2112. zua
Lexical Summary
zua: tremble, trembled

Original Word: זוּעַ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zuwa`
Pronunciation: zoo'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (zoo'-ah)
KJV: tremble
NASB: tremble, trembled
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H2111 (זוַּע - tremble)]

1. to shake (with fear)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
tremble

(Aramaic) corresponding to zuwa'; to shake (with fear) -- tremble.

see HEBREW zuwa'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to zua
Definition
to tremble
NASB Translation
tremble (1), trembled (1).

Topical Lexicon
Translation and Semantic Range

The term conveys an intense emotional and physical response—trembling, quaking, or being seized with dread—triggered by the presence of overwhelming authority or power. It is stronger than ordinary fear, pointing to an involuntary shaking that exposes human frailty when confronted with greatness.

Occurrences in Scripture

Daniel 5:19 records that “all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared him,” describing the universal dread inspired by King Nebuchadnezzar’s supremacy. In Daniel 6:26, after Daniel’s deliverance from the lions, Darius proclaims: “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom men are to tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion has no end.”

Historical Context

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (Daniel 5). The Babylonian emperor’s conquests and monumental building projects created a political climate where subjects instinctively trembled before him. The verb highlights how God granted this temporal authority, emphasizing divine sovereignty even over pagan rulers.
2. Darius’s decree (Daniel 6). When the Medo-Persian monarch commands all to tremble before Daniel’s God, the same word now speaks of reverence rightly redirected from a human despot to the Lord who rescues and rules. The shift anticipates the trans-national worship of the one true God.

Theological Themes

• Fear of man versus fear of God. Scripture distinguishes the coercive dread produced by earthly power (Proverbs 29:25) from the reverential awe due to God (Psalm 2:11). Both uses of the verb in Daniel draw this contrast.
• Divine sovereignty. The ability to evoke trembling rests finally with God, who bestows and removes authority (Daniel 4:17).
• Universal acknowledgment. Darius’s edict foreshadows the day when “every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:10). The trembling of nations in Daniel previews an eschatological reality.

Implications for Ministry and Personal Application

• Cultivate holy reverence. Teach believers to “serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). Authentic worship includes a sense of awe that shakes complacency.
• Confront misplaced fear. Pastoral counseling can expose how dread of human opinion or persecution competes with godly fear. Hebrews 13:6 emboldens saints to refuse intimidation.
• Proclaim God’s unrivaled dominion. Evangelism gains urgency when listeners grasp that divine authority surpasses every earthly throne, as Darius publicly confessed.

Related Biblical Concepts

• Trembling at God’s Word (Isaiah 66:2).
• Earthquake imagery signifying divine presence (Psalm 114:7).
• New Testament parallels: “fear and trembling” before God’s work in salvation (Philippians 2:12; Acts 7:32).

Christological and Eschatological Connections

Nebuchadnezzar’s borrowed majesty and Darius’s reluctant homage point ahead to the Messiah’s everlasting kingdom. The trembling elicited by Christ’s miracles (Mark 5:33) and anticipated at His return (Revelation 11:13) fulfill the prophetic trajectory begun in Daniel: every realm will one day shake before the King of kings.

Conclusion

Strong’s 2112 underscores that true trembling belongs not merely to moments of human intimidation but to encounters with the living God. From Babylon to Persia to the ends of the earth, Scripture calls all peoples to acknowledge His supremacy with awe-filled hearts and obedient lives.

Forms and Transliterations
זָיְעִ֥ין זָיְעִין֙ זיעין zā·yə·‘în zāyə‘în zayeIn
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Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 5:19
HEB: [זָאֲעִין כ] (זָיְעִ֥ין ק) וְדָחֲלִ֖ין
NAS: feared and trembled before
INT: language become tremble feared Because

Daniel 6:26
HEB: [זָאֲעִין כ] (זָיְעִין֙ ק) וְדָ֣חֲלִ֔ין
NAS: men are to fear and tremble before
INT: of my kingdom become tremble fear according

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2112
2 Occurrences


zā·yə·‘în — 2 Occ.

2111
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