Lexical Summary shvah: To be equal, to level, to resemble Original Word: שְׁוָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make like (Aramaic): corresponding to shavah; to resemble -- make like. see HEBREW shavah Brown-Driver-Briggs II. [שְׁוָה] verb Hithpa. be set, made (Pa`el שַׁוִּי make, Cappadocian Aramaic LzbEph. i. 67; compare Biblical Hebrew II. [שָׁוָה]); — Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁתַּוֵּה֑ Daniel 3:29, subject of thing + accusative be made into something (K§ 84, 3). Topical Lexicon Occurrences Historical Setting Both occurrences fall within the Aramaic chapters of Daniel, a section that records events in Babylon during and immediately after Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. The exiled Judeans are under Gentile domination, yet God repeatedly demonstrates His supremacy over pagan kings and their edicts. Thematic Emphases 1. Divine Uniqueness and Power 2. Sovereignty Over Human Authority 3. Humiliation and Exaltation Doctrinal Significance • Monotheism Affirmed The language allows no middle ground; Yahweh’s deeds are without equal. The text thus reinforces the Old Testament’s monotheistic core in a polytheistic setting. • Divine Freedom In Daniel 5:21, God “sets over [the kingdom] whom He wishes.” Human power is derivative, contingent on divine pleasure. The Christian interpreter sees here the providential governance that later surfaces in Romans 13:1 and Revelation 1:5. • Salvation Paradigm The unique rescue of the three Hebrews prefigures the definitive deliverance accomplished in Jesus Christ. Just as no earthly power could duplicate the furnace miracle, so no human merit can replicate the salvation secured at the cross. Ministry Implications 1. Preaching and Teaching Highlight the exclusivity of God’s saving acts when presenting the gospel. Daniel 3:29 provides a concrete illustration: only the Lord can deliver from ultimate peril. 2. Pastoral Counsel Use Daniel 5:21 to comfort believers wrestling with unjust authorities. The passage assures them that rulers rise and fall at God’s discretion. 3. Evangelism in Pluralistic Contexts The term’s stress on “no equal” equips Christians to engage a culture of religious relativism with confidence that the biblical God alone saves and reigns. Christological Foreshadowing Nebuchadnezzar’s words in Daniel 3 anticipate the exclusive claims of Christ—“I am the way” (John 14:6). The same God who acted uniquely in Babylon ultimately provides an unparalleled redemption in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of His Son. Eschatological Outlook The sovereignty manifested in Babylon guarantees the final scene of history: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). Daniel’s use of the word points forward to that consummation, where every competing authority will concede that none is equal to the Most High. Related Concepts and Passages • Exodus 15:11—“Who is like You, O LORD...?” Summary Strong’s 7739 functions as a spotlight, drawing the reader to moments where God’s actions and authority stand unrivaled. In the fiery furnace He alone delivers; in the field of humiliation He alone enthrones and dethrones. For faith and practice today, the word still signals the unassailable uniqueness of the God who saves and rules forever. Forms and Transliterations יִשְׁתַּוֵּ֑ה ישתוה שַׁוִּ֗יְו שויו šaw·wiyw šawwiyw shavViyv yiš·taw·wêh yishtavVeh yištawwêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 3:29 HEB: וּבַיְתֵ֖הּ נְוָלִ֣י יִשְׁתַּוֵּ֑ה כָּל־ קֳבֵ֗ל NAS: from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, KJV: and their houses shall be made a dunghill: INT: and their houses to a rubbish reduced any according to Daniel 5:21 2 Occurrences |
    |