Lexical Summary yam: sea Original Word: יָם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sea (Aramaic) corresponding to yam -- sea. see HEBREW yam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to yam Definition sea NASB Translation sea (2). Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope יָם in Daniel 7 appears within the Aramaic section of the book and functions as the common noun “sea.” Although the noun is widespread throughout the Old Testament in Hebrew form, its Aramaic form is restricted to Daniel 7:2 and Daniel 7:3. In both verses it is called “the Great Sea,” a phrase that, in its plain geographical sense, designates the Mediterranean. At the same time, the context reveals a prophetic, symbolic dimension that transcends geography. Occurrences Daniel 7:2 – “Daniel declared, ‘In my vision in the night I looked, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.’” Daniel 7:3 – “Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one distinct from the others.” Historical and Geographical Context For Israel, the Mediterranean Sea formed the western border of the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18). From the vantage point of the exiles in Babylon, however, the Great Sea lay to the distant west, beyond foreign empires. Thus, in Daniel’s Aramaic vision, the sea marks the stage on which Gentile powers rise and fall. Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman dominance all lay westward in relation to Daniel’s location, reinforcing the sea’s geographical relevance. Symbolic and Prophetic Significance 1. Chaotic Source of Empires. The churning sea in Daniel 7 symbolizes the restless, disorderly mass of nations. The “four winds of heaven” whipping the waters suggest divine sovereignty overruling the seeming randomness of world affairs (compare Jeremiah 49:36). Intertestamental and New Testament Echoes Jewish apocalyptic writings commonly pick up Daniel’s imagery, depicting the sea as the origin of monstrous enemies of God’s people. The New Testament continues the theme: The Sea and Salvation History Elsewhere in Scripture the sea is both threat and pathway: Daniel 7 bundles these strands together: God who once parted the waters for Israel will ultimately subdue the nations that surge out of the sea against His saints. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Confidence in Sovereignty. Believers facing turbulent cultural change can rest in the truth that every empire, ideology, and movement arises only under God’s permissive will and within His predetermined boundaries (Acts 17:26). Related Themes and Cross-References • Divine control of the sea – Job 38:8-11; Psalm 104:6-9 Summary In the narrow compass of two Aramaic verses, יָם encapsulates sweeping theological truth: the Lord reigns over the untamed forces of history, permits empires to arise for His purposes, and promises an everlasting kingdom in which the sea of turmoil is stilled forever. Forms and Transliterations יַמָּ֑א ימא לְיַמָּ֥א לימא lə·yam·mā leyamMa ləyammā yam·mā yamMa yammāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 7:2 HEB: שְׁמַיָּ֔א מְגִיחָ֖ן לְיַמָּ֥א רַבָּֽא׃ NAS: were stirring up the great sea. KJV: strove upon the great sea. INT: of heaven were stirring sea the great Daniel 7:3 2 Occurrences |
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