Lexical Summary nephal: To fall, to lie, to be cast down Original Word: נְפַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fall down, have occasion (Aramaic) corresponding to naphal -- fall (down), have occasion. see HEBREW naphal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to naphal Definition to fall NASB Translation came (1), fall down (5), fell (3), fell down (1), have occasion (1). Topical Lexicon Scope and Distribution The Aramaic verb נְפַל occurs eleven times, all in the post-exilic writings of Ezra and Daniel. Its settings—Persian bureaucracy, Babylonian court ceremonies, the fiery furnace narrative, Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling, and Daniel’s night visions—span administrative, historical, narrative, and apocalyptic genres, enabling a multi-faceted understanding of “falling / prostrating” before human authority or divine sovereignty. Prostration in the Royal Court Daniel 2:46 records the climactic scene after Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell facedown and paid homage to Daniel, and he ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.” The king’s dramatic fall signals more than personal gratitude; it acknowledges a wisdom that surpasses imperial power. Yet Daniel immediately redirects honor to “the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:28), showing that every earthly bow must ultimately transfer glory upward. Forced Idolatry and Religious Persecution Nine of the eleven uses cluster in Daniel 3. The verb describes the compulsory obeisance demanded at the sound of music before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image (verses 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15). This repetition drives home the totalitarian grip of idolatry: worship dictated by decree, backed by furnace. Against this backdrop, the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego highlights true fidelity. Their steadfastness exposes the difference between an outward fall of the body and an inward bow of the heart. Deliverance and Divine Vindication Daniel 3:23 depicts the faithful trio “falling bound into the midst of the blazing furnace.” The same verb that marked coerced idolatry now marks their apparent defeat. Yet the ensuing rescue reveals that when God intervenes, what seems a fall becomes an ascent, for “the fire had no power over their bodies” (Daniel 3:27). The narrative reframes falling as a pathway to exaltation under God’s hand. The Humbling of the Proud Monarch Nebuchadnezzar’s second personal encounter with נְפַל comes in Daniel 4:31 (Aramaic 4:34), when a heavenly voice strikes him: “While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven …” His royal stature collapses; kingdom and sanity fall away until he lifts his eyes to heaven. The verb’s earlier association with coerced worship is now inverted: the king himself falls beneath the decree of the Most High, underscoring divine supremacy over earthly thrones. Apocalyptic Perspective on Human Power Daniel 7:20 employs נְפַל to describe the little horn whose appearance caused three other horns to “fall.” The fall here signals political displacement and the transient nature of worldly dominion. In apocalyptic context, the word foreshadows the ultimate overthrow of all opposition to God’s everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:27). Provision for the House of God Ezra 7:20 places the verb in a Persian memorandum: whatever further need “falls upon” the temple in Jerusalem is to be supplied from the royal treasury. Here נְפַל frames the ongoing, practical dependence of worship on providence. Imperial resources are harnessed for covenant worship, illustrating God’s ability to make even foreign kings patrons of His house. Theological Trajectory Across these texts, נְפַל moves from external posture to theological statement: Ministry Implications 1. Worship Integrity: Bodily posture is secondary to heart allegiance; forced worship is no worship at all. Thus, נְפַל traces a moral and theological arc from coerced idolatry to voluntary, reverent submission before the one true God, assuring readers that every fall is measured by His sovereign hand. Forms and Transliterations וּנְפַ֥לָה ונפלה יִפֵּ֖ל יִפֵּ֥ל יִפֶּל־ יפל יפל־ נְפַ֑ל נְפַ֛לוּ נְפַ֣ל נָֽפְלִ֨ין נפל נפלו נפלין תִּפְּל֣וּן תִּפְּל֤וּן תפלון nā·p̄ə·lîn nafeLin nāp̄əlîn nə·p̄a·lū nə·p̄al neFal neFalu nəp̄al nəp̄alū tip·pə·lūn tippeLun tippəlūn ū·nə·p̄a·lāh uneFalah ūnəp̄alāh yip·pêl yip·pel- yippel yippêl yippel-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 7:20 HEB: אֱלָהָ֔ךְ דִּ֥י יִפֶּל־ לָ֖ךְ לְמִנְתַּ֑ן NAS: for which you may have occasion to provide, KJV: of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, INT: of your God which may have to provide provide Daniel 2:46 Daniel 3:5 Daniel 3:6 Daniel 3:7 Daniel 3:10 Daniel 3:11 Daniel 3:15 Daniel 3:23 Daniel 4:31 Daniel 7:20 11 Occurrences |
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