Lexical Summary yabbesheth: Dry land, dry ground Original Word: יַבֶּשֶׁת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance earth (Aramaic) corresponding to yabbesheth; dry land -- earth. see HEBREW yabbesheth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to yabbesheth Definition earth NASB Translation earth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יבֶּ֫שֶׁת] noun feminine earth (so Syriac; ᵑ7 as Biblical Hebrew יַבָּשָׁה dry land, √ יָבֵשׁ); — emphatic יַבֶּשְׁתָּא Daniel 2:10. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery יַבֶּשֶׁת (yabbeshet) denotes the “dry land” as opposed to the sea or the heavens. The word carries the idea of solid ground that can be inhabited and cultivated, a place where human life carries on in ordered stability. Its cognate יַבָּשָׁה (yabbashah) appears frequently in the Hebrew portions of Scripture, linking the term to God’s creative and redemptive acts in history. Single Old-Testament Occurrence Daniel 2:10 is the sole occurrence of יַבֶּשֶׁת. In the Aramaic narrative the Chaldeans answer Nebuchadnezzar: “There is no man on earth who can accomplish what the king demands” (Berean Standard Bible). Here “on earth” (עַל־יַבֶּשֶׁת) underscores human limitation. The wisest men of Babylon confess that, though they occupy the realm of dry land, the revelation the king seeks lies beyond their reach. The word therefore provides a literary contrast between creaturely finitude and the omniscience of the God who ultimately gives Daniel the interpretation. Literary and Theological Context in Daniel 1. Emphasis on Sovereignty: By highlighting the impotence of every “man on earth,” the narrative prepares the reader for God’s intervention through His prophet. Intertextual Resonances Genesis 1:9–10 portrays God’s separation of dry land from the seas: “God called the dry land Earth.” The same Creator who formed yabbeshah now reveals mysteries that confound mighty kings. Likewise, Exodus 14:29 recounts Israel’s passage “through the sea on dry ground,” linking dry land with salvation history. Daniel’s experience in Babylon parallels those earlier deliverances: God again makes a way for His people in a setting of apparent impossibility. Historical and Linguistic Notes • The Aramaic section of Daniel (Daniel 2:4–7:28) adopts many Hebrew theological terms; יַבֶּשֶׁת is one such import, preserving continuity between the exilic narrative and the Hebrew canon. Doctrinal and Ministry Implications 1. Dependence on Revelation: Ministry built solely on natural insight remains confined “on earth.” Effective service requires the Word and Spirit that come from above (James 3:17). Homiletical Uses • Sermons on Daniel 2 may draw a contrast between “earth-bound” wisdom and heavenly revelation, urging listeners to seek God for insight. Summary יַבֶּשֶׁת serves as more than a geographical term in Daniel 2:10; it is a theological signpost. By anchoring human wisdom to the dry land, Scripture magnifies the transcendence of the God who speaks from heaven, the Lord of creation, history, and redemption. Forms and Transliterations יַבֶּשְׁתָּ֔א יבשתא yab·beš·tā yabbeshTa yabbeštāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:10 HEB: אֲנָשׁ֙ עַל־ יַבֶּשְׁתָּ֔א דִּ֚י מִלַּ֣ת NAS: There is not a man on earth who could KJV: a man upon the earth that can shew INT: A man upon earth who the matter 1 Occurrence |
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