2306. chadi

Lexical Summary

chadi: breast

Original Word: חֲדִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chadiy
Pronunciation: khaw-DEE
Phonetic Spelling: (khad-ee')
KJV: breast
NASB: breast
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H2373 (חָזֶה - breast)]

1. a breast

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

breast

(Aramaic) corresponding to chazeh; a breast -- breast.

see HEBREW chazeh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to chazeh
Definition
breast
NASB Translation
breast (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[חֲדִי], or (K^{§ 65, 6 a})) חַד]

noun masculine breast (ᵑ7 Syriac; see Biblical Hebrew II. חזה); — dual (Schulth^{ZAW xxii (1902), 164}) suffix חֲדוֺ֫הִי Daniel 2:32.

Topical Lexicon

Textual Setting

חֲדִי appears once, in Daniel 2:32, within the Aramaic section of Daniel. The term designates the “thighs” of Nebuchadnezzar’s great statue: “its belly and thighs were bronze” (Daniel 2:32). While lexically simple, the word anchors one of Scripture’s most sweeping panoramic prophecies of world history.

Historical Context

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (circa 603 BC) outlines successive Gentile empires from Babylon to the final kingdom of God (Daniel 2:37-45). The statue’s four metals trace a descending scale of value but an ascending scale of strength, revealing the transience of human sovereignty and the certainty of divine dominion. חֲדִי, the bronze thighs, stand between the silver torso (Medo-Persia) and the iron legs (Rome).

Prophetic Symbolism

1. Identification with Greece
• The third kingdom “will rule the whole earth” (Daniel 2:39). This matches the rapid conquests of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC).
• Daniel 8:5-8 further depicts Greece as a goat that “became very great,” then split into four horns, paralleling the Hellenistic successor states that followed Alexander.
• The belly-and-thighs zone covers the body’s midsection, fitting an empire that bridged East and West through language, commerce and culture.

2. Bronze Imagery
• In the tabernacle and temple, bronze symbolizes judgment and sustained strength (Exodus 27:1-2; 2 Kings 25:13). Greece’s military efficiency and administrative structures displayed remarkable resilience, yet were destined to yield to Rome’s iron authority.
• Ezekiel 27:13 lists Javan (Greece) among Tyre’s trading partners; as bronze traffickers they foreshadowed the metallic coloring tied to their prophetic slot.

Theological Themes

• Sovereignty of God: The single appearance of חֲדִי rests inside a chapter declaring that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). The word’s solitary use underscores how even minor lexical details serve the larger revelation of God’s rule over history.
• Continuity of Scripture: Daniel’s bronze thigh-language aligns with later prophetic images—such as the four-winged leopard of Daniel 7:6—demonstrating the internal coherence of biblical prophecy.
• Assurance to Believers: Daniel’s vision, validated by subsequent history, strengthens confidence that future promises (e.g., the everlasting kingdom) will likewise be fulfilled.

Christological Connection

The Greek period prepared the Mediterranean world for the Messiah:
• Linguistic Unification: Koine Greek became the lingua franca, enabling rapid spread of the Gospel and the Septuagint.
• Cultural Anticipation: Hellenistic philosophies raised questions about logos, ethics and immortality, answered ultimately in Jesus Christ (John 1:1; Acts 17:23-31).
• Prophetic Precision: The time-frame between the bronze thighs and the iron legs places the Incarnation during the fourth empire, “in the days of those kings” (Daniel 2:44), confirming God’s timing.

Related Passages

Daniel 2:32-45; Daniel 7:6; Daniel 8:5-8; Zechariah 9:13; Luke 2:1; Galatians 4:4.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Apologetics: Fulfilled prophecy from חֲדִי’s single occurrence fortifies evangelistic appeals to Scripture’s reliability.
• Discipleship: Teaching Daniel’s metallic image helps believers interpret current events through a biblical-historical lens rather than fearful speculation.
• Missions: Recognizing how God used Hellenism’s reach encourages modern engagement with global languages and cultures for Gospel advance.

Summary

Though חֲדִי appears only once, it anchors the prophetic identification of Greece in Daniel’s statue, illustrating God’s precise control over empires and His unfolding redemptive plan leading to Christ’s eternal kingdom.

Forms and Transliterations

חֲד֥וֹהִי חדוהי chaDohi ḥă·ḏō·w·hî ḥăḏōwhî

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:32
HEB: דְהַ֣ב טָ֔ב חֲד֥וֹהִי וּדְרָע֖וֹהִי דִּ֣י
NAS: gold, its breast and its arms
KJV: gold, his breast and his arms
INT: gold fine breast arms forasmuch

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2306
1 Occurrence

ḥă·ḏō·w·hî — 1 Occ.