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Daniel 1:21 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיְהִי֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל עַד־ שְׁנַ֥ת אַחַ֖ת לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פ

BSAremainedhâyâh [continued, stayed] there untilʻad [in the royal court, in Babylon, as far as, up to] the firstʼechâd [one, single] yearshâneh [a period of time, a cycle of seasons] of Kingmelek [a ruler, a monarch] CyrusKôwresh [a Persian king, the ruler who allowed Israelite exiles to return]

Word
Listen & take awayDaniel 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ha.Me.lekh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Daniel 1:21quick helps
In a sentenceDaniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus.
Who is speakingThe narrator, recounting Daniel's time in Babylon.
Where we areThe conclusion of Daniel's early experiences in the royal court.
The hard wordדָּנִיֵּאל
Take awayDaniel's presence in Babylon spans a significant period of history.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectדָּנִיֵּאל verbהָיָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Daniel 1:21

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Time of Daniel in Babylongenerated

18Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
19And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.
20In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
21And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Daniel 1:21 states that Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus, marking a significant transition for the Israelites. This period highlights Daniel's role in the royal court and his enduring presence during a time of great change for the Jewish people, as they faced exile and awaited the opportunity to return to their homeland. Daniel's experiences set the stage for his prophetic ministry and the unfolding of God's plans for Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Daniel 6:28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
2Daniel 10:1In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, and it concerned a great conflict. And the understanding of the message was given to him in a vision.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.Daniel 6:28 Daniel 10:1

The Key Word דָּנִיֵּאל, da.ni.Yelgenerated

The name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyel) means 'God is my judge.' It identifies the prophet Daniel, a key figure during the Babylonian exile, known for his wisdom and ability to interpret dreams. The name reflects both his heritage and his role in God's plan for His people.

As a proper noun, it signifies not just the individual but also the legacy of faith and integrity that Daniel embodies throughout his life, especially in the face of adversity.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb וַֽיְהִי֙ (vay.Hi), meaning 'and he was,' governs the sentence, indicating Daniel's continued presence. The structure emphasizes Daniel's ongoing role in the royal court.

The sentence is built around the main clause with a prepositional phrase detailing the time frame, culminating in the noun phrase that identifies the king, thus providing a clear temporal context.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַֽיְהִי֙ as ἦν (ēn), meaning 'was.' This choice aligns with the narrative style of the LXX, emphasizing the continuity of Daniel's presence.

However, the LXX does not fully match the Hebrew structure, indicating a different approach to conveying the message, focusing more on the state of being rather than the specific timeline.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Daniel 1:21 tells us that Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus. This verse marks a significant time in history, as it signals the end of the Babylonian captivity and the beginning of a new chapter for the Israelites, allowing them the opportunity to return to their homeland.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Daniel remained until the first year of Cyrus?

It signifies that Daniel was a key figure throughout the Babylonian exile, witnessing the transition of power that allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem.

Why is Cyrus significant in this context?

Cyrus is significant because he was the Persian king who conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the Israelites to return to their homeland, fulfilling God's promise.

How does Daniel's story relate to the broader narrative of the Israelites?

Daniel's story illustrates the faithfulness of God to His people during their exile and highlights the importance of maintaining one's faith and integrity in a foreign land.

What can we learn from Daniel's experiences in Babylon?

We can learn about the importance of faithfulness, wisdom, and the ability to navigate challenging circumstances while remaining true to one's beliefs.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I remain faithful in challenging circumstances like Daniel did?
  2. What does it mean to trust God's plan during times of uncertainty?
  3. In what ways can I support others who are facing difficulties in their lives?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from Daniel's life to my own journey of faith?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early church father Jerome comments on Daniel's continued presence in Babylon, emphasizing his role during the reign of King Cyrus.

JeromeSt. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER ONE c. 347–420
Verse 21. "Daniel therefore continued unto the first year of Cyrus the king." In the later discussion we shall explain how it was that Daniel who is here described as having continued till the first year of king Cyrus afterwards held…
Early Church Fathers on Daniel 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Daniel 1:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Daniel continued,.... In Babylon, and at court there, and in the favour of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors: even unto the first year of King Cyrus: by whom Babylon was taken, and when the

Read John Gill on Daniel 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. Daniel continued even unto the first year of ... Cyrus - (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1).

Read Robert Jamieson on Daniel 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

i.e. In the court of Babylon until Cyrus, and then he was in the Persian court, and he lived in honour and high employment all that time, yea, after Cyrus began to reign; for, , he had visions and revelations in the third year of Cyrus. He might live longer, for the word until doth not exclude things that follow after, 112:8.

Read Matthew Poole on Daniel 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Daniel 1:21 And Daniel continued [even] unto the first year of king Cyrus.Ver. 21. And Daniel continued, &c.] And afterwards also, though shrewdly lifted at under Darius; and in the third year of Cyrus he was overborne by the counsellors hired to hinder the building of the temple, whom he could not withstand, and therefore kept an extraordinary fast.

Read John Trapp on Daniel 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) Continued.—(See Introduction, § I.) The phrase does not mean that “he prophesied,” but that he lived until the time specified; by no means implying that he died in the first year of Cyrus. This year is specified on account of its importance to the Jewish people as the year of their deliverance. We are led to think of Daniel during this period holding high positions in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius, yet so using the things of this world that at the close of his life (Daniel 10:11) he became the man greatly beloved by God. (See Pusey: Daniel the Prophet, pp. 21-23).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Daniel 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 21. The first year of king Cyrus.] That is, to the end of the Chaldean empire. And we find Daniel alive in the third year of Cyrus, see Daniel 10:1.

Read AdamClarke on Daniel 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. A remark on the long continuance of Daniel—with the reputation, it is understood, implied in Daniel 1:20—in Babylon. The first year of Cyrus (b.c. 538) would be nearly 70 years after the date of Daniel’s captivity (Daniel 1:1), so that he would then be quite an aged man. continued even unto] lit. was until. The expression is an unusual one; but the meaning, it seems, is that Daniel survived the fall of the empire of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, and remained, unaffected by the change of dynasty, till the first year of Cyrus, the year in which (Ezra 1:1; Ezra 5:13; Ezra 6:3) the Jews received permission to return to Palestine. He is mentioned indeed as still alive in the third year…

Read Cambridge on Daniel 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus - When the proclamation was issued by him to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, Ezra 1:1.

Read Albert Barnes on Daniel 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Daniel continued even to the first year of King Cyrus.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Now Daniel lived on until the first year of Cyrus the king.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Daniel continued even to the first year of king Cyrus.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Daniel was vnto the first yeere of king Cyrus.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Daniel continued unto the first year of king Cyrus.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Daniel is unto the first year of Cyrus the king.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Daniel is to the first year of Cyrus the king.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Daniel continued even to the first year of king Cyrus.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Daniel went on till the first year of King Cyrus.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַֽandclauseverbיְהִי֙he.wassubjectדָּֽנִיֵּ֔אלDanielprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַדuntilnoun phrasenoun phraseשְׁנַ֥תyearאַחַ֖תoneprepositional phraseלְofnoun phraseכ֥וֹרֶשׁCyrusnoun phraseהַtheמֶּֽלֶךְking

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text states, "וַֽיְהִי֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל עַד־ שְׁנַ֥ת אַחַ֖ת לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃" which translates to "And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus." The Septuagint, while not providing a complete translation, includes some matching words but does not fully align with the Masoretic Text in structure or wording. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional witnesses for this specific verse, leaving the Masoretic Text as the primary source for this passage. Thus, the Masoretic Text stands alone in its wording and structure for Daniel 1:21, with the Septuagint showing partial agreement but lacking completeness in this instance.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַֽיְהִי֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל עַד־ שְׁנַ֥ת אַחַ֖ת לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽיְהִי֙ἦνדָּֽנִיֵּ֔אלκύρουעַד־βασιλέως

3 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Daniel 1:21הָיָהand he wasand he wasהָיָהדָּנִאֵלDanielDanielדָּנִאֵלעַדuntiluntilעַדשָׁנָהyearyearשָׁנָהאֶחָדoneoneאֶחָדכּוֹרֶשׁof Cyrusof Cyrusכּוֹרֶשׁמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְדָּןDanDanדָּןשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהחָדַדto go eithto go either waחָדַדהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדאַבfatherfatherאַבמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְמִישָׁאֵלMishaelMishaelמִישָׁאֵלחֲנַנְיָ֫הוּHananiahHananiahחֲנַנְיָ֫הוּמָתַיhowhowמָתַיעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶבעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִיםכֶּ֫בֶשׂlamblambכֶּ֫בֶשׂאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִלפָּרַסPersiaPersiaפָּרַסכָּלָהto end: fito end: finishכָּלָהנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּראַשּׁוּרAsshurAsshurאַשּׁוּר
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Daniel 1:21

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
וַֽיְהִי֙vay.Hi and he was H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
continued, stayed
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אלda.ni.Yel Daniel H1840 Noun proper masculine
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Daniel was a man from the tribe of Judah, son of David and Abigail, and his name means God is my judge.
Tyndale gloss
Daniel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּנִיֵּאל, or Daniyel, means 'God is my judge.' It refers primarily to the prophet Daniel, a significant figure during the Babylonian exile, known for his wisdom and interpretations of dreams. The name also applies to a son of David and a priest from the line of Ithamar. The entries indicate that Daniel is both a prophet and a historical figure, but they do not present any significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּנִאֵל, later דָנִיֵּאל n.pr.m. (Ēl is my judge)

son of David

דָנִיֵּאל, priest of the line of Ithamar

דָּנִאֵל a great sage

דָנִיֵּאל, one of the noble young men taken into captivity by Nebuchadrezzar

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1840 דָּנִאֵל, דָנִיֵּאל

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1840 Daniye'l daw-nee-yale'

in Ezekiel it is: Daniel {daw-nee-ale'}; from 1835 and 410;

judge of God; Daniel or Danijel, the name of two

Israelites:--Daniel.

see HEBREW for 01835

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵל (da.niy.yel) — Daniel.

A prophet living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezk.14.14; also called Belteshazzar at Dan.1.7; 2.26; 4.8,9,18,19; 5.12; 10.1;

§ Daniel = "God is my judge"

1) the 2nd son of David, by Abigail the Carmelitess

2) the 4th of the greater prophets, taken as hostage in the first deportation to Babylon, because of the gift of God of the interpretation of dreams, he became the 2nd in command of the Babylon empire and lasted through the end of the Babylonian empire and into the Persian empire. His prophecies are the key to the understanding of end time events. Noted for his purity and holiness by contemporary prophet, Ezekiel

2a) also, 'Belteshazzar' (H1095 or H1096)

3) a priest of the line of Ithamar who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah

דָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵל (da.niy.yel) — Daniel.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dan'-yel (daniye'l, dani'-el, "God is my judge"; Daniel):

(1) One of the sons of David (1Ch 3:1).

(2) A Levite of the family of Ithamar (Ezr 8:2; Ne 10:6).

(3) A prophet of the time of Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, the hero and author of the Book of Daniel.

1. Early Life:

We know nothing of the early life of Daniel, except what is recorded in the book bearing his name. Here it is said that he was one of the youths of royal or noble seed, who were carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. These youths were without blemish, well-favored, skillful in all wisdom, endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace. The king commanded to teach them the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Daniel

God is my judge, or judge of God. (1.) David’s second son, “born unto him in Hebron, of Abigail the Carmelitess” (1 Chr. 3:1). He is called also Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3).

(2.) One of the four great prophets, although he is not once spoken of in the Old Testament as a prophet. His life and prophecies are recorded in the Book of Daniel. He was descended from one of the noble families of Judah (Dan. 1:3), and was probably born in Jerusalem about B.C. 623, during the reign of Josiah. At the first deportation of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar (the kingdom of Israel had come to an end nearly a century before), or immediately after his victory over the Egyptians at the second battle of Carchemish, in the fourth year of the reign of…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(judgment of God). The second son of David, by Abigail the Carmelitess. (1 Chronicles 3:1) In (2 Samuel 3:3) he is called Chileab. (B.C. about 1051.) The fourth of ’the greater prophets." Nothing is known of his parentage or family. He appears, however, to have been of royal or noble descent, (Daniel 1:3) and to have possessed considerable personal endowments. (Daniel 1:4) He was taken to Babylon in "the third year of Jehoiakim" (B.C. 604), and trained for the king’s service. He was divinely supported in his resolve to abstain from the "king’s meat" for fear of defilement. (Daniel 1:8-16) At the close of his three years…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. Called Belteshazzar by the Chaldeans, a prophet descended from the royal family of David, who was carried captive to Babylon, when very young, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, B. C. 606. He was chosen, with his three companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, to reside at Nebuchadnezzar’s court, where he received a suitable education, and made great progress in all the sciences of the Chaldeans, but declined to pollute himself by eating provisions from the king’s table, which would often be ceremonially unclean to a Jew, or defiled by some connection with idol-worship. At the end of their three years’ education, Daniel and his companions excelled all others, and received honorable appointments in the royal service. Here Daniel soon displayed his prophetic gifts in interpreting a dream of Nebuchadnezzar, by whom he was made governor of Babylon, and head of the learned…

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
עַד־'ad- until H5704 Preposition
1,261× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Amplified meaning
in the royal court, in Babylon, as far as, up to
Tyndale gloss
till
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

prep.

of space

Of time

Of degree

conj.

until

While

Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

of space

Of time

Of degree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

. conj. . until

. While

. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5704 `ad ad

properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or

conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,

or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,

while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,

at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),

(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,

till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַד (ad) — till.

prep

1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as

1a) of space

1a1) as far as, up to, even to

1b) in combination

1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)

1c) of time

1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end

1d) of degree

1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like

conj

2) until, while, to the point that, so that even

Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
שְׁנַ֥תshe.Nat year H8141 Noun common · feminine singular construct
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Amplified meaning
a period of time, a cycle of seasons
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

yer (shanah, Aramaic shenah, "a return" (of the sun), like the Greek eniautos; yamim, "days," is also used for "year," and the Greek hemerai, corresponds to it (Jos 13:1; Lu 17,18); etos, is also employed frequently in the New Testament; for the difference between etos and eniautos, see Grimm-Thayer, under the word): The Hebrew year was solar, although the month was lunar, the adjustment being made in intercalation.

See ASTRONOMY; TIME.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Year

Heb. shanah, meaning “repetition” or “revolution” (Gen. 1:14; 5:3). Among the ancient Egyptians the year consisted of twelve months of thirty days each, with five days added to make it a complete revolution of the earth round the sun. The Jews reckoned the year in two ways, (1) according to a sacred calendar, in which the year began about the time of the vernal equinox, with the month Abib; and (2) according to a civil calendar, in which the year began about the time of the autumnal equinox, with the month Nisan. The month Tisri is now the beginning of the Jewish year.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

the highest ordinary division of time. Two years were known to, and apparently used by, the Hebrews. A year of 360 days appears to have been in use in Noah’s time. The year used by the Hebrews from the time of the exodus may: be said to have been then instituted, since a current month, Abib, on the 14th day of which the first Passover was kept, was then made the first month of the year. The essential characteristics of this year can be clearly determined, though we cannot fix those of any single year. It was essentially solar for the offering of productions of the earth, first-fruits, harvest produce and ingathered fruits, was fixed to certain days of the year, two of which were in the periods of great feasts, the third itself a feast reckoned from one of the former days. But it is certain that the months were lunar, each commencing with a new moon. There must therefore have been some…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews always had years of twelve months. But at the beginning, as some suppose, they were solar years of twelve months, each month having thirty days, excepting the twelfth, which had thirty-five days. We see, by the enumeration of the days of the deluge, Ge 7:1-8:22, that the original year consisted of three hundred and sixtyfive days. It is supposed that they had an intercalary month at the end of one hundred and twenty years, at which time the beginning of their year would be out of its place full thirty days. Subsequently, however, and throughout the history of the Jews, the year was wholly lunar, having alternately a full month of thirty days, and a defective month of twenty-nine days, thus completing their year in three hundred and fifty-four days. To accommodate this lunar year to the solar year, (365 days, 5 hours, 48…

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
אַחַ֖ת'a.Chat one H259 Adj
971× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Amplified meaning
one, single
Tyndale gloss
one
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

one

= each, every

= a certain

= indef. art.

only, & (fem.) once

one … another, one … the other

as ordinal first

in combin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H259 אֶחָד one . one

. = each, every

. = a certain

. = indef. art.

. only, & (fem.) once

. one … another, one … the other

. as ordinal first

. in combin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

259 'echad ekh-awd'

a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an

ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,

any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +

eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,

other, some, together,

see HEBREW for 0258

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.

1) one (number)

1a) one (number)

1b) each, every

1c) a certain

1d) an (indefinite article)

1e) only, once, once for all

1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one

1g) first

1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wun.

See NUMBER.

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁle.Kho.resh of Cyrus H3566 Preposition · noun proper masculine
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Cyrus was a Persian king who allowed Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem. He is first mentioned in 2 Chronicles 36:22. Cyrus means posses thou the furnace.
Amplified meaning
a Persian king, the ruler who allowed Israelite exiles to return
Tyndale gloss
Cyrus
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כוֹרֶשׁ (Kowresh) refers to Cyrus, the Persian king known for conquering Babylon and allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem. The entries highlight his significance during the Divided Monarchy, with mentions in 2 Chronicles 36:22 and Ezra 1:1-2. There is a note on the name's possible meaning, "posses thou the furnace," but no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כּ֫וֹרֶשׁ and כֹּ֫רֶשׁ n.pr.m. Cyrus—king of Persia, conqueror of Babylon, restorer of Jews to Palestine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3566 כּוֹרֶשׁ and כֹּרֶשׁ Cyrus

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3566 Kowresh ko'-resh

or (Ezra 1:1 (last time),2) Koresh {ko'-resh}; from the

Persians; Koresh (or Cyrus), the Persian king:--Cyrus.

see HEBREW for 02

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּ֫וֹרֶשׁ (ko.resh) — Cyrus.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ch.36.22;

son of: Gedaliah (H1436H)

Also named: ko.resh (כּ֫וֹרֶשׁ "Cyrus" H3567)

§ Cyrus = "posses thou the furnace"

the king of Persia and conqueror of Babylon; first ruler of Persia to make a decree allowing the Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

si'-rus (koresh; Old Persian Kurus; Babylonian Kur(r)as, Kur(r)asu; Greek Kuros, 2Ch 36:22, etc.):

1. Genealogy of Cyrus

2. His Country, Ansan or Anzan

3. His Origin (Herodotus)

4. His Origin (Xenophon)

5. His Origin (Nicolaus of Damascus)

6. His Origin (Ctesias)

7. Babylonian Records of His Reign--the Cylinder of Nabonidus 8. The Babylonian Chronicle

9. The Babylonian Chronicle--The Capture of Babylon

10. The Cylinder of Cyrus

11. Cyrus' History from Greek Sources

12. The Massagetae

13. The Sacae, Berbices, etc.

14. Doubt as to the Manner of His Death

15. Cyrus' Reputation

16. Why Did the Babylonians Accept Him?

17. Cyrus and the Jews

18. Cyrus in Persia--His Bas-relief

1. Genealogy of Cyrus:

The son of the earlier Cambyses, of the royal race of the Achemenians. His genealogy, as given by himself, is as follows: "I am Cyrus, king of the host, the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Cyrus

(Heb. Ko’resh), the celebrated “King of Persia” (Elam) who was conqueror of Babylon, and issued the decree of liberation to the Jews (Ezra 1:1, 2). He was the son of Cambyses, the prince of Persia, and was born about B.C. 599. In the year B.C. 559 he became king of Persia, the kingdom of Media being added to it partly by conquest. Cyrus was a great military leader, bent on universal conquest. Babylon fell before his army (B.C. 538) on the night of Belshazzar’s feast (Dan. 5:30), and then the ancient dominion of Assyria was also added to his empire (cf., “Go up, O Elam”, Isa.21:2).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the sun), the founder of the Persian empire --see (2 Chronicles 36:22,23; Daniel 6:28; 10:1,13) --was, according to the common legend, the son of Cambyses, a Persian of the royal family of the Achaemenidae. When he grew up to manhood his courage and genius placed him at the head of the Persians. His conquests were numerous and brilliant. He defeated and captured the Median king B.C. 559. In B.C. 546 (?) he defeated Croesus, and the kingdom of lydia was the prize of his success. Babylon fell before his army, and the ancient dominions of Assyria were added to his empire B.C. 538. The prophet Daniel’s home for a time was at his court. (Daniel 6:28) The edict of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the temple, (

and he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ פha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
a ruler, a monarch
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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