Daniel 6:20–22
From the den Daniel answers: his Elah sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths
Study it word by word20And as he came near to the den, to Daniel he cried out with an anguished voice. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living Elah, has your Elah, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21Then Daniel spoke with the king: “O king, live forever!
22My Elah sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not harmed me, because before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
In its context
18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting, and diversions he did not bring in before him, and his sleep fled from him.
19Then the king rose at dawn, at first light, and went in haste to the den of the lions.
…
23Then the king was very glad about it, and he said to bring Daniel up from the den. And Daniel was brought up from the den, and no harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his Elah.
24And the king gave the word, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and into the den of the lions they threw them, their children, and their wives; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Its words in the original
- מִקְרְבֵmikrve· draw near, offer
To draw near; in its causative form, to offer, to present an offering (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "qarav".
- גֻבָּguba· pit, den
Pit, den (Aramaic): a hole dug in the ground, where lions were kept.
- דָנִיֵּאלdaniyel· Daniel
Daniel (the Aramaic form of the name): the prophet, one of the exiles of Judah at the court of Babylon. The name means "El is my judge".
- קָלkal· sound, voice
Sound, voice (Aramaic): a voice that speaks or the sound of instruments.
- עֲצִיבatsiv· anguished
Anguished, distressed (Aramaic).
- זְעִקzeik· cry out
To cry out (Aramaic).
- עָנֵהane· answer
To answer, to speak up in reply.
- מַלְכָּmalka· king
King (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "melech".
- אָמַרamar· say
To say (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "amar".
- עֲבֵדaved· servant
Servant (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "eved".
- אֱלָהָelaha· Elah, God, god
Elah: the Aramaic word for God, related to the Hebrew "Eloah" and "Elohim". In the parts of the Bible written in Aramaic (Ezra and Daniel) it is the God of Israel, the same one who in Hebrew is called Elohim; the text only changes language. The same word, also in the plural, is used for the gods of other peoples ("god", "gods"), and the passage itself shows who is meant.
- חַיָּchaya· living; life
Living; in the plural, life (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "chay".
- אַנְתְּant· you
You (Aramaic).
- פָּלַחpalach· serve
To serve (Aramaic), above all in worship; "servants" of the house of God.
- תְדִירָtedira· continually
Continually, without ceasing (Aramaic).
- יְכִלyechil· be able, prevail
To be able, can; also to prevail over someone (Aramaic).
- שֵׁיזָבוּתָshezavuta· rescue, deliver
To rescue, to deliver, to set free (Aramaic).
- אַרְיָוָתָaryavata· lion
Lion (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "arye".
- אֱדַיִןedayin· then
Then (Aramaic): marks what happens next or at that moment. It corresponds to the Hebrew "az".
- עִםim· with
With (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "im".
- מַלִּלmalil· speak
To speak (Aramaic).
- עָלְמִיןalmin· antiquity, forever
Distant time, backward or forward: "of old", "forever" (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "olam".
- חֱיִיcheyi· live
To live (Aramaic). "O king, live forever!" is a greeting to the king.
- שְׁלַחshelach· send
To send (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shalach".
- מַלְאֲכֵmalache· messenger, angel
Messenger, angel (Aramaic): one sent by God. The same word as the Hebrew "malach".
- סֲגַרsagar· shut
To shut (Aramaic).
- פֻּםpum· mouth
Mouth (Aramaic).
- חַבְּלוּchablu· damage, destroy
To damage, to destroy (Aramaic).
- קֳבֵלkovel· before; because, therefore
In front of; with other particles, "since", "because", "therefore" (Aramaic).
- קָדָמוֹkadamo· before
Before, in front of (Aramaic).
- זָכוּzachu· innocence
Innocence, purity (Aramaic).
- הִשְׁתְּכַחַתhishtchachat· find
To find, to discover (Aramaic).
- אַףaf· also
Also (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "af".
- חֲבוּלָהchavula· harm, wrong
Harm, damage; a wrong done (Aramaic).
- עַבְדֵתavdet· do, make
To do, to make (Aramaic). Its Hebrew relative "avad" means "to serve, to work".