Lexical Summary rayon: Thought, purpose, aim, desire Original Word: רַעְיוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cogitation, thought (Aramaic) corresponding to ra'yown; a grasp. I.e. (figuratively) mental conception -- cogitation, thought. see HEBREW ra'yown NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to rayon Definition a thought NASB Translation thoughts (6). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רַעְיוֺן] noun masculineDan 4:16 thought; — pl, construct רַעְיוֺנֵי לִבְבָךְ Daniel 2:30; suffix נַי- Daniel 7:28; ניך- Kt, נָח- Qr (K§ 53 Anm. b)) Daniel 2:29; Daniel 5:10, רַעְיֹנֹ֫הִי Daniel 4:16; Daniel 5:6. Topical Lexicon Overview רַעְיוֹן appears six times, all within the Aramaic chapters of Daniel (Daniel 2–7). In every case it refers to inward “thoughts,” whether anxious or reflective. The word consistently marks the decisive moment when God confronts human reasoning with divine revelation, exposing both the limits of earthly wisdom and the certainty of His sovereign plan. Literary Context The occurrences fall into two parallel narrative pairs: 1. Daniel 2:29–30 — Nebuchadnezzar’s private musings about the future lead to the statue vision and its interpretation. Thus, the word brackets the rise and fall of Gentile empires and underscores the theme announced in Daniel 2:21—“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them.” Key Verses • Daniel 2:29 — “As you, O king, were on your bed, your thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and He who reveals mysteries made known to you what will happen.” Theological Significance 1. Revelation over Reason. Each occurrence contrasts limited human thought with God’s omniscient disclosure. The pattern is: man ponders → God intervenes → revelation supersedes speculation. Historical Background The Babylonian and early Persian courts prized dream interpretation and omen literature. רַעְיוֹן echoes this milieu yet subverts it: true meaning is not unlocked by diviners but granted by “the Revealer of mysteries.” The exile narrative thereby calls Israel—and subsequent readers—not to capitulate to pagan intellectualism but to rely on God who alone knows the end from the beginning. Intertextual Connections • Genesis 41 parallels: Pharaoh’s troubled “spirit” and Joseph’s God-given interpretation prefigure Daniel’s ministry. Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral Counseling. Anxiety about the future is universal; Daniel models reliance on divine revelation rather than obsessive speculation. Mission and Evangelism Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and the queen mother all encounter the living God through a believer who interprets their רַעְיוֹן. The church likewise bears witness by offering God’s perspective to a perplexed world, demonstrating that only Christ resolves the deepest questions of the human heart. Summary רַעְיוֹן frames the drama of Daniel: human thoughts confronted, corrected, and ultimately calmed by the word of the Most High. The term invites every generation to submit its own plans and anxieties to the God who “reveals what is deep and hidden” (Daniel 2:22). Forms and Transliterations וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי וְרַעְיוֹנֵ֥י וְרַעיֹנֹ֖הִי ורעיוני ורעינהי רַעְיוֹנַ֣י רַעְיוֹנָ֔ךְ רַעְיוֹנָךְ֙ רעיוני רעיונך ra‘·yō·w·nāḵ ra‘·yō·w·nay ra‘yōwnāḵ ra‘yōwnay rayoNach rayoNai rayonoCh verayoNei verayoNohi wə·ra‘·yō·nō·hî wə·ra‘·yō·w·nê wə·ra·‘·yō·nō·hî wəra‘yōnōhî wəra‘yōwnêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:29 HEB: ק) מַלְכָּ֗א רַעְיוֹנָךְ֙ עַל־ מִשְׁכְּבָ֣ךְ NAS: [while] on your bed your thoughts turned KJV: O king, thy thoughts came INT: as for thee king your thoughts upon your bed Daniel 2:30 Daniel 4:19 Daniel 5:6 Daniel 5:10 Daniel 7:28 6 Occurrences |
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