1872. dera
Lexical Summary
dera: Path, way, journey

Original Word: דְּרַע
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: dra`
Pronunciation: deh-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (der-aw')
KJV: arm
NASB: arms
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H2220 (זְרוַֹע זְרוַֹע זְרוֹעָה זְרוֹעָה - arm)]

1. an arm

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
arm

(Aramaic) corresponding to zrowa'; an arm -- arm.

see HEBREW zrowa'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to zeroa
Definition
an arm
NASB Translation
arms (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[דְּרָע] noun [feminine] arm (so ᵑ7 Syriac); — plural suffix דְּרָע֫וֺהִי Daniel 2:32.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Context

Strong’s Hebrew 1872 דְּרַע appears once, in Daniel 2:32, describing the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: “Its head was pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze”. Here the “arms” are joined to the “chest,” forming a single symbolic element within the prophetic image.

Symbolism within Daniel 2

The silver chest and two arms signify the empire that would follow Babylon. Daniel later identifies this realm as “another kingdom, inferior to yours” (Daniel 2:39), historically fulfilled in the Medo-Persian Empire. The duality of the arms mirrors the twofold nature of that kingdom—Media and Persia—functioning together yet distinct, just as two human arms work in concert from one torso. The imagery affirms that God ordains the rise and fall of earthly powers, “He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21).

Biblical Imagery of the Arm

Throughout Scripture an arm often symbolizes strength, authority, and action (Exodus 15:16; Isaiah 52:10). In Daniel 2, however, the focus is on political structure rather than sheer might. The plural “arms” complements the single “chest,” revealing divine foresight of a coalition empire unified around common governance but split between two leading peoples.

Historical Background: Medo-Persia

Cyrus the Great united the Medes and Persians, bringing Babylon under his control in 539 B.C. The administrative practice of assigning satraps and maintaining local customs created a cohesive yet flexible empire (Esther 1:1). Daniel’s vision, recorded decades earlier, foretold this union with precise imagery: two arms attached to one body, silver denoting wealth and organized governance superior in reach to Babylon yet inferior in splendor.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Sovereignty: The transition from gold to silver demonstrates the Lord’s control over successive kingdoms and the linear progression toward His everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44).
2. Moral Decline: Each metal is less precious than the previous, portraying humanity’s gradual departure from God’s original intent.
3. Unity in Diversity: The arms imply cooperation between distinct entities under a single divine timetable, anticipating later New Testament themes of one body composed of many members (Romans 12:4-5).

Christological Foreshadowing

While Daniel’s statue ends with a stone “cut out, but not by human hands” (Daniel 2:34), the silver arms highlight the interim stage prior to Messiah’s kingdom. Just as the Medo-Persian coalition prepared the way for the return of Judean exiles (Ezra 1:1-3), so God used world empires to set the historical stage for the first advent of Jesus Christ and, ultimately, His second coming when all earthly kingdoms will yield to His rule (Revelation 11:15).

Practical Ministry Lessons

• Trust God’s timetable: He governs political shifts to accomplish redemptive purposes.
• Value cooperative leadership: Like two arms working together, effective ministry often requires partnerships that honor diversity without compromising unity.
• Anticipate Christ’s kingdom: Earthly powers are transient; believers labor for what endures.

Related Scriptures

Daniel 2:21; Daniel 5:28; Ezra 1:1-3; Isaiah 52:10; Romans 12:4-5; Revelation 11:15

Forms and Transliterations
וּדְרָע֖וֹהִי ודרעוהי ū·ḏə·rā·‘ō·w·hî ūḏərā‘ōwhî uderaohi
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Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 2:32
HEB: טָ֔ב חֲד֥וֹהִי וּדְרָע֖וֹהִי דִּ֣י כְסַ֑ף
NAS: its breast and its arms of silver,
KJV: his breast and his arms of silver,
INT: fine breast arms forasmuch of silver

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1872
1 Occurrence


ū·ḏə·rā·‘ō·w·hî — 1 Occ.

1871
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