Original Word: נִדְנֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nidneh
Pronunciation: nid-neh
Phonetic Spelling: (nid-neh')
KJV: body
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from the same as H5084 (נָדָן - sheath)]

1. a sheath
2. (figuratively) the body (as the receptacle of the soul)

body

(Aramaic) from the same as nadan; a sheath; figuratively, the body (as the receptacle of the soul) -- body.

see HEBREW nadan

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to nadan
Definition
a sheath.

[גין] with בְּ, בְּגִין

preposition on account of (so Galilean Aramaic, D^{§ 47, 3}), read perhaps in Daniel 7:15: see נִדְגֵה.

נִדְנֵ֑ה (Masora Baer) noun [masculine] sheath (ᵑ7 נְדָן, לְדָן; see Biblical Hebrew (late) נָדָן, Persian loan-word); — ׳בְּ֗֗֗נ Daniel 7:15 my spirit in (its) sheath, i.e. my body; < נִדְנָה emphatic, or suffix נִדְנַהּ (K^{§ 54, 3.} β)); or (Nö^{GGA. 1884, 1022} Bev) נְדָנַהּ; but expression at best strange; read probably בְּגִין דְּנָה on account of this (בְּגִין as ᵑ7^J; D^{§ 47. 3 (2nd ed. 47. 10)}), M^72* compare Buhl Dr.

Semantic Range and Imagery

נִדְנֶה evokes the picture of a sheath or scabbard—something that encloses and protects. Transferred to the human frame, it underscores the body as the “housing” of a person’s immaterial nature. In Daniel 7:15 it carries the nuance “within my body,” accentuating the inner turmoil Daniel felt deep inside the protective casing of flesh that God had given him.

Old Testament Usage

Daniel 7:15 is the lone occurrence: “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit, and the visions in my mind alarmed me”. The context links Daniel’s spirit (רוּחַ) and his body as inseparably bound—a glimpse of Hebrew‐Aramaic anthropology that sees the human being as a unified whole. The single use lends the term an almost technical flavor, heightening its impact when Daniel confesses how divine revelation shakes him to the core.

Daniel 7:15 in Prophetic Context

Daniel has just witnessed four terrifying beasts, the Ancient of Days, and the kingdom‐transferring judgment of God. The prophet’s distress “within my nidneh” reflects both awe and holy fear. It shows that even the most faithful servants of God are not stoic spectators of prophecy; their physical frame reacts to heavenly disclosure (cf. Habakkuk 3:16; Revelation 1:17).

Biblical Anthropology: Body as God-Given Sheath

Genesis 2:7 presents humanity as dust animated by the breath of God, while Ecclesiastes 12:7 reminds us that body returns to dust and spirit to God. נִדְנֶה ties into this holistic view: spirit and body interrelate, neither to be despised. Paul echoes the motif when he speaks of the body as an “earthly tent” (2 Corinthians 5:1), craving the immortal dwelling fashioned by God. The biblical storyline upholds both the dignity and the frailty of the body.

Historical and Cultural Background

Sheaths and scabbards were standard equipment in Babylon and Medo-Persia, protecting valuable swords. By employing sheath imagery, the Aramaic text resonates with Daniel’s royal‐court environment where swords symbolized power. Daniel confesses that the true seat of authority lies not in steel but in the God who can shake the very sheath containing his prophet’s spirit.

Theological Significance

1. Revelation is experiential. God’s word penetrates “to dividing soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12), but it also reverberates in flesh and bone.
2. Human weakness does not nullify prophetic reliability. Daniel’s shaken frame highlights divine authenticity: the message overwhelms the messenger rather than emanating from him.
3. Embodiment prepares for resurrection hope. If the body is a sheath, Scripture’s forward thrust is not toward disembodied existence but toward a renewed, glorified covering (Philippians 3:21).

Christological Resonances

The incarnate Son “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), willingly entering a human nidneh. His pierced body, placed in a tomb and raised in power, guarantees that those who trust Him will likewise exchange mortal sheaths for immortal ones (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Ministry Applications

• Shepherds should expect emotional and physical cost when handling the mysteries of God, just as Daniel’s body registered the weight of vision.
• The term encourages balanced care of soul and body; spiritual fervor is no license to neglect bodily health.
• Counsellors can assure troubled believers that somatic reactions to spiritual conflict are neither abnormal nor evidence of faithlessness.

New Testament Parallels and Exhortations

1 Thessalonians 5:23 prays for sanctification of “spirit, soul, and body,” mirroring Daniel’s integrated self. Believers are called to present their bodies as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), honoring the sheath until the moment God replaces it with glorified flesh.

Practical Reflections

Where Daniel’s nidneh trembled under revelatory strain, the Church today carries gospel treasure “in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Awareness of our fragile sheath should not breed fear but deepen dependence on the Spirit who empowers frail vessels for enduring witness.

נִדְנֶ֑ה נדנה niḏ·neh nidNeh niḏnehInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts