The term "Chaldaean" refers to the people originating from the region of Chaldea, located in the southern part of ancient Mesopotamia, corresponding to modern-day southern Iraq. The Chaldaeans are often associated with the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which rose to prominence in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. In the Bible, the Chaldaeans are frequently mentioned in connection with their role in the history of Israel and Judah, particularly during the period of the Babylonian captivity.

Historical Context

The Chaldaeans were initially a Semitic-speaking people who settled in the marshy lands of the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Over time, they became influential in the political and cultural life of Mesopotamia. The most notable Chaldaean ruler was Nebuchadnezzar II, who reigned from 605 to 562 BC and is renowned for his military conquests and the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Biblical References

In the Bible, the Chaldaeans are often synonymous with the Babylonians, particularly during the period of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. They are mentioned in several books, including 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

1. 2 Kings 24:2 : "And the LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites. He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD proclaimed by His servants the prophets." This passage highlights the role of the Chaldaeans as instruments of God's judgment against Judah.

2. Isaiah 13:19 : "And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah." Here, the Chaldaeans are depicted as a proud people whose kingdom, Babylon, will face divine retribution.

3. Jeremiah 50:10 : "Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill," declares the LORD. This prophecy foretells the eventual downfall of the Chaldaean power.

4. Ezekiel 23:14-15 : "But she increased her prostitution, and she saw men carved on the wall, images of Chaldeans, portrayed in vermilion, wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers, the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth." This passage uses the imagery of Chaldaean men to symbolize the allure and subsequent corruption of foreign alliances.

5. Daniel 1:4 : "young men without any physical defect, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace, and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans." This verse describes the education of Daniel and his companions in the ways of the Chaldaeans, emphasizing their advanced knowledge and culture.

Role in Prophecy and Theology

The Chaldaeans play a significant role in biblical prophecy, particularly concerning the judgment and restoration of Israel. Their conquest of Jerusalem and the subsequent Babylonian exile are seen as pivotal events in the unfolding of God's plan for His people. The Chaldaeans, as agents of divine judgment, serve to purify and refine Israel, preparing the way for eventual restoration and the coming of the Messiah.

Theologically, the Chaldaeans represent the worldly powers that rise and fall under God's sovereign control. Their account serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human empires and the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom.5466. Chaldaios -- a Chaldean, an inhabitant of Chaldea
... Chaldaean. Probably of Hebrew or (Kasdiy); a Chaldoean (ie Kasdi), or native or
the region of the lower Euphrates -- Chaldaean. see HEBREW Kasdiy. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5466.htm - 6k3778. Kasdi -- a region of S. Bab. and its inhab.
... towards the Kasdites -- into Chaldea), patronymically from Kesed (only in the plural);
a Kasdite, or descendant of Kesed; by implication, a Chaldaean (as if so ...
/hebrew/3778.htm - 6k

3779. Kasday -- inhab. of Chaldea
... Chaldean. (Aramaic) corresponding to Kasdiy; a Chaldaean or inhabitant of Chaldaea;
by implication, a Magian or professional astrologer -- Chaldean. ...
/hebrew/3779.htm - 6k

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... CHAPTER I"THE FIRST CHALDAEAN EMPIRE AND THE HYKSOS IN EGYPT. Syria: the
part played by it in the ancient world"Babylon and the ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
... CHAPTER III"CHALDAEAN CIVILIZATION. CHALDAEAN CIVILIZATION"ROYALTY"THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE FAMILY AND ITS PROPERTY"CHALMAN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... CHAPTER III"THE MEDES AND THE SECOND CHALDAEAN EMPIRE. THE FALL OF NINEVEH
AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES"THE ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9
... Cyrus in Bactriana and in the eastern regions of the Iranian table-land -- The
impression produced on the Chaldaean by his victories; the Jewish exiles ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 9/title page.htm

Editor's Preface
... The name of the Chaldaean Noab, for instance, is written with two characters which
ideographically signify "the sun" or "day of life," and of the first of ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 1/editors preface.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 4
... SYRIA: THE PART PLAYED BY IT IN THE HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD -- BABYLON AND
THE FIRST CHALDAEAN EMPIRE -- THE DOMINION OF THE HYKSOS: AHMOSIS. ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 4/title page.htm

Canaan
... As far back as the reigns of Sargon of Akkad and his son Naram-Sin (BC3800), three
campaigns had laid it at the feet of the Chaldaean monarch, and Palestine ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... in his commentary on Virgil, mentions a hundred as the number of these Sermones,
and Suidas names twenty-four as the production of the Chaldaean Sibyls alone. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

The Apocalypse of Baruch.
... If he means that the vision came to him twenty-five years after the Chaldaean invasion,
he intends to affirm that he received the revelation so long after the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the apocalypse of baruch.htm

Ezekiel's vision (Preached Before the Queen at Windsor, June 16 ...
... Creator. But where the Chaldaean vision ended, Ezekiel's only began. His
prophecy rises far above the imaginations of the heathen. ...
/.../the water of life and other sermons/sermon ix ezekiels vision preached.htm

Chaldaean (9 Occurrences)
...Chaldaean (9 Occurrences). ... (BBE). 2 Kings 25:10 And the walls round Jerusalem were
broken down by the Chaldaean army which was with the captain. (BBE). ...
/c/chaldaean.htm - 9k

Lowlands (25 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 2 Kings 25:5 But the Chaldaean army went after the king, and overtook him
in the lowlands of Jericho, and all his army went in flight from him in every ...
/l/lowlands.htm - 14k

Chaldaea (9 Occurrences)

/c/chaldaea.htm - 9k

Chaldaeans (65 Occurrences)
... to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever
made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean. ...
/c/chaldaeans.htm - 28k

User (2 Occurrences)
... to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever
made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean. ...
/u/user.htm - 7k

Wonder-worker (9 Occurrences)
... to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever
made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean. ...
/w/wonder-worker.htm - 9k

Captivity (141 Occurrences)
... OF JUDAH (THE WORK OF THE CHALDAEAN POWER) Southern Kingdom and House of David 1.
Break-up of Assyria 2. Downfall of Nineveh, 606 BC 3. Pharaoh Necoh's Revolt 4 ...
/c/captivity.htm - 79k

Arts (48 Occurrences)
... to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever
made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean. ...
/a/arts.htm - 22k

Direction (128 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 25:5 But the Chaldaean army went after the king, and overtook him in the
lowlands of Jericho, and all his army went in flight from him in every ...
/d/direction.htm - 38k

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus