Lexical Summary shemash: Sun Original Word: שֶׁמֶשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sun (Aramaic) corresponding to shemesh; the sun -- sun. see HEBREW shemesh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to shemesh Definition sun NASB Translation sunset* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שְׁמַשׁ] noun [masculine] so DWB] sun; — emphatic שִׁמְשָׁא Daniel 6:15. Topical Lexicon Occurrence in DanielDaniel 6:14 employs the Aramaic שֶׁמֶשׁ (Strong 8122) to describe the impending “going down of the sun.” The king labors “until sunset to rescue Daniel”, but the irrevocable royal edict must be executed before nightfall. The single usage highlights the sun as a natural time-marker that frames the dramatic tension between human limitation and divine deliverance. The Sun as a Marker of Time in the Ancient Near East 1. Civil and religious life in Scripture is repeatedly ordered by sunrise and sunset (Deuteronomy 24:15; Joshua 10:27). Theological Themes Associated with the Sun Creation and Sovereignty Covenant Faithfulness Judgment and Salvation Comparative Hebrew and Aramaic Vocabulary Hebrew שֶׁמֶשׁ (Strong 8121) is common throughout the Old Testament, while the Aramaic form (Strong 8122) appears only in Daniel 6:14. The rarity in Aramaic underscores the literary precision of Daniel: when the setting is a Medo-Persian court using Aramaic, even the familiar “sun” adopts the local tongue, yet the theological message remains consistent with the Hebrew canon. Christological Reflection The temporal limit imposed by the setting sun in Daniel anticipates the urgency voiced by Jesus: “We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). Just as Daniel’s deliverance came after the sun had set and human efforts ceased, so the Messiah accomplishes redemption when human striving reaches its end. Practical Ministry Insights • Urgency in Prayer: The king’s relentless efforts before sunset mirror the believer’s call to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Key References for Further Study Genesis 1:14-18; Deuteronomy 24:15; Psalm 19:1-6; Ecclesiastes 1:5; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 5:45; John 9:4; Revelation 1:16 Forms and Transliterations שִׁמְשָׁ֔א שמשא shimSha šim·šā šimšāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 6:14 HEB: וְעַד֙ מֶֽעָלֵ֣י שִׁמְשָׁ֔א הֲוָ֥א מִשְׁתַּדַּ֖ר KJV: the going down of the sun to deliver INT: until down of the sun kept exerting |
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