Lexical Summary sebar: To hope, to expect Original Word: סְבַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance think (Aramaic) a primitive root; to bear in mind, i.e. Hope -- think. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) a prim. root Definition to think, intend NASB Translation intend (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סְבַר] verb think, intend (ᵑ7 Syriac; see Biblical Hebrew II. שׂבר (late)); — Pe`al Imperfect3masculine singular יִסְבַּר Daniel 7:25, followed by infinitive Topical Lexicon Canonical Context The solitary appearance of סְבַר in Scripture occurs in Daniel 7:25, within the Aramaic section of Daniel that records the prophet’s night vision of four beasts and the “little horn.” The term describes that horn’s audacious mental resolve: “He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High. He will intend to change the set times and the law” (Daniel 7:25). Here סְבַר indicates deliberate purpose, underscoring the calculated nature of the rebellion. Portrait of Human Presumption Daniel’s prophecy portrays political-religious power at its most defiant. The “intending” of the horn is not mere wishful thinking but a determined strategy to rewrite divinely appointed realities (“times and law”). This reflects the broader biblical theme of created beings overreaching their place—seen in Babel (Genesis 11:4), Pharaoh (Exodus 5:2), and ultimately in the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Each episode exposes the same presumption: the creature imagines he can overturn the Creator’s decrees. Divine Sovereignty Over Times and Law While the horn “intends,” God ordains: “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). Daniel’s earlier confession contrasts divine authority with human ambition, assuring readers that history’s schedule is not subject to tyrants. The saints suffer temporarily—“for a time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25)—but the heavenly court ultimately strips the usurper of power (Daniel 7:26-27). סְבַר therefore functions ironically: the horn’s resolve highlights, by contrast, the immutability of God’s covenant order. Eschatological Trajectory The New Testament amplifies Daniel’s vision. Jesus alludes to Daniel when warning of “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15). Paul describes the climactic rebel who “sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). John pictures a beast who “was given authority to act for forty-two months” (Revelation 13:5). Each passage echoes Daniel 7:25, showing the trajectory from the little horn’s סְבַר to the final Antichrist’s global deception. The prophetic pattern assures believers that every generation faces attempted revisions of God’s order, yet each attempt is bounded by divine decree. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Vigilance in Discernment: Daniel’s saints needed clarity to recognize false claims to divine authority. Churches today must test proposals—political, cultural, or religious—that “intend to change” God’s established norms (1 John 4:1). Historical Reception Early Jewish interpreters linked the little horn’s סְבַר to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, while Christian writers such as Hippolytus and Jerome extended the prophecy toward a final Antichrist. The Reformers saw a typological fulfillment in ecclesiastical corruption, yet still anticipated a future consummation. Across traditions, the underlying consensus remains: the intention to subvert divine order will arise repeatedly, but it will always be contained within the sovereign counsel of God. Related Scriptural Themes • Human schemes versus divine plans: Psalm 2:1-4; Proverbs 19:21. Summary סְבַר concentrates in a single verse yet carries enduring theological weight. It crystallizes the fallen world’s resolve to usurp God’s authority, set within a narrative that simultaneously proclaims His unassailable rule. For believers, Daniel 7:25 is both warning and comfort: the enemy may intend, but the Most High determines. Forms and Transliterations וְיִסְבַּ֗ר ויסבר veyisBar wə·yis·bar wəyisbarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 7:25 HEB: עֶלְיוֹנִ֖ין יְבַלֵּ֑א וְיִסְבַּ֗ר לְהַשְׁנָיָה֙ זִמְנִ֣ין NAS: of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations KJV: of the most High, and think to change INT: of the Highest and wear will intend to make times 1 Occurrence |
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