Lexical Summary enash: Man, human, mortal Original Word: אֱנָשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance man, whosoever (Aramaic) or renash (Aramaic) {en-ash'}; corresponding to 'enowsh; a man -- man, + whosoever. see HEBREW 'enowsh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to enosh Definition man, mankind NASB Translation human (1), man (11), man's (1), mankind (8), men (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֱנָשׁ noun masculine man, mankind; — absolute ׳א Daniel 2:10 +; emphatic אֲנָשָׁא Daniel 2:38 +, so Qr Daniel 4:13; Daniel 4:14 ( > Kt אנושׁא K§ 57f); so Nabataean אנוש often Lzb222 Cooke219 SAC22): plural אֲנָשָׁים Daniel 4:14 (Hebraism, M53* proposes אֲנָשָׁא); — 1 man, human being, Daniel 2:10; Daniel 3:10; Daniel 4:13; Daniel 5:5,7 (twice in verse); Daniel 6:13 (twice in verse); Daniel 7:4 (twice in verse); Daniel 7:8; Ezra 6:11; so בַּראֱֿנָשׁ Daniel 7:13 a son of man, human being (see especially DrDan 102; DB SON OF MAN). 2 collective men, people, Ezra 4:11; Daniel 4:14a; Daniel 4:22 (twice in verse); Daniel 4:29 (twice in verse); Daniel 4:30; Daniel 5:21, compare plural Daniel 4:14; ׳ןְרַע א Daniel 2:43 i.e. human offspring; בְּנֵי אֲנָשָׁא sons of men, = men, Daniel 2:38; Daniel 5:21. Topical Lexicon Overview The Aramaic noun אֱנָשׁ appears twenty-five times in the post-exilic writings of Ezra and Daniel. Each occurrence supplies a window on the nature, dignity, and frailty of humanity set against the sovereign purposes of God. Usage in Ezra Ezra employs the word in official correspondence between the Persian court and the returned exiles (Ezra 4:11; Ezra 6:11). Here it denotes ordinary “men” living west of the Euphrates, underscoring the broad ethnic mix of the imperial province. The term carries no moral or spiritual valuation, simply cataloging human subjects under imperial rule. Narrative Function in Daniel 2–6 1. Universal scope. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream assigns dominion “wherever the children of men dwell” (Daniel 2:38), setting human agency within God-ordained empires. Prophetic Imagery in Daniel 7 Daniel 7 pivots on two occurrences: the lion raised “to stand on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it” (Daniel 7:4), and, most significantly, “One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13). The first pictures an empire temporarily ennobled; the second introduces a heavenly figure who receives everlasting dominion. The Aramaic construction bar enash (“Son of Man”) becomes the favored self-designation of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, linking Daniel’s vision to the New Testament revelation of the Messiah’s divine-human person. Humanity in Contrast with Deity Throughout Daniel, אֱנָשׁ highlights humanity’s derivative authority, limited knowledge, and susceptibility to divine discipline. Kings may command an empire, yet the Most High “does as He pleases with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth” (Daniel 4:35). Relation to Other Biblical Terms for Man Unlike Hebrew ’adam, which stresses earth-origin, or ’ish, which often emphasizes individuality, the Aramaic אֱנָשׁ functions generically, especially in imperial and apocalyptic settings. Its semantic range overlaps with Hebrew enosh (Psalm 8:4), a word that likewise accents mortality, hinting at a shared Northwest Semitic root that conveys human frailty. Historical and Linguistic Setting The term surfaces in the Aramaic sections of Scripture, documents written for an audience embedded in the multilingual milieu of the Persian empire. Its presence authenticates the historical setting: Jews in Babylon and Susa dealing with imperial edicts and court culture where Aramaic served as the lingua franca. Ministry and Devotional Implications • Humility before God. The recurring impotence of “men” before divine mysteries counsels believers to seek wisdom from above. Key References Summary אֱנָשׁ threads through Ezra and Daniel as a theological marker of humanity—signifying ordinary subjects of empire, revealing the inadequacy of human wisdom, and pointing to the exaltation of the Son of Man whose dominion will never pass away. Forms and Transliterations אֱ֠נָשׁ אֱנָ֔שׁ אֱנָ֖שׁ אֱנָ֗שׁ אֱנָ֡שׁ אֱנָ֥שׁ אֲ֠נָשָׁא אֲנָשִׁ֖ים אֲנָשָׁ֔א אֲנָשָׁ֡א אֲנָשָׁ֣א אֲנָשָׁ֨א אֲנָשָׁא֙ אֲנָשָׁא֩ אֲנָשׁ֙ אֲנָשָׁ֗א אֲנָשָׁ֣א אנש אנשא אנשים וֶֽאֱנָ֜שׁ ואנש כֶּאֱנָ֣שׁ כאנש ’ă·nā·šā ’ă·nā·šîm ’ă·nāš ’ănāš ’ănāšā ’ănāšîm ’ĕ·nāš ’ĕnāš aNash Anasha anaShim eNash Enosh ke’ĕnāš ke·’ĕ·nāš keeNash veeNash we’ĕnāš we·’ĕ·nāšLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 4:11 HEB: (עַבְדָ֛ךְ ק) אֱנָ֥שׁ עֲבַֽר־ נַהֲרָ֖ה NAS: Your servants, the men in the region beyond KJV: Thy servants the men on this side INT: to King your servants the men the region the River Ezra 6:11 Daniel 2:10 Daniel 2:38 Daniel 2:43 Daniel 3:10 Daniel 4:16 Daniel 4:17 Daniel 4:17 Daniel 4:25 Daniel 4:25 Daniel 4:32 Daniel 4:32 Daniel 4:33 Daniel 5:5 Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:21 Daniel 5:21 Daniel 6:7 Daniel 6:12 Daniel 6:12 Daniel 7:4 Daniel 7:4 Daniel 7:8 Daniel 7:13 25 Occurrences |
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