Original Word: קְיָם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qyam
Pronunciation: kay-AHM
Phonetic Spelling: (keh-yawm')
KJV: decree, statute
NASB: statute
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from H696 (אוֹרֶב - ambush)6]

1. an edict (as arising in law)

decree, statute

(Aramaic) from quwm; an edict (as arising in law) -- decree, statute.

see HEBREW quwm

Word Origin
(Aramaic) from qum
Definition
a statute
NASB Translation
statute (2).

קְיָם noun [masculine] statute (Egyptian Aramaic קימיהם Cooke²⁰⁹); — absolute Daniel 6:16, construct V:8.

Definition and Semantic Range

קְיָם describes something that endures, stands fast, and remains in force. In its two occurrences it modifies royal legislation, highlighting a decree that is meant to be beyond repeal.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Daniel 6:7 – advisers urge Darius “to issue an edict and enforce a firm decree”.
2. Daniel 6:15 – the conspirators remind the king that “no edict or decree that the king establishes can be altered”.

Historical Background

Daniel 6 unfolds in the early years of the Medo-Persian empire. Persian jurisprudence prized the permanence of royal law (cf. Esther 1:19; Esther 8:8). By attaching קְיָם to their proposed decree, the officials exploit that cultural ideal of immutability to trap Daniel. The word thus reflects a broader Near-Eastern conviction that a monarch’s spoken law should outlive the moment of its proclamation.

Theological Significance

1. Contrast with Divine Permanence
• Human law labelled קְיָם proved tragically temporary when measured against God’s sovereignty: “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). What Persians called unalterable was overturned by the living God who shut the lions’ mouths.
• Scripture often presents God’s own words as truly permanent: “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8; cf. Matthew 24:35). קְיָם in Daniel highlights the lesser stability of human decrees when set beside the eternality of divine revelation.

2. Moral Dimension

The irrevocable edict exposed Daniel’s consistent piety. Permanence of legislation collided with permanence of devotion, and the latter prevailed. The narrative teaches that fidelity to God outweighs allegiance to any supposedly “permanent” human statute (Acts 5:29).

Implications for Ministry and Application

• Encourage believers facing hostile policies: earthly decrees may be labelled “unchangeable,” yet only the Lord’s counsel truly stands (Psalm 33:11).
• Warn against manipulating legal or ecclesiastical procedures to suppress righteousness; those who did so in Daniel 6 became instruments of judgment upon themselves (Daniel 6:24).
• Affirm prayer as non-negotiable. Daniel continued his regular petitions despite the קְיָם decree, illustrating how spiritual disciplines transcend cultural or governmental shifts.

Christological Perspective

The tension between an unalterable human verdict and divine deliverance prefigures the cross. Roman authority sealed Jesus’ tomb, but the Father’s purpose nullified that “permanent” seal (Matthew 27:65-66; 28:2). Thus Daniel 6, with its קְיָם decree overturned, foreshadows the greater victory of resurrection.

Related Biblical Themes

• Immutability of God (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)
• Supremacy of divine law (Psalm 119:89)
• Civil obedience and holy dissent (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17)

Summary

קְיָם surfaces twice to stress the supposed permanence of Persian decrees. Its limited yet poignant use contrasts frail human authority with the steadfast rule of God, urging believers to trust the Lord whose word alone is truly enduring.

וּקְיָ֛ם וקים קְיָם֙ קים keYam qə·yām qəyām ū·qə·yām ukeYam ūqəyāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts