6268. Attiq

Lexical Summary

Attiq: Ancient, venerable

Original Word: עַתִּיק
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: `attiyq
Pronunciation: at-teek'
Phonetic Spelling: (at-teek')
KJV: ancient
NASB: ancient
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6267 (עַתּתִּיק - ancient)]

1. venerable

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

ancient

(Aramaic) corresponding to attiyq; venerable -- ancient.

see HEBREW attiyq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to attiq
Definition
"aged," a part of a name of God
NASB Translation
Ancient (1), ancient (2).

Topical Lexicon

Canonical Setting

The word עַתִּיק (attiq, “Ancient”) appears exclusively in Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:13, and Daniel 7:22, joined each time with יֹומִין (“days”) to form the title “Ancient of Days.” Daniel’s night vision contrasts the transience of beastly empires with the everlasting reign of the Ancient of Days who sits in judgment and confers royal authority upon the saints through “One like a Son of Man.” The term therefore functions as a climactic answer to the turmoil introduced by the four beasts (Daniel 7:3-8).

Divine Attributes Highlighted

1. Eternity. “Ancient” stresses God’s existence before and beyond time, echoing truths declared elsewhere: “From everlasting to everlasting You are God” (Psalms 90:2).
2. Holiness. White garments and hair “like pure wool” (Daniel 7:9) symbolize moral purity (Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 1:14).
3. Sovereign Judgment. Flaming throne and fiery wheels present a mobile chariot-court, portraying unhindered authority over earth and heaven (Ezekiel 1; Revelation 20:11-12).
4. Covenant Faithfulness. The judgment “in favor of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:22) reveals His commitment to vindicate His people despite oppressive regimes.

Relation to the Son of Man

Daniel 7:13 records, “I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.” The two figures are distinct yet harmonious:
• The Son of Man receives “dominion, glory, and kingship” (Daniel 7:14), showing that ultimate rule is mediated through Him.
• Jesus applies this vision to Himself (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62), identifying the Son of Man as the awaited Messiah who shares the Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21).
• New Testament passages such as Revelation 1:13-18 merge imagery of the Son of Man with features of the Ancient of Days, underscoring the shared deity of Father and Son.

Eschatological Themes

1. Final Assize. The court sat, books were opened (Daniel 7:10). This prophetic courtroom anticipates the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-15).
2. Transfer of Kingdom. The Ancient of Days decrees an irreversible handover: “The kingdom and dominion… will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:27).
3. Comfort for the Persecuted. Daniel’s audience, exiled under Gentile power, gains assurance that earthly tyranny will end in divine justice.

Historical Reception

• Second Temple Judaism revered the Ancient of Days as the transcendent Judge, yet maintained strict monotheism by distinguishing Him from the Son of Man while allowing both to share the heavenly court.
• Early Christian writers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus read Daniel 7 Christologically, recognizing the Ancient of Days as the Father and the Son of Man as Christ, while upholding co-eternity.
• Later iconography sometimes depicts Christ as the Ancient of Days, reflecting the theological assertion that the eternal nature manifested fully in the incarnate Son.

Ministry and Discipleship Implications

1. Worship. Recognizing God as the Ancient of Days fosters reverent awe and confident praise (Psalms 96:9).
2. Preaching Hope. Pastors can anchor eschatological sermons in Daniel 7, assuring believers that present afflictions are temporary and subject to divine adjudication (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
3. Ethical Accountability. The open books motif motivates personal holiness, reminding the church of impending judgment (1 Peter 1:15-17).
4. Missions. The universal scope of the Son of Man’s dominion (“all peoples, nations, and languages” Daniel 7:14) energizes evangelism and cross-cultural outreach (Matthew 28:18-20).

Corollary Biblical Parallels

• Isaiah 44:6 “I am the First and I am the Last” parallels the eternal self-designation.
• Revelation 4 depicts a throne scene with similar splendor, reinforcing the continuity between Danielic and Johannine visions.
• Hebrews 1:8-12 attributes divine eternality to the Son, harmonizing with Daniel 7’s two-person yet one-God revelation.

Summary Truths

The title עַתִּיק (“Ancient”) in Daniel announces the everlasting, holy, and sovereign Judge who reigns unthreatened by the rise and fall of kingdoms. His courtroom secures the vindication of the saints, His commission to the Son of Man guarantees a global, everlasting kingdom, and His character summons the church to worship, confidence, and mission until the final consummation.

Forms and Transliterations

וְעַתִּ֥יק ועתיק עַתִּ֤יק עַתִּיק֙ עתיק ‘at·tîq ‘attîq atTik veatTik wə‘attîq wə·‘at·tîq

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 7:9
HEB: כָרְסָוָן֙ רְמִ֔יו וְעַתִּ֥יק יוֹמִ֖ין יְתִ֑ב
NAS: were set up, And the Ancient of Days
KJV: were cast down, and the Ancient of days
INT: thrones were set and the Ancient of Days took

Daniel 7:13
HEB: הֲוָ֑ה וְעַד־ עַתִּ֤יק יֽוֹמַיָּא֙ מְטָ֔ה
NAS: And He came up to the Ancient of Days
KJV: to the Ancient of days,
INT: kept to to the Ancient of Days came

Daniel 7:22
HEB: דִּֽי־ אֲתָ֗ה עַתִּיק֙ יֽוֹמַיָּ֔א וְדִינָ֣א
NAS: until the Ancient of Days came
KJV: Until the Ancient of days
INT: forasmuch came the Ancient of Days and judgment

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6268
3 Occurrences

‘at·tîq — 2 Occ.
wə·‘at·tîq — 1 Occ.