Lexical Summary pas: Tunic, coat, robe Original Word: פַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance participle (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to pacac; the palm (of the hand, as being spread out) -- participle see HEBREW pacac NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to pas Definition palm (of the hand) NASB Translation back (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַּס noun masculine palm of hand; — construct Daniel 5:5, emphatic מַּסָּא Daniel 5:24. Topical Lexicon Term Overview The Aramaic noun פַס (Strong’s 6447) denotes the flat inner surface of the hand or the sole of the foot. In Scripture it is rendered “palm” or “part of the hand,” emphasizing the surface by which a person grasps, holds, writes, or acts. Canonical Occurrences 1. Daniel 5:5 – “At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace; and the king watched the hand as it wrote.” Historical Context in Daniel 5 Belshazzar’s lavish banquet mocked the living God by using the vessels from the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 5:2–4). In the midst of revelry a disembodied “palm” appeared, writing judgment on the palace wall. The sudden, visible hand of God broke through human arrogance, fulfilling the words of Isaiah 37:29 that the Holy One can “put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth” when confronting prideful rulers. The event precipitated the fall of Babylon that very night (Daniel 5:30–31), demonstrating the sovereignty of the Most High over nations (Daniel 4:17). Symbolic Significance of the Divine Palm The palm is the instrument of deliberate action. Where Scripture speaks of the “hand of the LORD,” it conveys God’s power, protection, or discipline. In Daniel 5 the palm signifies: Scriptural Parallels • Exodus 15:6 – “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power.” In each text the palm or hand underlines God’s intimate involvement—either safeguarding His people or confronting His foes. Daniel 5 underscores the latter, yet even judgment serves the larger purpose of vindicating God’s covenant faithfulness. Christological and Eschatological Resonances The tangible palm in Daniel anticipates the incarnate hands of Jesus Christ: Where Belshazzar saw a palm that condemned, the disciples beheld scarred hands that redeemed. Eschatologically, Revelation portrays the sealed scroll in the right hand of the One on the throne (Revelation 5:1), again highlighting the divine palm as the medium of decisive action in history’s climax. Ministry and Discipleship Applications 1. Humility before God. The sudden appearance of the hand warns against complacency and pride in any generation. Summary Strong’s 6447 פַס highlights a moment when the living God made His palm visible to humanity. The motif of the hand threads through Scripture, revealing a Creator who acts, writes, saves, and judges. Daniel 5 stands as a perpetual reminder that every kingdom and every heart ultimately rests in the palm of His hand. Forms and Transliterations פַּ֥ס פַּסָּ֣א פס פסא pas pas·sā pasSa passāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 5:5 HEB: וּמַלְכָּ֣א חָזֵ֔ה פַּ֥ס יְדָ֖ה דִּ֥י NAS: saw the back of the hand KJV: saw the part of the hand INT: and the king saw the back of the hand did Daniel 5:24 2 Occurrences |
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