Original Word: חֲסַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chacan
Pronunciation: khaw-sawn'
Phonetic Spelling: (khas-an')
KJV: possess
NASB: possess, took possession
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H2630 (חָסַן - hoarded)]

1. to hold in occupancy

possess

(Aramaic) corresponding to chacan; to hold in occupancy -- possess.

see HEBREW chacan

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to chasan
Definition
to take possession of
NASB Translation
possess (1), took possession (1).

[חֲסֵן] verb Haph`el take . . . possession of (Syriac be strong, overcome; ᵑ7 be strong, take possession of; Egyptian Aramaic Haph`el חחסן hold property S-C^{D 2}+, compare Biblical Hebrew חסן); — Perfect3masculine plural הֶחֱסִ֫נ (K^{§ 38. 3} Kmp^{on the passage}) Daniel 7:22; Imperfect3masculine plural יַחְסְנוּן (K^{§ 38. 1 b})) Daniel 7:18 (perhaps point סִנוּן-).

Biblical Setting

חֲסַן appears twice, both in the prophetic panorama of Daniel 7. The term describes what happens after the “Ancient of Days” renders judgment:

• Daniel 7:18 — “But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever—yes, forever and ever.”
• Daniel 7:22 — “…the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.”

Placed between the rise and fall of earthly empires, the word signals a decisive transfer of rule from godless powers to the covenant community.

Theological Emphasis: Inheritance, Authority, Permanence

1. Inheritance: The verb depicts a legal receiving of what was always destined for the saints. As Israel once received Canaan, so the faithful remnant will receive the universal kingdom.
2. Authority: The saints do not merely inhabit the realm; they govern it under the “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13–14). חֲסַן conveys active dominion rather than passive occupancy.
3. Permanence: The double temporal phrase “forever—yes, forever and ever” underscores an unassailable, eternal tenure.

Historical Background

Daniel’s vision arises during exile, when Judah’s monarchy lay in ruins. Babylonian, Median-Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman powers (symbolized by beasts) claim supremacy, yet חֲסַן assures the faithful that their apparent dispossession is temporary. The promise of future possession fortified Jewish and later Christian communities facing persecution.

Intertextual Connections

• Numbers 33:53; Joshua 21:43 – Israel “possessed” the land, a covenantal foretaste of the global kingdom.
• Psalm 37:11 – “The meek will inherit the land,” echoed by Matthew 5:5.
• Romans 8:17 – Believers are “heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
• Revelation 5:10 – “They will reign on the earth,” mirroring Daniel’s saints who possess the kingdom.

Eschatological Significance

Daniel 7 marks the only Old Testament passage where the saints’ possession is cosmic rather than geographic. It anticipates:
• The Coronation of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13–14).
• The final judgment over tyrannical powers (Daniel 7:26).
• The everlasting kingdom shared with the redeemed (Daniel 7:27).

New Testament writers adopt this framework: 1 Corinthians 6:2 foresees the saints judging the world; 2 Timothy 2:12 promises, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him.”

Ministry and Practical Application

1. Perseverance in Suffering – Believers facing hostility draw courage from the certainty that they will one day possess the kingdom.
2. Kingdom Stewardship – Present gifts and responsibilities are rehearsals for future rulership (Luke 19:17).
3. Holiness and Identity – The title “saints” coupled with חֲסַן grounds identity in divine choice, not earthly status.
4. Evangelistic Urgency – The coming transfer of authority motivates proclamation of the gospel so others may share in the inheritance (Colossians 1:12).

Summary

חֲסַן, though rare, carries weighty promise: God’s covenant people will ultimately receive, hold, and rule the everlasting kingdom. Set within Daniel’s vision and echoed across Scripture, the term anchors hope, shapes discipleship, and assures the Church that the kingdoms of this world will become “the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

הֶחֱסִ֥נוּ החסנו וְיַחְסְנ֤וּן ויחסנון he·ḥĕ·si·nū hecheSinu heḥĕsinū veyachseNun wə·yaḥ·sə·nūn wəyaḥsənūnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts