Original Word: בְּדר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: bdar
Pronunciation: beh-dar
Phonetic Spelling: (bed-ar')
KJV: scatter
NASB: scatter
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding (by transposition) to H6504 (פָּרַד - separated)]

1. to scatter

scatter

(Aramaic) corresponding (by transposition) to parad; to scatter -- scatter.

see HEBREW parad

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to bazar
Definition
to scatter
NASB Translation
scatter (1).

[בְּדַר] verb Pa`el scatter (so ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew [בָּוַר]); — Imperative masculine plural וּבַדַּ֫רוּ Daniel 4:11 (accusative of thing).

Biblical Occurrence

בְּדר (bedar) appears once in the canonical text, in the Aramaic portion of Daniel, where an angelic “watcher” commands, “Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip its leaves and scatter its fruit!” (Daniel 4:14).

Context within Daniel

1. The verb is embedded in Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream, a prophetic disclosure of divine judgment on the Babylonian king for his pride (Daniel 4:19–27).
2. The “scattering” of the tree’s fruit previews the dispersal of the king’s glory, wealth, and subjects when he is driven from society (Daniel 4:29–33).
3. The event climaxes with restoration after “seven periods of time” when Nebuchadnezzar lifts his eyes to heaven and honors “the King of heaven” (Daniel 4:34–37), showing that scattering is a purposeful prelude to humbling and eventual restoration.

Theology of Scattering and Gathering

• Scattering is a well-known covenant sanction. The Lord threatened to “scatter you among the nations” if Israel broke covenant (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64); Daniel’s own exile context echoes that reality.
• The voice that scatters also gathers. Post-exilic promises such as Isaiah 11:12 and Ezekiel 11:17 anticipate a divine regathering that mirrors Nebuchadnezzar’s personal restoration.
• The pattern is consistent: pride produces dispersion; humility under God’s hand leads to renewal (Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6).

Prophetic and Eschatological Resonances

• Daniel’s motif of a felled tree whose fruit is scattered parallels later prophetic visions of collapsing world empires (Daniel 7; Revelation 18).
• In Jesus Christ the scattering of the nations finds its reversal. The risen Lord commissions His church to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), turning punitive dispersion into redemptive outreach, culminating in the multitude gathered from “every nation and tribe” (Revelation 7:9).

Ministry Implications

1. Sovereignty: God alone exalts and humbles kings; believers can rest in the certainty that no earthly authority is ultimate (Romans 13:1).
2. Humility: Personal pride invites divine opposition. Christians are called to “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand” (1 Peter 5:6).
3. Hope after Judgment: Like Nebuchadnezzar, sinners who repent and acknowledge heaven’s rule experience restoration—an evangelistic assurance.
4. Discipleship amid Dispersion: The people of God often live as a scattered minority (1 Peter 1:1); nevertheless, scattering can become a means of gospel advance (Acts 8:4).

Key Related Scriptures

Genesis 11:8–9; Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64; Psalm 106:27; Isaiah 11:12; Ezekiel 11:16–17; Daniel 4:14, 29–37; Acts 8:1–4; 1 Peter 1:1; Revelation 7:9.

וּבַדַּ֣רוּ ובדרו ū·ḇad·da·rū ūḇaddarū uvadDaruInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts