Original Word: גִּיחַ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: giyach
Pronunciation: ghee'-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (ghee'-akh)
KJV: strive
NASB: stirring
Word Origin: [corresponding to H1518 (גִּיַח גּוַֹח - broke)]

1. to rush forth

strive

(Aramaic) or (shortened) guwach (Aramaic) {goo'- akh}; corresponding to giyach; to rush forth -- strive.

see HEBREW giyach

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to giach
Definition
to break forth
NASB Translation
stirring (1).

Conceptual Meaning and Imagery

גִּיחַ depicts a violent breaking or bursting forth. In Daniel 7:2 it portrays the restless turbulence produced when “the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea” (Daniel 7:2). The verb paints a scene of sudden, irresistible upheaval—an elemental disturbance that prepares the stage for God-revealed events.

Biblical Setting

Daniel, still in Babylon during the first year of King Belshazzar, receives a night vision. As the winds “burst upon” the Mediterranean (commonly taken as “the great sea”), four hybrid beasts emerge, symbolizing successive Gentile empires. גִּיחַ is the single verb chosen to describe the action that sets everything else in motion; it underlines that the rise and fall of kingdoms begins with forces that heaven itself unleashes.

Symbolism of the Sea

Throughout Scripture the sea often embodies chaos and threat (Psalm 46:3; Isaiah 17:12; Revelation 13:1). By using גִּיחַ in Daniel 7:2, the narrative recalls:
• Psalm 65:7—God “stills the roaring of the seas.”
• Job 38:11—He limits their proud waves.

The sea’s turmoil yields to divine governance. Daniel’s vision thus balances the terror of political upheaval with confidence that God circumscribes it.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern texts regularly portray deities battling chaotic waters. Daniel’s vision counters pagan myth by showing no cosmic struggle; a single command from heaven sets the scene, demonstrating the transcendent sovereignty of the Lord of Hosts over chaos imagery familiar to exiled Judeans in Babylon.

Prophetic and Eschatological Significance

1. Origin of the Beasts – The beasts do not arise randomly; the divine winds deliberately agitate the waters. World empires are secondary causes under primary divine causation.
2. Duration of Dominion – The same God who stirs the waters later renders judgment (Daniel 7:9-12). The verb hints that every empire begins on God’s timetable and ends the same way.
3. Final Kingdom – Daniel 7 concludes with the Son of Man receiving an everlasting dominion. The brief, violent גִּיחַ contrasts sharply with the calm, eternal reign that follows, accentuating the transience of human power versus the permanence of the Messiah’s kingdom.

Connections to the New Testament

Mark 4:39 records Jesus rebuking a storm: “Peace! Be still!” The One who silences the sea in Galilee is the same sovereign who once permitted it to burst forth in Daniel’s vision. Revelation 21:1 foresees “no more sea,” signaling the final removal of the domain where chaotic forces once arose.

Pastoral and Devotional Implications

• Confidence in God’s Control – Nations may arise through violent surges, but believers rest in the knowledge that these surges occur only at Heaven’s command.
• Readiness for Change – גִּיחַ reminds the Church that sudden global shifts can precede major redemptive milestones; vigilance and faithfulness are essential.
• Worshipful Awe – Contemplating a God who can both stir and still the deep moves the heart to reverent trust and fortified hope.

Summary

גִּיחַ in Daniel 7:2 encapsulates the moment divine sovereignty sets history’s great upheavals in motion. It highlights God’s unmatched authority over natural and political chaos, anticipates the ultimate triumph of the Son of Man, and calls believers to steadfast confidence amid the turbulence of the present age.

מְגִיחָ֖ן מגיחן mə·ḡî·ḥān megiChan məḡîḥānInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts