Lexical Summary tseba: Host, army, service, warfare Original Word: צְבַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wet (Aramaic) a root corresponding to that of tseba'; to dip -- wet. see HEBREW tseba' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to the unused source of tseba Definition to dip, wet NASB Translation drenched (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [צְבַע] verb dip, wet (ᵑ7 Syriac; compare Biblical Hebrew I. צבע); — Pa`el Participle active plural מְצַבְּעִין Daniel 4:22 wet thee (ל), + מִטַּל. Hithpa. Imperfect יִצְטַבּע (also בַּ֑ע-), be wet, with בְּטַל Daniel 4:12; Daniel 4:20, מִטַּל Daniel 4:30; Daniel 5:21. II. צבע (√ of following; compare Biblical Hebrew II. צבע). Topical Lexicon Overview צְבַע occurs five times, all in the Aramaic section of Daniel, and each time describes a person “being drenched” with “the dew of heaven.” The verb paints the picture of complete exposure to the elements, a vivid metaphor for divine humbling. Every occurrence is tied to the judgment that fell on King Nebuchadnezzar and the retelling of that judgment to Belshazzar. Old Testament occurrences • Daniel 4:15 – In the dream the stump of the tree is to remain “drenched with the dew of heaven.” Historical setting Nebuchadnezzar II ruled the Neo-Babylonian empire at its zenith. His pride (“Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built?” Daniel 4:30) precipitated a unique judgment: seven periods of beast-like existence outside the palace. Forced to live under open sky, the once-glorious monarch awoke each morning soaked by dew—an unmistakable sign that the Most High had stripped him of royal shelter, dignity, and control. Theological themes 1. Divine sovereignty over kings Daniel’s record repeatedly emphasizes “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wills” (Daniel 4:32). The repeated use of צְבַע underscores the duration and certainty of that sovereignty: until Nebuchadnezzar learned the lesson, he would remain exposed. 2. Humiliation as path to restoration Dew, elsewhere a symbol of blessing (Deuteronomy 33:13; Hosea 14:5), becomes in Daniel a tool of discipline. Yet the end is restorative, not destructive: “My reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High” (Daniel 4:34). Humbling precedes healing. 3. Public testimony Daniel 5:21 shows the episode was intended as a lesson for future rulers. The verb’s final use comes in Daniel’s rebuke of Belshazzar: the son knew the account but refused to humble himself. The same participle that marked Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation now serves as evidence against Belshazzar’s arrogance. Symbolism of dew Dew appears early in Scripture as a sign of God’s gentle provision (Genesis 27:28) and refreshment (Psalm 133:3). In Daniel the wetness becomes a night-long reminder that no canopy stands between man and God. Where rain may be sudden and violent, dew is silent, inevitable, and inescapable—apt symbolism for the quiet but relentless working of divine providence. Pastoral implications • Call to humility James 4:6 teaches, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Nebuchadnezzar’s nightly saturation is a graphic commentary on that truth. Christian leaders, parents, and churches ignore the lesson at peril; God can still withdraw human shelter to expose hidden pride. • Assurance of restoration The verb never appears outside the Nebuchadnezzar narrative. Its tightly focused usage suggests that divine humiliation is purposeful and time-bound. “After you acknowledge that Heaven rules” (Daniel 4:26) God restores. Believers undergoing seasons of exposure can cling to that pattern. • Evangelistic apologetic Daniel presents a publicly verifiable royal proclamation (Daniel 4:1–3, 37). The historical memory of a king living like an animal, yet later extolling Israel’s God, stands as a powerful testimony that the Lord can humble and convert even the most obstinate heart. Christological reflections Christ’s incarnation provides the ultimate example of voluntary exposure: “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Where Nebuchadnezzar was forcibly humbled, Jesus “made Himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7), identifying with fallen humanity so that we might share His glory. The dripping dew of judgment that fell on the Babylonian king prefigures the harsher elements Christ endured—sweat “like drops of blood” in Gethsemane, the spit of Roman soldiers, and the outpoured wrath of God—so that repentant sinners may be clothed in righteousness rather than shame. Summary צְבַע is a small verb with a large message. Every time it appears, a proud king is left wet and helpless under heaven’s gaze until he learns that “all His works are truth and His ways are justice; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble” (Daniel 4:37). The word therefore serves the church today as a caution against arrogance, a comfort that God’s discipline aims at restoration, and a reminder that ultimate shelter is found only in the grace of the sovereign Lord. Forms and Transliterations יִצְטַבַּ֑ע יִצְטַבַּ֔ע יִצְטַבַּ֗ע יצטבע מְצַבְּעִ֔ין מצבעין mə·ṣab·bə·‘în məṣabbə‘în metzabbeIn yiṣ·ṭab·ba‘ yiṣṭabba‘ yitztabBaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 4:15 HEB: וּבְטַ֤ל שְׁמַיָּא֙ יִצְטַבַּ֔ע וְעִם־ חֵיוְתָ֥א NAS: of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew KJV: of the field; and let it be wet with the dew INT: the dew of heaven him be drenched with the beasts Daniel 4:23 Daniel 4:25 Daniel 4:33 Daniel 5:21 5 Occurrences |
    |