Lexical Summary chanan: showing mercy, supplication Original Word: חֲנַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance show mercy, make supplication (Aramaic) corresponding to chanan; to favor or (causatively) to entreat -- shew mercy, make supplication. see HEBREW chanan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to chanan Definition to show favor NASB Translation showing mercy (1), supplication (1). Topical Lexicon Overview The term expresses the idea of seeking or extending gracious favor. It appears only twice, both times in the Aramaic portions of Daniel, where it carries weight far beyond its sparse occurrence: it frames mercy as the divinely ordained path to avert judgment and as the posture of humble dependence that sustains the faithful under persecution. Usage in the Court Narratives of Daniel Daniel 4:27 records the prophet’s counsel to King Nebuchadnezzar: “Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.” Here, gracious favor toward the powerless is presented as the tangible fruit of repentance and the means by which a pagan monarch might experience prolongation of prosperity. Mercy is thus elevated from private virtue to public policy, measured by the king’s treatment of society’s most vulnerable. In Daniel 6:11 the same term is found in the description of Daniel’s prayer life: “Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.” The narrative stresses Daniel’s habitual rhythm of seeking divine favor. When imperial decree sought to sever prayer from public life, Daniel’s unwavering petitions highlighted that true authority lies with the God who grants grace. Historical and Cultural Setting Both occurrences arise in the milieu of Babylonian–Persian courts, environments marked by absolute rulers and capricious edicts. In that setting, favor was normally dispensed by the strong to secure loyalty. Daniel re-imagines courtly favor: mercy flows not from might, but from righteousness that aligns with Heaven’s standards. The exilic community would have recognized in this term a summons to embody covenant compassion even while living under foreign powers. Theological Themes 1. Repentance and Social Justice: Mercy to the poor in Daniel 4:27 shows that genuine repentance issues in concrete acts of relief. Intertextual Connections Though the word here is Aramaic, it resonates with the broader Hebrew testimony that “the LORD is gracious” (for example, Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:15). The king’s call to mercy mirrors Proverbs 14:31, while Daniel’s petitions echo Psalm 4:1. Together they weave a canonical thread: God’s gracious character anchors both ethical responsibility and confident prayer. Christological Foreshadowing Nebuchadnezzar’s summons to show mercy anticipates the Gospel’s call to deeds of compassion (Matthew 25:34-40), while Daniel’s costly petitioning prefigures the resolve of Jesus in Gethsemane and the apostolic insistence that “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). In both instances grace is sought or extended at personal risk, foreshadowing the cross where divine favor is secured for sinners. Ministry and Discipleship Implications • Social Outreach: Mercy ministry is not optional philanthropy but a repentance-driven response to grace. Devotional Reflection Believers today live between Nebuchadnezzar’s summons and Daniel’s petitions: called to extend gracious favor outward and to seek it upward. When mercy shapes both our public actions and private prayers, we walk in the footsteps of the saints—and of the Savior—who trusted that “He gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Forms and Transliterations בְּמִחַ֣ן במחן וּמִתְחַנַּ֖ן ומתחנן bə·mi·ḥan bemiChan bəmiḥan ū·miṯ·ḥan·nan umitchanNan ūmiṯḥannanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 4:27 HEB: פְרֻ֔ק וַעֲוָיָתָ֖ךְ בְּמִחַ֣ן עֲנָ֑יִן הֵ֛ן NAS: and from your iniquities by showing mercy to [the] poor, KJV: and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; INT: break your iniquities showing to the poor case Daniel 6:11 2 Occurrences |
    |