Lexical Summary shaah: To gaze, regard, look at, pay attention to Original Word: שָׁעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hour (Aramaic) from a root corresponding to sha'ah; properly, a look, i.e. A moment -- hour. see HEBREW sha'ah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to shaah Definition a brief time, moment NASB Translation immediately (3), suddenly (1), while (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. [שַׁ֫עַר] noun [masculine] measure (properly reckoning); — plural מֵאָה שְׁעָרִים Genesis 26:12 (J) 100 measures, i.e. 100 for one = 100-fold. III. שׁער (√of following). שָׁעָה noun feminine brief time, moment (ᵑ7 id., שָֽׁעֲתָא, Late Hebrew שָׁעָה time, hour; Syriac Topical Lexicon Outline of Occurrences• Daniel 3:6 and 3:15 – Nebuchadnezzar threatens death “immediately” for any who refuse to bow to the golden image. Linguistic and Canonical Setting The noun שָׁעָה occurs only in the Aramaic portion of Daniel (Daniel 2:4 b–7:28). It denotes a definite but short segment of time—an “hour,” “moment,” or “instant.” Its exclusive distribution in chapters dealing with Gentile kings underscores God’s sovereign mastery of time in the affairs of the nations. Themes of Urgency and Accountability 1. Immediate Consequence (Daniel 3). Nebuchadnezzar’s command links refusal to worship with instant execution. The swiftness portrayed by שָׁעָה heightens the crisis faced by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their faithful stand demonstrates the believer’s need to decide for God under pressure without presuming on a delay. 2. Immediate Fulfillment of Prophecy (Daniel 4). Daniel’s stunned silence (“appalled for a moment”) conveys the weight of impending judgment. When Nebuchadnezzar’s sentence falls “at that very hour,” the text illustrates that divine warnings are not idle threats; the Lord both foretells and performs His word without hesitation. 3. Immediate Revelation (Daniel 5). The mysterious hand appears “at that moment” during Belshazzar’s banquet. Judgment intrudes into revelry without warning, reminding every generation that “while they are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come upon them suddenly” (echoed in 1 Thessalonians 5:3). Historical Significance Shāʿāh frames decisive turns in Babylonian history: • The fiery-furnace episode testifies before the imperial court that Babylon’s might is subject to a higher King. Each turning point arrives in a single, divinely appointed “hour,” exposing the fragility of human kingdoms. Theological Implications • Divine Sovereignty over Time. Shāʿāh showcases God’s lordship not merely over epochs but over minutes. When He speaks, events align to His timetable without delay (Isaiah 46:10-11). • The Certainty of Judgment. Judgment may seem postponed, yet in the decisive hour it comes swiftly (Habakkuk 2:3). Daniel’s narrative bridges to Jesus’ warnings: “For the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). • Comfort for the Faithful. If chastisement can fall in an instant, so can deliverance. The three Hebrews are preserved “in the very hour” of trial, foreshadowing promises such as “for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:22). Ministry Applications • Preaching and Teaching. Emphasize the urgency of repentance. As Nebuchadnezzar discovered, there may be no interval between God’s verdict and its execution. • Pastoral Counseling. Encourage believers that God can intervene “in a moment” on their behalf, turning seemingly irreversible situations (Daniel 3:27; 4:36). • Discipleship. Cultivate readiness and watchfulness. Just as the handwriting appeared without warning, so Christ’s return will arrive suddenly (Revelation 16:15). Christological Echoes The Aramaic shāʿāh anticipates New Testament teaching on the critical “hour” of salvation (John 2:4; 7:30; 12:23). Daniel’s swift judgments prefigure the final eschatological hour when every decree of God is consummated in Christ. Devotional Reflection Shāʿāh invites the believer to measure life not by years but by decisive moments granted by God. “Now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Forms and Transliterations כְּשָׁעָ֣ה כשעה שַׁעֲתָ֗א שַׁעֲתָ֗ה שַׁעֲתָ֣א שַׁעֲתָ֣ה שעתא שעתה kə·šā·‘āh kəšā‘āh keshaAh ša‘ăṯā ša‘ăṯāh ša·‘ă·ṯā ša·‘ă·ṯāh shaaTa shaaTahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 3:6 HEB: וְיִסְגֻּ֑ד בַּהּ־ שַׁעֲתָ֣א יִתְרְמֵ֔א לְגֽוֹא־ NAS: and worship shall immediately be cast KJV: and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast INT: fall and worship shall immediately be cast the midst Daniel 3:15 Daniel 4:19 Daniel 4:33 Daniel 5:5 5 Occurrences |
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moment, then hour Brock369, but Christian-Palestinian Aramaic 
moment, hour SchwIdioticon 97 SchulthLex.211; perhaps = Assyrian šattu, duration; Tel Amarna91, 77 še-ti, time, hour (as Canaanism) WklKAT 3. 335; Arabic 
, 
portion of time, Ethiopic 
time, 
hour, time (Buhl calls Arabic Ethiopic loan-words, but see Wkll.c); √ unknown: possibly Assyrian loan-word (see Wkll.c); DlPr 39 f. conjecture* שׁיע = שָׁעָה look, hence moment = 'Augenblick,' but verb ׳שׁ rather of steadygaze); — moment: usually emphatic בַּהּשַֿׁעֲתָא (read possibly ׳שָֽׁ as ᵑ7 Syriac, M86* f. Buhl14 compare variant reading in Str) in the same moment, forthwith