8238. shepharpar
Lexical Summary
shepharpar: Shepharpar

Original Word: שְׁפַרְפַר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shpharphar
Pronunciation: shef-ar-par'
Phonetic Spelling: (shef-ar-far')
KJV: X very early in the morning
NASB: dawn
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from H8231 (שָׁפַר - To be beautiful)]

1. the dawn (as brilliant with aurora)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
very early in the morning

(Aramaic) from shaphar; the dawn (as brilliant with aurora) -- X very early in the morning.

see HEBREW shaphar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to shaphar
Definition
dawn
NASB Translation
dawn (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[שְׁפַרְמָּר] noun [masculine] dawn (ᵑ7 id,; redupl. (K§ 59, 3) from above √ ?); — emphatic שְׁפַרְמָּרָא Daniel 6:20.

שָׁק see שׁוק.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Symbolism of Dawn

The term denotes the fragile moment when night yields to day—the first glimmer that pushes back darkness. In Scripture, dawn often stands for divine intervention, renewed mercies, and the certainty that God’s purposes advance even when hidden through the night (Psalms 30:5; Lamentations 3:22-23).

Biblical Occurrence

Daniel 6:19 provides the sole canonical use: “At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den”. The sudden transition from bleak anticipation to expectant hope mirrors the word’s semantic force.

Historical Setting

The scene unfolds under Medo-Persian rule shortly after the exile. Royal edicts were irrevocable (Daniel 6:8, 15), leaving Daniel seemingly trapped by human law. Dawn’s arrival marks both the literal end of a sleepless night for the monarch and the figurative breaking of a spiritual impasse engineered by court intrigue.

Narrative Significance

1. Urgency: The king’s early rise underscores intense concern for Daniel’s fate.
2. Revelation: Dawn exposes what darkness concealed—Daniel’s preservation.
3. Vindication: God delivers His servant publicly, vindicating faith and obedience (Daniel 6:23).

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: Night may belong to anxious kings, but dawn belongs to God (Psalms 46:5).
• Deliverance after Testing: Dawn punctuates trials with rescue, prefiguring greater acts of salvation.
• Faithfulness Rewarded: Daniel’s prayer habit (Daniel 6:10) meets God’s steadfast protection at daybreak.

Christological Foreshadowing

The break of day anticipates the ultimate dawn—resurrection morning. As Daniel emerges alive from a sealed pit, he prefigures Jesus Christ rising from a sealed tomb (Matthew 28:1-6). Both events convert royal seals of death into testimonies of life.

Comparative Scriptural Imagery

Exodus 14:24 – The LORD looks down at dawn to overthrow Egypt’s army.
Judges 7:19 – Gideon attacks “at the beginning of the middle watch... just after they had posted the watch.”
Mark 16:2 – “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.”

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Intercessory Vigilance: Like the king, leaders today rise early to seek evidence of God’s work in those they shepherd.
2. Habitual Prayer: Daniel’s consistency invites believers to meet the Lord daily, expecting fresh mercies with the morning.
3. Hope in Crisis: Dawn serves as a pastoral metaphor when counseling those who feel caged by immovable circumstances.

Homiletical Outline

I. A Sleepless Kingdom (Daniel 6:18)

II. The First Light of Hope (6:19)

III. The Voice of Assurance (6:20-22)

IV. The Dawn of Deliverance (6:23-24)

V. The Decree that Glorifies God (6:25-27)

Devotional Reflection

Night seasons may linger, but they cannot nullify God’s purposes. Every believer can look for the divine dawn—moments when light breaks in, revealing the Lord’s unbroken watch and restoring courage for the day that follows.

Forms and Transliterations
בִּשְׁפַּרְפָּרָ֖א בשפרפרא biš·par·pā·rā bishparpaRa bišparpārā
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 6:19
HEB: בֵּאדַ֣יִן מַלְכָּ֔א בִּשְׁפַּרְפָּרָ֖א יְק֣וּם בְּנָגְהָ֑א
NAS: arose at dawn, at the break of day,
KJV: arose very early in the morning,
INT: Then the king dawn arose the break

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8238
1 Occurrence


biš·par·pā·rā — 1 Occ.

8237
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