Lexical Summary dachavah: Worship, homage Original Word: דַּחֲוָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance instrument of music (Aramaic) from the equivalent of dachah; probably a musical instrument (as being struck) -- instrument of music. see HEBREW dachah Brown-Driver-Briggs [דַּחֲוָה] noun feminine dubious; — plural absolute דַּחֲוָן Daniel 6:19, Vrss conject.; AV RV instrument of music (so AE, assuming meaning strike [strings] for דְּחָא [Biblical Hebrew דָּחָה] thrust; Saad RVm dancing-girls; Bertholet al. concubines (from sens. obsc. of Arabic  , but then read probably לְחֵנָן (Daniel 5:2,3,23) Marti Prince Dr. Topical Lexicon Root and Literary Setting דַּחֲוָה appears only once, in Daniel 6:18, within the Aramaic portion of the book. The term describes “diversions” or “entertainments” normally brought to ease a monarch’s evening. When Daniel was cast into the lions’ den, King Darius returned to his palace “and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him” (Daniel 6:18). The noun thus receives its entire canonical nuance from this single scene of royal self-denial. Historical Background: Royal Entertainment in the Persian Court Ancient Near Eastern monarchs maintained courtiers skilled in music, dance, storytelling, and other pleasurable diversions. Archaeology reveals reliefs and inscriptions from Achaemenid palaces showing lyres, flutes, and performers at banquets. Herodotus (Histories 1.134) notes the Persians’ love of music at feasts, and Xenophon (Cyropaedia 8.8.15–20) describes court musicians who soothed Cyrus’s guests. דַּחֲוָה captures this cultural backdrop: a normal regimen of leisure intended to display wealth, amplify prestige, and calm royal anxieties. By refusing these comforts, Darius signaled profound distress and genuine concern for Daniel’s fate. The absence of entertainment turned the palace into a place of vigil rather than revelry, reversing the usual pattern of imperial excess. Theological and Devotional Themes 1. Sober Reverence before God. Though a pagan, Darius instinctively adopted a posture akin to fasting and mourning when confronted with Daniel’s predicament. Scripture often portrays Gentile rulers unwittingly acknowledging Israel’s God (Genesis 41:38–40; Jonah 3:6–9). דַּחֲוָה therefore highlights how God can stir even unbelieving hearts to solemnity. Connections to Fasting and Intercession דַּחֲוָה stands beside texts where God’s people set aside food or pleasure to seek divine intervention: These parallels underscore the link between withholding pleasure and earnest prayer. Darius’s fast terminates only after God’s answer becomes evident—an Old Testament pattern later mirrored in Acts 13:2–3 when the Antioch church fasted before sending missionaries. Practical Ministry Applications • Discernment in Entertainment. Modern believers can enjoy music, film, and recreation, yet Daniel 6:18 reminds the church to pause amusements when spiritual emergencies arise. Seasons of revival or crisis may call for intentional simplicity and focus on prayer. Foreshadowing Christ and the Gospel The night of withheld דַּחֲוָה anticipates another royal concern: Pilate’s troubled anxiety over Jesus (Matthew 27:19, 24). Both narratives show political leaders sensing the innocence of a righteous sufferer. Daniel’s emergence from the sealed den, unhurt, prefigures Christ’s resurrection from a sealed tomb (Matthew 27:66; 28:2–6). In each case, human entertainment fades before the majesty of divine deliverance. Related Biblical Concepts and Cross-References • Abstaining from Pleasure: Joel 1:14; 1 Corinthians 7:5. Conclusion דַּחֲוָה, though a rare word, serves as a lens on the deeper biblical theme of temporarily setting aside legitimate pleasures to seek God’s mercy. In Daniel 6, the suspension of royal entertainment accentuates the gravity of a spiritual battle and magnifies the eventual triumph of God’s servant. Modern disciples, entrusted with a greater revelation in Christ, are called to similar vigilance, ready to exchange diversion for devotion whenever the Spirit prompts. Forms and Transliterations וְדַחֲוָ֖ן ודחון vedachaVan wə·ḏa·ḥă·wān wəḏaḥăwānLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 6:18 HEB: וּבָ֣ת טְוָ֔ת וְדַחֲוָ֖ן לָא־ הַנְעֵ֣ל NAS: and no entertainment was brought KJV: neither were instruments of musick brought INT: the night fasting entertainment and no was brought 1 Occurrence |
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