Lexical Summary telithay: Third Original Word: תְּלִיתַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance third (Aramaic) or taltiy (Aramaic) {tal-tee'}; ordinal from tlath; third -- third. see HEBREW tlath NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from telath Definition third NASB Translation third (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תַּלְתִּי adjective denominative (only Biblical Aramaic) as substantive third (ruler), i.e. triumuir (M89*), compare foregoing, which possibly is abnormal form of same (K§ 65, 1, Anm.3), Daniel 5:7. [תְּלִיתַי] adjective third (ᵑ7 תְּלִיתַי, Syriac Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope Strong’s Hebrew 8523 designates an ordinal idea—“the third” or “third in order.” In the Aramaic portions of Daniel it functions both to number successive kingdoms and to establish rank within the Babylonian court. Because Scripture employs ordinal numbers not merely for counting but also for structuring revelation, the term carries historical, prophetic, and theological weight that goes beyond simple enumeration. Occurrences in Daniel 1. Daniel 2:39 marks the rise of “a third kingdom, one of bronze,” in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image. The word identifies the empire following Babylon and Medo-Persia. Historical Context Nebuchadnezzar’s multi-metal statue (Daniel 2) represents a sequence of world powers: head of gold (Babylon), chest and arms of silver (Medo-Persia), belly and thighs of bronze (Greece), and legs of iron (Rome). By labeling Greece “third,” the text anticipates Alexander’s empire long before its appearance, underscoring the reliability of predictive prophecy. Belshazzar’s “third ruler” offer harmonizes with extrabiblical records noting Nabonidus as king and Belshazzar as coregent. Scripture’s precise use of 8523 thus anchors the narrative in real political arrangements rather than legendary embellishment. Prophetic Significance The “third kingdom” frames the flow of history that culminates in the eternal kingdom “set up by the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:44). The designation charts God’s sovereign timeline, illustrating that empires rise and fall under divine decree. When Greece fulfilled the prophecy, it validated Daniel’s vision and carried implications for later Messianic expectation; the accuracy of the “third” bolsters confidence in the yet-future aspects of Daniel’s fourth-kingdom predictions. Symbolic and Theological Insights Throughout Scripture, “third” frequently signals completion or decisive action: In Daniel, the “third” kingdom bridges the gap between the past and the climactic future, embodying the transitional stage in God’s unfolding plan. Similarly, the third-rank reward in Daniel 5 contrasts human reward structures with God’s superior judgment, soon announced by the handwriting on the wall. Application for Believers 1. Trust the precision of Scripture. The unerring placement of the “third” kingdom centuries ahead of time encourages believers to rely on the Bible’s prophetic promises yet to be fulfilled. Related Scriptures Genesis 22:4; Exodus 19:11; Jonah 1:17; Hosea 6:2; Matthew 17:23; Acts 10:9; Revelation 8:7–12. These passages display the thematic recurrence of a “third” phase marking either judgment or deliverance, echoing the function of 8523 in Daniel. Forms and Transliterations וְתַלְתִּ֥י ותלתי תְלִיתָאָ֤ה תליתאה ṯə·lî·ṯā·’āh ṯəlîṯā’āh telitaAh vetalTi wə·ṯal·tî wəṯaltîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:39 HEB: [תְלִיתָיָא כ] (תְלִיתָאָ֤ה ק) אָחֳרִי֙ NAS: to you, then another third kingdom KJV: and another third kingdom INT: to thee kingdom third and another which Daniel 5:7 2 Occurrences |
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); — feminine תְּלִיתָיָא Kt, תָאָה- Qr (K§ 11,1 b))