Lexical Summary chad: one, first, same time Original Word: חַד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance a, first, one, together (Aramaic) corresponding to chad; as card. One; as article single; as an ordinal, first; adverbially, at once -- a, first, one, together. see HEBREW chad NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to chad and echad Definition one NASB Translation first (3), one (4), same time (1), single (1), times (1). Topical Lexicon Overviewחַד (Ḥad) is an Aramaic term that functions much like the English “one” or “a certain,” marking a single item, moment, person, or decree. All fourteen occurrences fall within the Aramaic records of Ezra and Daniel, where the word punctuates decisive historical acts and prophetic revelations, underscoring the unity and singular authority of God’s dealings with kings and nations. Occurrences and Literary Setting Ezra 4:8; 5:13; 6:2–3 Official Persian correspondence uses חַד to stress a unique written document or the inaugural year of Cyrus, anchoring the temple-rebuilding narrative in verifiable history (“In the first year of King Cyrus,” Ezra 6:3). Nebuchadnezzar threatens “one decree” of death (2:9), then beholds “a great statue” (2:31) and “the stone that struck the statue” (2:35). Each singular reference heightens the exclusivity of God’s revelation and the certainty of His kingdom. The furnace is heated “seven times hotter than usual,” literally “than it was heated at one time,” emphasizing a single decisive escalation in persecution. After hearing the king’s dream, Daniel is appalled “for a moment,” a lone pause that marks the gravity of impending judgment. One of three governors (6:2) and one stone sealed over the lions’ den (6:17) show God’s protection intersecting with specific imperial protocols. Daniel receives “a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed” (7:1), approaches “one of those standing there” (7:16), and notes a beast raised up on “one side” (7:5), each instance singling out elements within a sweeping eschatological panorama. Narrative Themes 1. Singular Decrees and Documents Whether Cyrus’ edict (Ezra 6:3) or Nebuchadnezzar’s death-sentence (Daniel 2:9), חַד spotlights the authority of a lone written or spoken word. Scripture presents royal orders as instruments that the greater King bends to His redemptive plan. 2. Unity of Prophetic Vision Daniel’s “one dream” (7:1) unites four monstrous kingdoms under a single divine interpretation, mirroring the “one statue” (2:31) whose composite metals portray history’s continuity under God’s sovereignty. 3. Unique Acts of Deliverance The “one stone” over the lions’ den (6:17) and the single intensified furnace (3:19) frame God’s miraculous rescues of His servants, illustrating that a solitary obstacle is no match for His power. 4. Foreshadowing the One Kingdom The solitary stone that “became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35) prefigures the Messiah’s everlasting reign, linking חַד to the biblical theme of one ultimate, unshakable kingdom. Historical Significance The word surfaces in official Aramaic documents from the Persian period (Ezra) and in Babylonian-Persian court narratives (Daniel). Its consistent employment in administrative and prophetic contexts affirms the historical credibility of the accounts and highlights how God’s purposes advance through specific times, places, and decrees. Theological Implications • Divine Unity and Sovereignty Each “one” decree, dream, or object reflects the oneness of God’s plan unfolding amid human empires. Singular terminology accentuates the completeness and sufficiency of God’s disclosures; nothing more is needed beyond what He declares. The lone stone in Daniel 2 anticipates the single Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) whose kingdom will endure forever. Application for Ministry 1. Preaching: Emphasize the sufficiency of God’s one gospel message against the backdrop of many competing decrees and ideologies. Key Cross-References for Further Study Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:22; John 10:16; Ephesians 4:4–6—each reinforces the biblical testimony to the unity and exclusivity that חַד subtly but steadily conveys throughout the Aramaic passages. Forms and Transliterations חֲדָ֑ה חֲדָ֔ה חֲדָ֖ה חֲדָ֗ה חֲדָ֜ה חֲדָה־ חַ֨ד־ חַֽד־ חַד֙ חד חד־ חדה חדה־ כַחֲדָ֡ה כחדה chachaDah chad chaDah ḥă·ḏāh ḥă·ḏāh- ḥaḏ ḥaḏ- ḥăḏāh ḥăḏāh- ḵa·ḥă·ḏāh ḵaḥăḏāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 4:8 HEB: כְּתַ֛בוּ אִגְּרָ֥ה חֲדָ֖ה עַל־ יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם KJV: the scribe wrote a letter against INT: wrote A letter a against Jerusalem Ezra 5:13 Ezra 6:2 Ezra 6:3 Daniel 2:9 Daniel 2:31 Daniel 2:35 Daniel 3:19 Daniel 4:19 Daniel 6:2 Daniel 6:17 Daniel 7:1 Daniel 7:5 Daniel 7:16 14 Occurrences |
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