8479. tachath

Lexical Summary

tachath: under, beneath, instead of, in place of

Original Word: תַּחַת
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: tachath
Pronunciation: tah'-khath
Phonetic Spelling: (takh'-ath)
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H8478 (תַּחַת - under)]

1. under

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

in lieu of, as, beneath, flat, instead, same place where

(Aramaic) corresponding to tachath -- under.

see HEBREW tachath

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) see techoth.

Topical Lexicon

Range of Meaning and Scope of Use

The term תַּחַת (Strong’s 8479) denotes the spatial idea of “ beneath, the lower part, that which is under.” Its single biblical occurrence in Daniel 4:14 situates the word in an Aramaic narrative that nevertheless bears the marks of Hebrew conceptual categories. While cognate forms (Strong’s 8478 et al.) appear widely throughout Scripture, 8479 itself is reserved for this one pivotal verse, thereby concentrating its theological resonance within the Babylonian court scene.

Biblical Occurrence

Daniel 4:14 records the decree of the watcher in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

“He cried aloud and said this: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.’” (Berean Standard Bible)

Here תַּחַת locates the fleeing creatures “under” the great tree that symbolizes the king’s dominion.

Historical and Literary Context

1. Setting: Sixth-century B.C. Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar II.
2. Narrative function: The word paints the sheltering quality of the colossal tree before it is cut down, portraying the collapse of imperial security when divine judgment falls.
3. Audience impact: Exiled Judah would grasp the irony—earthly greatness cannot guarantee safety “under” its shade once God intervenes (cf. Isaiah 10:33-34).

Thematic Significance

Shelter and Vulnerability
• Before judgment, beasts and birds are secure beneath royal patronage; afterward they must flee. The image exposes the fragility of any refuge not grounded in God Himself (Psalm 146:3-5).

Vertical Reversal
• The tree is sky-high yet its fate turns on what is “under” it. The lowly spatial term underscores the top-down reversal that threads through Daniel (Daniel 4:37).

Sovereignty of God
• The scene shows that the Most High determines who enjoys or loses protection. “He does as He pleases with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth” (Daniel 4:35).

Intertextual Echoes

Although 8479 is unique to Daniel 4:14, Scripture often employs the broader “under” motif:
• Protection under divine wings (Psalm 91:4);
• Security under Wisdom’s shade (Song of Solomon 2:3);
• Kingdom growth where birds nest under branches (Ezekiel 17:23; Mark 4:32).

Daniel 4 gathers these strands, then inverts them to warn that human kingdoms, however lofty, can lose their protective canopy in an instant.

Theological Reflection

1. God alone grants lasting shelter.
2. Pride uproots earthly security; humility restores it (Daniel 4:34-36).
3. Followers of Christ find their ultimate “under-ness” beneath His cross (Colossians 1:20), not beneath any worldly institution.

Ministry Application

• Preaching: Contrast the fleeting safety “under” temporal powers with eternal refuge in Christ (John 10:28-29).
• Counseling: Encourage believers who feel exposed; the loss of earthly cover can drive them to a deeper reliance on the Lord’s overshadowing presence (Psalm 121:5).
• Discipleship: Teach emerging leaders that true authority shields rather than exposes those “under” their care, modeling the Good Shepherd (1 Peter 5:2-4).

Summary

Though תַּחַת (Strong’s 8479) appears only once, it powerfully anchors a biblical lesson: what seems most secure beneath human greatness is safe only as long as that greatness remains submitted to the sovereign God. The faithful therefore look beyond every created canopy to the One who reigns above—and covers— all.

Forms and Transliterations

תַּחְתּ֔וֹהִי תחתוהי tachTohi taḥ·tō·w·hî taḥtōwhî

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 4:14
HEB: חֵֽיוְתָא֙ מִן־ תַּחְתּ֔וֹהִי וְצִפְּרַיָּ֖א מִן־
KJV: from under it, and the fowls
INT: the beasts from it and the birds from

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8479
1 Occurrence

taḥ·tō·w·hî — 1 Occ.