2877. tabbach

Lexical Summary

tabbach: bodyguard

Original Word: טַבָּח
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tabbach
Pronunciation: tah-bakh
Phonetic Spelling: (tab-bawkh')
KJV: guard
NASB: bodyguard
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) the same as H2876 (טַּבָּח - bodyguard)]

1. a lifeguardsman

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

guard

(Aramaic) the same as tabbach; a lifeguardsman -- guard.

see HEBREW tabbach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tabbach
Definition
guardsman
NASB Translation
bodyguard (1).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

The Hebrew noun טַבָּח (Strong’s 2877) designates an official charged with killings on behalf of the sovereign—literally a “slaughterer” and, by extension, an executioner or chief of the royal guard. Though the term can describe a butcher or cook in other Semitic settings, its single Old-Testament occurrence identifies a high-ranking military officer entrusted with capital authority.

Biblical Occurrence

Daniel 2:14: “Then Daniel replied with discretion and tact to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon.”

Historical Setting

• Neo-Babylonian monarchs, like many Ancient Near Eastern rulers, maintained an elite corps responsible for palace security and official executions.
• Such units combined ceremonial splendor with lethal responsibility. Arioch’s title “captain of the king’s guard” (literally “chief of the slaughterers”) signals command over a body that protected Nebuchadnezzar II and carried out royal sentences.
• The guard’s presence emphasized the absolute power of the king, whose word determined life or death (Daniel 5:19).

Role within Ancient Near Eastern Courts

1. Protection of the throne—preventing coups and guarding the royal person.
2. Enforcement—acting as state executioners, often immediately upon verbal decree.
3. Custody—oversight of prisoners awaiting judgment.
4. Ceremonial function—appearing in state processions as a visible symbol of royal authority.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty versus Human Power: Nebuchadnezzar’s lethal edict is countered by God’s providential intervention, showing that earthly “slaughterers” operate only within parameters set by the Most High (Daniel 2:21).
• Wisdom and Prudence: Daniel’s respectful appeal to Arioch illustrates godly engagement with secular authority (compare Acts 25:8–11).
• Preservation of the Righteous: Though the guard is poised to kill, the faithful remnant is preserved, prefiguring ultimate deliverance in Christ (2 Timothy 4:18).

Intertextual Connections

• The office parallels the Egyptian “captain of the guard” in Genesis 37:36; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 40:3 (there expressed with a related root). Both contexts highlight God’s supervision over His servants even under foreign power.
• The execution motif foreshadows later imperial threats against God’s people (Esther 3:13; Acts 12:1–4), underscoring a recurring biblical pattern: tyrannical decree met by divine rescue.

Practical Ministry Insights

• Navigating Hostile Systems: Believers may face unjust orders, yet tact, prayer, and confidence in God’s oversight remain effective (Daniel 2:17–18).
• Respectful Engagement with Authority: Daniel addresses Arioch “with discretion and tact,” modeling Titus 3:1–2.
• Intercessory Urgency: The crisis precipitated earnest prayer among Daniel’s companions (Daniel 2:18), a pattern for congregational response when civil powers threaten gospel witness.

Christological Foreshadowing

While הטַּבָּח embodies imminent death, the narrative shifts to revelation and life through Daniel, prefiguring Jesus, who faced the executioners’ cohort (John 18:3) yet triumphed over death (Revelation 1:18). Earthly captains of slaughter stand in stark contrast to the Shepherd who lays down His life voluntarily (John 10:18).

Key Lessons

1. Earthly authority, however violent, is subordinate to God’s rule.
2. Wisdom and prayer can stay the hand of judgment.
3. God positions His servants—even within pagan structures—to manifest His glory and preserve life.

Forms and Transliterations

טַבָּחַיָּ֖א טבחיא ṭab·bā·ḥay·yā tabbachaiYa ṭabbāḥayyā

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 2:14
HEB: לְאַרְי֕וֹךְ רַב־ טַבָּחַיָּ֖א דִּ֣י מַלְכָּ֑א
NAS: of the king's bodyguard, who
KJV: the king's guard, which was gone forth
INT: to Arioch the captain bodyguard who of the king's

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2877
1 Occurrence

ṭab·bā·ḥay·yā — 1 Occ.