Lexical Summary yarkah: Rear, remote part, recesses, farthest part Original Word: יַרְכָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance thigh (Aramaic) corresponding to yrekah; a thigh -- thigh. see HEBREW yrekah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to yerekah Definition thigh, loin NASB Translation thighs (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יַרְכָה] noun feminine thigh, or loin (ᵑ7; see Biblical Hebrew ירך); — plural suffix יַרְכָתֵהּ Daniel 2:32. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Literary Context Within Daniel 2:32 the word designates the “thighs” of the great statue seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: “its belly and thighs were bronze” (Daniel 2:32). The term functions as a concrete anatomical reference while also contributing to the layered symbolism of the vision. Being placed between the torso of silver and the iron legs, the bronze thighs serve as a transitional element, uniting upper and lower portions of the image and pointing to a historical empire that would connect preceding and succeeding kingdoms. Single Biblical Occurrence • Daniel 2:32 – The bronze thighs of the statue. Symbolic Significance in Daniel’s Prophecy 1. Transitional strength Bronze, harder than gold or silver yet more malleable than iron, fits the position of the thighs—joints that provide both stability and flexibility. The placement signals an empire characterized by military vigor combined with cultural adaptability. Consistent with the historic-prophetic outline (head of gold = Babylon, chest and arms of silver = Medo-Persia, thighs of bronze = Greece, legs of iron = Rome), the word points to the rise of the Greek realm, especially under Alexander the Great. The dual thighs foreshadow the later east-west division of the Hellenistic world (notably the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms), preparing the stage for the struggles recounted in Daniel 11. Thighs connect body to legs, illustrating how Hellenistic culture bridged the Near Eastern and Roman worlds. Philosophical, linguistic, and civic ideals spread by Greece became foundational for the next empire, facilitating the spread of the Gospel in a common language (Koine Greek) centuries later (Galatians 4:4). Historical Background The Macedonian conquest rapidly displaced Medo-Persian dominance. Alexander’s swift campaigns (334-323 BC) melded East and West, and his successors administered territories stretching from Egypt to India. The military effectiveness of the phalanx, the cultural magnetism of Hellenism, and the administrative innovations of the Diadochi confirm the bronze imagery: formidable yet not unbreakable, gleaming yet earth-derived. Theological Themes • God’s sovereignty over nations (Daniel 2:21). Cross-scriptural Echoes Though Strong’s 3410 appears only in Daniel 2:32, the broader Hebrew concept of the thigh often underlines covenant (Genesis 24:2), strength (Job 40:16), and vulnerability (Genesis 32:25). These resonances enrich the portrayal of imperial power that, while impressive, remains subject to divine judgment. Ministry Applications 1. Confidence in Providence: As empires shift under God’s hand, believers can rest in the certainty of an unshakable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28). Summary Strong’s Hebrew 3410, though a single Aramaic term for “thighs,” carries rich prophetic weight. It identifies the bronze mid-section of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and, by extension, the Greek Empire—an indispensable link in God’s unfolding redemptive history that charts the course from Babylon’s glory to the everlasting reign of the Son of Man. Forms and Transliterations וְיַרְכָתֵ֖הּ וירכתה veyarchaTeh wə·yar·ḵā·ṯêh wəyarḵāṯêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:32 HEB: כְסַ֑ף מְע֥וֹהִי וְיַרְכָתֵ֖הּ דִּ֥י נְחָֽשׁ׃ NAS: its belly and its thighs of bronze, KJV: his belly and his thighs of brass, INT: of silver belly thighs forasmuch of bronze 1 Occurrence |
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