Lexical Summary aza: To be strong, to prevail, to be firm Original Word: אֲזָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance heat, hot (Aramaic) or iazah (Aramaic) {az-aw'}; to kindle; (by implication) to heat -- heat, hot. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) a prim. root Definition to make hot, heat NASB Translation heat (1), heated (1), made...hot (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֲזָא] verb make hot, heat (ᵑ7 id. [rare]; compare Arabic  kindle, burn); — Pe`al Infinitive לְמֵזֵא (§ 11, 3 b)) Daniel 3:19 (ל accusative), suffix לְמֵזְיֵהּ Daniel 3:19; Passive participle אֵוֵה (K§ 15 e) Daniel 3:22. Topical Lexicon Overview אֲזָא occurs three times in Daniel, each time heightening the drama surrounding Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Functioning as an Aramaic intensifier, the term draws attention to Nebuchadnezzar’s furious escalation and to the lethal conditions that follow. By the Spirit’s inspiration this small word magnifies both the wrath of a human king and, in contrast, the superior saving power of Israel’s God. Occurrences and Immediate Context 1. Daniel 3:19 – Nebuchadnezzar orders the furnace heated “seven times hotter than usual.” In every case אֲזָא intensifies the danger, underscoring that the deliverance to come is no minor providence but a miracle manifestly beyond human capability. Historical Background Babylonian engineers commonly used large, bellows-fed brick kilns capable of exceeding 900°C (1650°F). Kings employed such furnaces not only for industry but also for capital punishment, a practice attested in both Mesopotamian and later Persian sources. Nebuchadnezzar’s order to heat the furnace far beyond its normal range would have required additional fuel, manpower, and time, reinforcing the picture of a monarch prepared to expend vast resources to enforce idolatry. The detail that the flames killed the royal guards (Daniel 3:22) is historically plausible; bellows-driven furnaces can create lethal radiant heat several meters from their opening. Theological Significance 1. Human Fury versus Divine Sovereignty Nebuchadnezzar exercises absolute earthly power, yet אֲזָא marks the limits of that power. The hotter the fire, the greater the display when God preserves His servants. The writer invites the reader to juxtapose an “exceedingly hot” furnace with an “exceedingly faithful” God (compare Psalm 34:19). 2. Judgment Reversed By intensifying judgment on the faithful, the king unwittingly sets a trap for his own men (Daniel 3:22). Scripture often portrays God turning the schemes of the wicked back on themselves (Esther 7:10; Psalm 7:15–16). אֲזָא helps frame that reversal. 3. Revelation of the Fourth Man The miracle that follows—“one like a son of the gods” walking amid the flames (Daniel 3:25)—is revealed within the literary crescendo created by אֲזָא. The word therefore contributes to a key Old Testament Christophany, foreshadowing the incarnate Lord who “will be with you when you pass through the fire” (Isaiah 43:2). Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral Encouragement: Trials often feel “seven times hotter” than we can bear. אֲזָא reminds believers that God allows escalation only to showcase His greater deliverance (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christological Foreshadowing The intensifier paves the way for the appearance of the fourth figure in the furnace. As the heat increases, so does the contrast between mortal peril and divine companionship. For followers of Jesus Christ the pattern is clear: the cross represents humanity’s most “intense” opposition to God, yet there the Lord accomplished His greatest rescue (Romans 5:8). אֲזָא thus subtly participates in the larger biblical theme that salvation shines brightest against the backdrop of heightened danger. Conclusion Though seemingly minor, אֲזָא concentrates the drama of Daniel 3, magnifying the king’s wrath, the peril of the furnace, and ultimately the glory of God’s deliverance. Its threefold use forms a literary tripod that upholds one of Scripture’s most vivid demonstrations that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17). For readers, teachers, and pastors, this small word is a reminder that every stroke of the biblical text serves the larger narrative of God’s saving purpose. Forms and Transliterations אֵזֵ֣ה אזה לְמֵזְיֵֽהּ׃ לְמֵזֵ֣א למזא למזיה׃ ’ê·zêh ’êzêh eZeh lə·mê·zê lə·mê·zə·yêh lemeZe ləmêzê lemezeYeh ləmêzəyêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 3:19 HEB: עָנֵ֤ה וְאָמַר֙ לְמֵזֵ֣א לְאַתּוּנָ֔א חַ֨ד־ NAS: by giving orders to heat the furnace KJV: and commanded that they should heat the furnace INT: answered giving to heat the furnace times Daniel 3:19 Daniel 3:22 3 Occurrences |
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