שְׁדַר
to endeavor
Definition
The Hebrew verb שְׁדַר (shᵉdar) means to endeavor, strive, or labor diligently toward a goal. In its sole biblical occurrence in Daniel 6:14, it describes King Darius's intense effort to find a legal way to rescue Daniel from the lions' den after being tricked into condemning him. The word conveys a sense of determined, persistent effort, often in a challenging or constrained situation. While its usage is limited, the context suggests it involves mental and administrative labor, as the king works within the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the Aramaic portion of the book of Daniel. It appears in Daniel 6:14, describing King Darius's actions after Daniel is thrown into the lions' den. The context is a royal, legal, and political effort, as the king 'labored' or 'endeavored' until sundown to find a way to deliver Daniel, highlighting a persistent and urgent attempt to change an irreversible decree.
Etymology
שְׁדַר is an Aramaic primitive root verb borrowed into Biblical Hebrew, specifically in the Aramaic sections of the Old Testament. Its core meaning relates to exerting effort or striving. Cognates in other Semitic languages support the sense of diligent labor or endeavor. As an Aramaic loanword, it reflects the linguistic context of the Persian court in the book of Daniel.
Semantic Range
This word, though used only once, highlights the tension between human authority and divine sovereignty. King Darius's 'endeavor' to save Daniel underscores human limitation and earnest intent, yet it ultimately fails, requiring God's miraculous intervention (Daniel 6:22). It illustrates that human striving, however diligent, is insufficient without God's power, emphasizing reliance on divine deliverance over political or legal effort.
In the cultural setting of the Persian Empire, a king's decree was considered unchangeable (Daniel 6:8, 15). Darius's 'endeavor' thus reflects a profound cultural and legal constraint—even the king's intense labor could not override the established law. This highlights the absolute nature of Persian law and the king's paradoxical powerlessness within his own system, contrasting with modern concepts of legal flexibility or executive override.
עָמַל (ʿāmal, H5998) — general term for toil or labor, often with a negative connotation of trouble or sorrow; יָגַע (yāgaʿ, H3021) — to grow weary or labor to the point of exhaustion; פָּעַל (pāʿal, H6466) — to do, make, or work, often referring to productive action.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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