 8:9 uses the noun mits'eirah with the preposition min ("from"), emphasizing origin/source of the smallness.
H1431 — גָּדַל (gadal)¶
Transliteration: gadal Pronunciation: gaw-dal Part of Speech: verb Total Occurrences: 152 BLB Count: 115 Definition: a primitive root; properly, to twist, i.e. to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride) — advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), tower.
Daniel 8 occurrences — THE PROGRESSION: | Verse | Hebrew | Stem | Modifier | Translation | Entity | |-------|--------|------|----------|-------------|--------| | 8:4 | הִגְדִּיל (higgdil) | HIPHIL (causative) | NONE | "became great" | Ram (Persia) | | 8:8 | הִגְדִּיל עַד־מְאֹד (higgdil ad me'od) | HIPHIL (causative) | me'od ("very") | "waxed very great" | Goat (Greece) | | 8:9 | וַתִּגְדַּל יֶתֶר (wattigdal yether) | QAL (simple) | yether ("exceeding/surpassing") | "waxed exceeding great" | Little horn | | 8:10 | וַתִּגְדַּל (wattigdal) | QAL | to host of heaven | "waxed great" | Little horn (continued) | | 8:11 | הִגְדִּיל (higgdil) | HIPHIL (causative) | to Prince of host | "magnified [himself]" | Little horn (masculine) | | 8:25 | יַגְדִּיל (yagdil) | HIPHIL | bilbavo ("in heart") | "shall magnify [himself]" | Little horn interpretation |
Stem shift observation: Ram and goat use HIPHIL (causative: "cause to be great"), while the little horn's initial growth uses QAL (simple/basic: "grew great"). The Hiphil implies external agency or effort; the Qal suggests innate, organic expansion. When Daniel means personal pride/self-magnification, he switches back to Hiphil with bilbab ("in heart") — 8:25.
H3966 — מְאֹד (me'od)¶
Transliteration: me'od Pronunciation: meh-ode Part of Speech: masculine adjective, adverb, substantive Total Occurrences: 285 BLB Count: 299 Definition: from the same as; properly, vehemence; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. — diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (much, sore), well.
Key translations: "very" (133x, 46.7%), "greatly" (47x), "sore" (20x), "exceeding" (19x) Daniel 8:8 usage: higgdil ad me'od = "waxed very great" (modifying the goat = Greece) Significance: me'od is the COMMON intensifier; yether in 8:9 REPLACES it with a word that conveys surplus/excess, not mere intensity. This is a deliberate escalation.
H5794 — עַז (az)¶
Transliteration: az Pronunciation: az Part of Speech: adjective Total Occurrences: 23 BLB Count: 23 Definition: from; strong, vehement, harsh — fierce, greedy, mighty, power, roughly, strong.
Key translations: "strong" (9x), "fierce" (2x), "of fierce" (2x), "mighty" (2x)
CRITICAL: "of fierce" (az + panim) occurrences: - Deuteronomy 28:50 — "A nation of fierce countenance (az panim)" - Daniel 8:23 — "a king of fierce countenance (az panim)" These are the ONLY TWO passages where az panim occurs as a construct phrase in the OT.
Other "fierce" occurrences (without panim): - Gen 49:7 — "their anger, for it was fierce" - Isa 19:4 — "a fierce lord"
H6440 — פָּנִים (panim)¶
Transliteration: panim Pronunciation: paw-neem Part of Speech: noun, masculine plural Total Occurrences: 2,141 BLB Count: (very common word) Definition: a horn (as projecting); by implication — face, presence, before.
Significance for this study: Combined with H5794 (az) to form the unique phrase "fierce countenance" (az panim) in only Deut 28:50 and Dan 8:23.
H8548 — תָּמִיד (tamid)¶
Transliteration: tamid Pronunciation: taw-meed Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 105 BLB Count: 104 Definition: from an unused root meaning to stretch; properly, continuance (as indefinite extension); but used only (attributively as adjective) constant (or adverbially, constantly); elliptically the regular (daily) sacrifice — alway(-s), continual (employment, -ly), daily, (n-)ever(-more), perpetual.
Key translations: "continually" (53x), "the continual" (17x), "continual" (9x), "the daily" (7x)
Daniel occurrences where translated "the daily": - Dan 8:11, 8:12, 8:13, 11:31, 12:11
CRITICAL NOTE: The word "sacrifice" does NOT appear in the Hebrew. The KJV translators added it in italics. The Hebrew simply says ha-tamid — "THE CONTINUAL" — an adjective/noun used absolutely, without a noun it modifies. This is a substantive use.
H6588 — פֶּשַׁע (pesha)¶
Transliteration: pesha Pronunciation: peh-shah Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 95 BLB Count: 93 Definition: from; a revolt (national, moral or religious) — rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass.
Key translations: "transgressions" (9x), "transgression" (7x) Daniel occurrences: Dan 8:12, 8:13, 9:24
Dan 8:13 significance: ha-pesha shomem = "THE transgression/rebellion that desolates/makes desolate." Combined with ha-tamid by the conjunction ve ("and"), these form two separate entities in the question "how long shall be the vision — the continual AND the transgression of desolation?"
H7161 — קֶרֶן (qeren)¶
Transliteration: qeren Pronunciation: keh-ren Part of Speech: feminine noun, proper locative noun Total Occurrences: 85 BLB Count: 76 Definition: from; a horn (as projecting); by implication, a flask, cornet; by resemblance, an elephant's tooth (i.e. ivory), a corner (of the altar), a peak (of a mountain), a ray (of light); figuratively, power — hill, horn.
Gender: FEMININE — This is critical for the gender analysis of Dan 8:8-9. The word qeren is grammatically feminine, which explains why verbs agreeing with the horn use feminine forms (wattigdal, 3fs) while the masculine forms (yatsa, 3ms; higgdil, 3ms) refer to the power/king the horn symbolizes.
Daniel 8 occurrences: 8:3 (x3), 8:5, 8:6, 8:7 (x2), 8:8, 8:9, 8:20 (x2), 8:21
H2191 — זְעֵיר (ze'ir)¶
Transliteration: ze'ir Pronunciation: zeh-ayr Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 5 BLB Count: 5 Definition: from an unused root meaning to dwindle; small — little.
Significance: This is the Aramaic/Hebrew word used in Dan 7:8 for "another LITTLE horn" — it functions as a simple adjective describing the horn's size. Contrast with H4704 (mits'eirah) in Dan 8:9 which is a noun with the preposition min, describing the horn's ORIGIN in a state of littleness.
| Feature | Dan 7:8 (ze'ir) | Dan 8:9 (mits'eirah) |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Adjective | Noun (hapax legomenon) |
| Emphasis | Description of size | Origin/source of smallness |
| Grammar | "another, little [horn]" | "from littleness" |
| Language | Aramaic section | Hebrew section |