Original Word: יְדָא
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yda'
Pronunciation: yeh-DAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yed-aw')
KJV: (give) thank(-s)
NASB: give thanks, giving thanks
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H3034 (יָדָה - give thanks)]

1. to praise

give thanks

(Aramaic) corresponding to yadah; to praise -- (give) thank(-s).

see HEBREW yadah

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to yadah
Definition
to praise
NASB Translation
give thanks (1), giving thanks (1).

[יְדָא] verb Haph`el praise (see Biblical Hebrew ידךְ); — Participle active מְהוֺדֵא Daniel 2:23 (ל of deity), מוֺדֵא (K^{§§ 93, 2; 43, 1 c})) Daniel 6:(קְָדָם of deity).

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 3029, יְדָא (yedā’), denotes “thanksgiving” or “praise.” Appearing only in the Aramaic portions of Daniel, it highlights a vital aspect of worship that endures even when God’s people live under foreign rule. The two occurrences show thanksgiving as a spontaneous response to divine revelation (Daniel 2:23) and as a disciplined habit in daily prayer (Daniel 6:10).

Biblical Occurrences

Daniel 2:23 – “To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and power, and You have now revealed to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel 6:10 – “But when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Gratitude as Worship in Daniel

1. Revelation-Focused: Daniel’s immediate thanks after the dream’s interpretation (Daniel 2) establishes gratitude as the fitting reply whenever God discloses His wisdom.
2. Habitual Discipline: In Daniel 6, thanksgiving is woven into a thrice-daily rule of prayer. Daniel’s life shows that gratitude is not confined to crisis moments but is a sustained rhythm of devotion.
3. Public Testimony: Daniel offers thanks with windows open toward Jerusalem, visibly declaring allegiance to the God of Israel in the face of imperial decrees. Thanksgiving thus becomes an act of witness.

Covenantal Faithfulness in Exile

The exile raises questions about God’s presence away from the Temple. By giving thanks to “the God of my fathers,” Daniel affirms continuity with the covenant while modeling confidence that God hears prayers made in foreign lands (cf. 1 Kings 8:46-49). Thanksgiving therefore anchors identity and hope when geographic and political circumstances change.

Link to the Canon-Wide Theology of Thanksgiving

• Leviticus 7:11-15 ties thanksgiving offerings to fellowship, foreshadowing communion with God fulfilled in Christ.
• Numerous Psalms (for example, Psalm 100:4) call worshipers to “enter His gates with thanksgiving.”
• The New Testament amplifies the theme: “Give thanks in every circumstance” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:19-20). Daniel’s practice stands in continuity with, and anticipates, these broader biblical calls.

Implications for Contemporary Ministry

1. Spiritual Discipline: Regular, scheduled thanksgiving trains believers to perceive God’s ongoing grace, guarding against anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7).
2. Evangelistic Witness: Public gratitude, expressed with humility, can point a watching world to the Source of all good gifts (James 1:17).
3. Corporate Worship: Congregational liturgy enriched with testimonies of answered prayer echoes Daniel 2:23 and strengthens shared faith.
4. Perseverance Under Pressure: Thanksgiving in hostile environments cultivates steadfastness, demonstrating that allegiance to God supersedes cultural demands.

Key Takeaways

• Yedā’ in Daniel crystallizes gratitude as both spontaneous praise and deliberate habit.
• Thanksgiving sustains covenant identity and hope, especially in exile-like contexts.
• Scripture presents gratitude as a comprehensive posture—personal, corporate, and missional—culminating in eternal praise around the throne (Revelation 7:12).

וּמוֹדֵא֙ ומודא מְהוֹדֵ֤א מהודא mə·hō·w·ḏê mehoDe məhōwḏê ū·mō·w·ḏê umoDe ūmōwḏêInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts