Lexical Summary debeq: adhere Original Word: דְבַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cleave (Aramaic) corresponding to dabaq; to stick to -- cleave. see HEBREW dabaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to dabaq Definition to cling NASB Translation adhere (1). Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 1693 דְבַק (transliterated dĕvaq) appears a single time in the Old Testament, in the Aramaic section of Daniel 2:43. The word conveys the notion of adherence or adhesion—things that try to stick together yet ultimately fail to bond. Although its lexical root is shared with the more common Hebrew verb “to cling” (1692), the Aramaic form in Daniel functions uniquely within Nebuchadnezzar’s prophetic dream to highlight the final weakness of a divided kingdom. Biblical Occurrence Daniel 2:43: “As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not adhere to clay.” In the statue vision, iron represents strength and clay represents fragility. The choice of דְבַק stresses that no matter how closely these elements are pressed together, they cannot truly fuse. The prophecy declares the inevitable instability of the last human empire before the coming of God’s everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44–45). Historical Setting of Daniel 2 Daniel served in the Babylonian court during the exile, a period marked by shifting alliances among Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and finally Rome. The mixed materials of the statue foretell successive Gentile powers, culminating in a composite realm characterized by outward strength (iron) and inherent weakness (clay). The verb דְבַק underlines the political marriages, treaties, and confederacies that attempt to bind diverse peoples together yet cannot overcome internal division. History confirms repeated efforts—from Hellenistic inter-marriages to the later Roman practice of granting citizenship to subjugated nations—that never produced lasting cohesion. Theological Significance 1. Human limitation: The inability to “adhere” exposes the futility of human governance apart from God. No empire, however ingenious, can engineer unity that rivals the kingdom “not by human hands” (Daniel 2:34). Ministry and Practical Application • Discern temporary alliances. Believers can identify political or cultural coalitions that claim enduring strength yet rest on incompatible foundations. Canonical Harmony While דְבַק itself occurs only in Daniel 2:43, Scripture frequently uses the root idea of clinging to depict authentic relationships: These passages provide a deliberate contrast: true adhesion is relational and covenantal, not merely structural or political. Summary Daniel’s solitary use of דְבַק encapsulates the inherent weakness of man-made unity and sets the stage for the invincible reign of God’s Messiah. The term invites readers to transfer their trust from unstable earthly systems to the enduring kingdom that alone can truly hold all things together (Colossians 1:17). Forms and Transliterations דָּבְקִ֖ין דבקין dā·ḇə·qîn dāḇəqîn daveKinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:43 HEB: וְלָֽא־ לֶהֱוֹ֥ן דָּבְקִ֖ין דְּנָ֣ה עִם־ NAS: of men; but they will not adhere to one KJV: but they shall not cleave one to INT: not they will not adhere one to 1 Occurrence |
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