Lexical Summary mishkab: bed Original Word: מִשְׁכַּב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bed (Aramaic) corresponding to mishkab; a bed -- bed. see HEBREW mishkab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to mishkab Definition couch, bed NASB Translation bed (6). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מִשְׁכַּב] noun [masculine] couch, bed; — suffix מִשְׁכְּבִי Daniel 4:2; Daniel 4:7; Daniel 4:10; ךְָ֯ Daniel 2:28,29; הֵּ֯ Daniel 7:1. Topical Lexicon Definition and Setting The noun מִשְׁכַּב denotes the sleeping place or couch upon which a person reclines. In the six appearances of the word—all in the book of Daniel—it is never a casual detail. Each reference places the bed in the royal chamber, the most guarded space of ancient empire. Here the term functions as a literary stage upon which God confronts human sovereignty. Occurrences in Daniel 1. Daniel 2:28–29. Nebuchadnezzar lies on his bed pondering “what will come to pass,” yet receives a vision that only the God of Israel can interpret. The Bed as Setting for Divine Revelation In Daniel the bed is the threshold between conscious power and subconscious dependence. While rulers imagine themselves secure, the Sovereign Lord invades their rest to reveal future kingdoms and the arrival of the Son of Man. The narrative highlights that true authority belongs to the One who “reveals the deep and hidden things” (Daniel 2:22). Human Vulnerability Before God The royal bedchamber represents ultimate privacy, yet Daniel’s God enters without permission. Dreams given on the מִשְׁכַּב strip Nebuchadnezzar of control, leading him to confess, “Surely your God is the God of gods” (Daniel 2:47). The same vulnerability meets every reader: even at our most protected moment, we are open to divine scrutiny. Typological and Theological Implications 1. Kingship. Earthly crowns cannot bar heaven’s messages; the bed becomes a prophetic pulpit. Practical and Devotional Applications • Night hours are often when the Spirit brings conviction or guidance (cf. Job 33:14–18). Believers may pray, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening,” even upon their own beds (1 Samuel 3:9). Related Biblical Imagery Other Hebrew terms for bed (e.g., עַרְשָׂה, יָצֻעַ) depict sickness, adultery, or death. By contrast, מִשְׁכַּב in Daniel consistently frames God-initiated revelation. The juxtaposition invites readers to view the resting place as either a platform for divine encounter or, when misused, a symbol of rebellion (Proverbs 7:16–18). Ministry Significance Preachers and teachers may draw from Daniel’s use of מִשְׁכַּב to affirm: Forms and Transliterations מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י מִשְׁכְּבִ֔י מִשְׁכְּבֵ֑הּ מִשְׁכְּבָ֖ךְ מִשְׁכְּבָ֣ךְ משכבה משכבי משכבך miš·kə·ḇāḵ miš·kə·ḇêh miš·kə·ḇî mishkeVach mishkeVeh mishkeVi miškəḇāḵ miškəḇêh miškəḇîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:28 HEB: רֵאשָׁ֛ךְ עַֽל־ מִשְׁכְּבָ֖ךְ דְּנָ֥ה הֽוּא׃ NAS: in your mind [while] on your bed. KJV: of thy head upon thy bed, are these; INT: your mind upon your bed This it Daniel 2:29 Daniel 4:5 Daniel 4:10 Daniel 4:13 Daniel 7:1 6 Occurrences |
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