Original Word: כַּשְׂדַּי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Kasday
Pronunciation: kas-DAH-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (kas-dah'-ee)
KJV: Chaldean
NASB: Chaldeans, Chaldean
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H3778 (כַּשׂדִּי כַּשׂדִּימָה - Chaldeans)]

1. a Chaldaean or inhabitant of Chaldaea
2. (by implication) a Magian or professional astrologer

Chaldean

(Aramaic) corresponding to Kasdiy; a Chaldaean or inhabitant of Chaldaea; by implication, a Magian or professional astrologer -- Chaldean.

see HEBREW Kasdiy

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to Kasdi
Definition
inhab. of Chaldea
NASB Translation
Chaldean (3), Chaldeans (6).

כַּשְׂדָּ֑י proper name, of a people Chaldean (see Biblical Hebrew כַשְׂדִּים); — absolute ׳כ Daniel 2:10; emphatic כשדיא Daniel 5:30 Kt (Qr כַּשְׂדָּאָה), כסדיא Ezra 5:12 Kt (Qr כַּסְדָּאָה); plural absolute כַּשְׂדָּאִין Ezra 3:8; Ezra 5:11, emphatic כשדיא Kt, כַּשְׂדָּאֵי Qr, Daniel 2:5,10; Daniel 4:4; Daniel 5:7; —

1 Chaldean By race Daniel 3:8; Daniel 5:30; Ezra 5:12.

2 as learned, of the class of Magi (Biblical Hebrew ׳כ 1c), Daniel 2:5,10 (twice in verse); Daniel 4:4; Daniel 5:7,11.

Identity in Scripture

The expression כַּשְׂדַּי refers to the “Chaldeans,” a people group from southern Mesopotamia who gave their name to the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In Daniel the term is used not only ethnically but also vocationally, describing a guild of court “wise men”—astrologers and diviners—whose expertise was prized in Babylon. The eight appearances are all in Daniel: 2:5; 2:10 (twice); 3:8; 4:7; 5:7; 5:11; 5:30.

Historical Background

After Assyria’s fall (609 BC), Chaldean leaders such as Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II forged a powerful empire. Their territory stretched from the Persian Gulf to the borders of Egypt, making Babylon the political and cultural center of the ancient Near East. The Chaldeans were renowned for astronomical observation, mathematical skill, and religious texts that blended science with divination. This reputation explains their prominence in Daniel’s narrative, which unfolds in the very heart of Neo-Babylonian power.

Function in the Babylonian Court

Chaldean specialists appear whenever the king seeks supernatural insight:
• Daniel 2:5–11. Nebuchadnezzar demands both the dream and its interpretation. The Chaldeans confess, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king requests” (Daniel 2:10), revealing the insufficiency of human wisdom.
• Daniel 3:8. Certain Chaldeans inform against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, using their influence to persecute faithful Jews.
• Daniel 4:7. Nebuchadnezzar again turns first to the Chaldeans; once more they fail.
• Daniel 5:7–11. Belshazzar promises rewards to any Chaldean who can read the writing on the wall. Their inability sets the stage for Daniel’s God-given revelation, highlighting divine sovereignty over earthly wisdom.
• Daniel 5:30. That very night “Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain,” signaling the collapse of Chaldean supremacy.

Interaction with the People of God

The book contrasts the Chaldeans’ reliance on occult practices with Daniel’s dependence on prayer and divine revelation. Each failure of the Chaldean sages magnifies the power of the God of Israel. Simultaneously, their opposition exposes the cost of covenant faithfulness in an idolatrous culture, sharpening Daniel’s testimony before kings.

Prophetic and Theological Significance

1. Instrument of Judgment. Elsewhere in Scripture the Chaldeans are God’s chosen rod against Judah’s sin (Jeremiah 25:9; Habakkuk 1:6), fulfilling the covenant curses.
2. Object of Judgment. Prophets also pronounce doom on Babylon (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50–51). Daniel 5 records that judgment in real time, proving the reliability of earlier prophecies.
3. Foreshadowing. Babylon’s fall anticipates the ultimate overthrow of the world system depicted in Revelation 17–18, urging believers to flee spiritual compromise.

Practical Application for Ministry

• Dependence on Revelation. Human insight, no matter how sophisticated, cannot rival the wisdom God grants to those who seek Him (James 1:5).
• Courage in a Hostile Culture. Like Daniel, believers serve faithfully without capitulating to the pressures of secular authority.
• Assurance of God’s Sovereignty. Empires rise and fall, but “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Daniel 4:3).
• Evangelistic Opportunity. Daniel’s interaction with the Chaldeans shows how excellence and integrity open doors to proclaim God’s greatness even within antagonistic systems.

Related Themes and Passages

• Divine wisdom versus occult knowledge: Exodus 7:11–12; Acts 19:18–20.
• The rise and fall of kingdoms: Psalm 75:6–7; Daniel 2:21.
• God’s faithfulness to the exiled: Jeremiah 29:11–14; Hebrews 11:33–34.

The Chaldeans stand in Scripture as a vivid reminder that every human achievement—scientific, political, or military—remains subordinate to the Lord who “removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21).

וְכַשְׂדָּֽי׃ וכשדי׃ כַּשְׂדָּאִ֑ין כַּשְׂדָּאִין֙ כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤י כַשְׂדָּאָֽה׃ כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖י כשדאה׃ כשדאי כשדאין לְכַשְׂדָּאֵ֔י לכשדאי chasdaAh chasdaEi ḵaś·dā·’āh kaś·dā·’ê ḵaś·dā·’ê kaś·dā·’în ḵaśdā’āh kaśdā’ê ḵaśdā’ê kaśdā’în kasdaEi kasdaIn lə·ḵaś·dā·’ê lechasdaEi ləḵaśdā’ê vechasDai wə·ḵaś·dāy wəḵaśdāyInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts