1907. haddabar

Lexical Summary

haddabar: The word, the matter, the thing

Original Word: הַדָּבָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: haddabar
Pronunciation: had-daw-bar'
Phonetic Spelling: (had-daw-bawr')
KJV: counsellor
NASB: high officials, counselors
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) probably of foreign origin]

1. a vizier

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

counselor

(Aramaic) probably of foreign origin; a vizier -- counsellor.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) of foreign origin
Definition
counselor, minister
NASB Translation
counselors (1), high officials (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[הַדָּבַר] noun masculine counsellor, minister (Persian loan-word; original form and meaning dubious, compare Andr^{M 60*} Mey^{Entst. J. 23} Dr^{Daniel 3:24}); — plural emphatic הַדָּֽבְרַיָּא Daniel 6:8; construct הַדָּֽבְרֵי Daniel 3:27; suffix הַדָּֽבְרַי Daniel 4:33, ר֫וֺהִי- Daniel 3:24. — see גְּדָֽבְרַיָּא.

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Scope

The term הַדָּבָר (“the decree,” “the matter,” “the word”) appears four times in the Book of Daniel. Each occurrence conveys an official, authoritative pronouncement that carries legal or royal force. Rather than a generic “word,” it signals an enacted decision that alters circumstances and demands response.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Daniel 3:24 – Nebuchadnezzar reacts in astonishment “concerning this matter” when the fire fails to harm the faithful Hebrews.
2. Daniel 3:27 – Royal officials crowd around the three men, confirming that “the fire had no effect on their bodies.” The king’s earlier decree is implicitly overturned by the higher decree of God’s deliverance.
3. Daniel 4:36 – Following Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and restoration, the king testifies that “my counselors and nobles sought me out,” recognizing that the divine decree supersedes earthly rule.
4. Daniel 6:7 – Conspirators entice Darius to sign “the written decree” forbidding prayer to any god or man but the king, setting the stage for Daniel’s night in the lions’ den.

Historical Context in Daniel

Each usage falls in passages originally written in Aramaic, reflecting court language of Babylon and Medo-Persia. The term marks moments when imperial power confronts divine sovereignty. Whether Babylonian (Nebuchadnezzar), Neo-Babylonian (the satraps), or Persian (Darius), every royal decree is ultimately subject to the higher decree of the Most High (Daniel 4:34-35).

Theological Themes

1. Sovereignty of God: Human decrees (הַדָּבָר) are repeatedly overturned or redirected by God’s superior will.
2. Faith under Pressure: The faithful (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel) honor God above royal edicts, illustrating Acts 5:29’s principle, “We must obey God rather than men.”
3. Vindication of the Righteous: God’s intervention delivers His servants, validating their trust and exposing the impotence of idolatrous or self-exalting rulers.

Ministry Application

• Civil obedience has limits; when governmental mandates conflict with divine commands, believers must remain loyal to God’s higher word.
• Deliverance narratives encourage believers facing legal or cultural hostility, reminding them that Christ “has all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).
• The integrity of Daniel and his friends models corporate solidarity in faith communities: collective prayer, refusal to compromise, and willingness to suffer rather than conform.

Christological and Eschatological Dimensions

Nebuchadnezzar’s decree in Daniel 3 collides with the appearance of “One like a son of the gods” in the furnace (Daniel 3:25), foreshadowing the incarnate Son who stands with His people in trial (Hebrews 2:17-18). Daniel 6 prefigures resurrection hope: “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22), anticipating the empty tomb where death’s decree is nullified.

Related Concepts

• “Law of the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 6:8) – a seemingly irrevocable statute challenged by divine intervention.
• “Word of the Lord” – the ultimate decree throughout Scripture that never fails (Isaiah 55:11).
• “Seal” imagery – royal signet rings in Daniel anticipate the sealing of believers with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), guaranteeing the final, unbreakable decree of redemption.

Forms and Transliterations

הַדָּֽבְרַ֥י הַדָּֽבְרַיָּ֣א הדברי הדבריא וְהַדָּבְרֵ֣י והדברי לְהַדָּֽבְר֗וֹהִי להדברוהי had·dā·ḇə·ray had·dā·ḇə·ray·yā haddāḇəray haddāḇərayyā haddaveRai haddaveraiYa lə·had·dā·ḇə·rō·w·hî ləhaddāḇərōwhî lehaddaveRohi vehaddaveRei wə·had·dā·ḇə·rê wəhaddāḇərê

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 3:24
HEB: עָנֵ֨ה וְאָמַ֜ר לְהַדָּֽבְר֗וֹהִי הֲלָא֩ גֻבְרִ֨ין
NAS: he said to his high officials, Was it not three
KJV: and said unto his counsellors, Did not
INT: spake said to his high did not men

Daniel 3:27
HEB: סִגְנַיָּ֣א וּפַחֲוָתָא֮ וְהַדָּבְרֵ֣י מַלְכָּא֒ חָזַ֣יִן
NAS: and the king's high officials gathered around
KJV: and the king's counsellors, being gathered together,
INT: the prefects the governors high and the king's saw

Daniel 4:36
HEB: עֲלַ֔י וְלִ֕י הַדָּֽבְרַ֥י וְרַבְרְבָנַ֖י יְבַע֑וֹן
NAS: of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles
KJV: unto me; and my counsellors and my lords
INT: were restored me and my counselors and my nobles seeking

Daniel 6:7
HEB: סִגְנַיָּ֤א וַֽאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּא֙ הַדָּֽבְרַיָּ֣א וּפַחֲוָתָ֔א לְקַיָּמָ֤ה
NAS: and the satraps, the high officials and the governors
KJV: and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains,
INT: the prefects and the satraps the high and the governors establish

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1907
4 Occurrences

had·dā·ḇə·ray — 1 Occ.
had·dā·ḇə·ray·yā — 1 Occ.
lə·had·dā·ḇə·rō·w·hî — 1 Occ.
wə·had·dā·ḇə·rê — 1 Occ.