Lexical Summary zun: To feed, to provide for, to sustain Original Word: זוּן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance feed (Aramaic) corresponding to zuwn -- feed. see HEBREW zuwn NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to zun Definition to feed NASB Translation fed (1). Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting Daniel 4 recounts King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of an immense tree that “had beautiful leaves, abundant fruit, and on it was food for all” (Daniel 4:12). The single Aramaic occurrence rendered “food” (Strong’s Hebrew 2110) pinpoints the tree’s role as a universal provider; beasts shelter beneath it and birds nest in its branches while “every creature was fed” from it. The dream’s interpretation shows that the “food for all” originated in God’s sovereign grant to the Babylonian monarch, not in human prowess. Imagery of Provision and Sustenance 1. Universal reach: The tree’s supply “for all” pictures an all-embracing generosity, echoing Psalm 145:16, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Theological Themes • Divine sovereignty in earthly kingdoms—God both grants and withdraws abundance (Daniel 4:25). Canonical Connections • Jesus’ mustard seed parable (Matthew 13:31-32) recalls the inclusive shelter of the Daniel tree, shifting the focus from imperial Babylon to the redemptive kingdom of God. Historical and Cultural Insights Babylon’s irrigation works made the empire a breadbasket of the ancient Near East. Daniel’s vision speaks directly to a king who prided himself on feeding multitudes through human engineering, yet Scripture re-centers the credit on the Most High (Daniel 4:17). Practical Ministry Reflections • Stewardship: Believers entrusted with material resources are to mirror the tree’s openhandedness (1 Timothy 6:18-19). Eschatological Perspective Nebuchadnezzar’s cut tree warns that empires rise and fall, but the ultimate kingdom will never be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). The believer’s hope therefore shifts from temporary abundance to the unbreakable promise that “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Summary The solitary appearance of Strong’s Hebrew 2110 in Daniel 4:12 magnifies God as the true source of nourishment, confronts prideful autonomy, and points ahead to the unfailing sustenance secured in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations יִתְּזִ֥ין יתזין yit·tə·zîn yitteZin yittəzînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 4:12 HEB: שְׁמַיָּ֔א וּמִנֵּ֖הּ יִתְּזִ֥ין כָּל־ בִּשְׂרָֽא׃ NAS: living creatures fed themselves from it. KJV: thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. INT: of the sky of it fed and all living 1 Occurrence |
    |