Lexical Summary etsba: toes, fingers Original Word: אֶצְבַּע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance finger, toe (Aramaic) corresponding to etsba' -- finger, toe. see HEBREW etsba' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to etsba Definition a finger,toe NASB Translation fingers (1), toes (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֶצְבַּע] noun feminine 1 finger; 2 toe (ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew id.); — plural 1 absolute אֶצְבְּעָן Daniel 5:5. 2 emph תָָ֯א Daniel 2:41; construct עָ֯ Daniel 2:42. Topical Lexicon Physical and Symbolic Range אֶצְבַּע is used of both fingers and toes, marking the outermost point of the human body. In Scripture such extremities often carry symbolic weight: they represent precision (Exodus 31:18), authority (Luke 11:20), accountability (John 8:6-9), and vulnerability (Daniel 2:41-42). Occurrences in Daniel 1. Daniel 2:41-42 employs the term for the statue’s toes. Ten fragile digits depict the terminal phase of Gentile dominion—simultaneously strong and brittle, iron and clay. The image anticipates a divided political order that cannot hold together when confronted by the coming kingdom “cut out without human hands” (Daniel 2:34). Finger as Agent of Divine Revelation Scripture often presents God’s finger as the means by which He writes, creates, or judges: The Daniel passages complement this theme. Where Exodus highlights covenant inscription and Luke proclaims kingdom power, Daniel 5 exposes covenant violation and foretells kingdom collapse. The same divine finger that engraves law and delivers grace also engraves doom when grace is spurned. The Feet and Toes of the Statue: Fragile Coalescence Daniel 2 teaches that empires, however impressive, rest on toes of clay. The toes—אֶצְבָּעוֹת—represent multiple kings (Daniel 2:44) whose alliance remains intrinsically unstable. Politically, this speaks to any coalition held together by convenience rather than conviction. Spiritually, it reminds believers that final security is found only in the Messianic kingdom that “will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). The Hand at the Banquet: Judgment and Sovereignty Belshazzar’s revelry ends when fingers appear and write, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN” (Daniel 5:25-28). The scene declares that no human kingdom—however opulent—can resist the verdict of God. The finger that exposed hidden sin in John 8 resurfaces here to expose national sin. Pastoral application flows naturally: public worship must never profane what is holy, for “God is not mocked” (Galatians 6:7). Intercanonical Echoes • Creation: Job 26:13 credits God’s hand with forming the heavens, aligning with the creative precision implied by the finger in Exodus 31:18. Doctrinal and Pastoral Application 1. Divine Authorship: Whether engraving law, liberating the oppressed, or toppling tyrants, the finger motif stresses God’s direct involvement in human affairs. Thus אֶצְבַּע, though a small member, serves as a decisive biblical emblem: it points, writes, judges, and ultimately underscores the supremacy of the God who holds all kingdoms—and all hearts—at His fingertips. Forms and Transliterations אֶצְבְּעָן֙ אצבען וְאֶצְבְּעָת֙ וְאֶצְבְּעָתָ֗א ואצבעת ואצבעתא ’eṣ·bə·‘ān ’eṣbə‘ān etzbeAn veetzbeAt veetzbeaTa wə’eṣbə‘āṯ wə’eṣbə‘āṯā wə·’eṣ·bə·‘ā·ṯā wə·’eṣ·bə·‘āṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:41 HEB: חֲזַ֜יְתָה רַגְלַיָּ֣א וְאֶצְבְּעָתָ֗א [מִנְּהֹון כ] NAS: the feet and toes, partly KJV: the feet and toes, part INT: you saw the feet and toes partly clay Daniel 2:42 Daniel 5:5 3 Occurrences |
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