שְׁתָה
Definition
The Aramaic noun שְׁתָה (shᵉthâh) means 'drink' or 'a drinking.' It refers specifically to the act of consuming a beverage, often in the context of a feast or banquet. In the book of Daniel, it is used exclusively to describe the drinking of wine by King Belshazzar and his nobles during the infamous feast where the handwriting appears on the wall (Daniel 5:1-4). The word emphasizes the communal and ceremonial consumption of alcohol that sets the stage for divine judgment.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only in the Aramaic portions of the book of Daniel, specifically in Daniel chapter 5. All five occurrences (Daniel 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 23) are within the narrative of Belshazzar's feast. It describes the king and his guests drinking wine from the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple. The usage consistently highlights a context of royal indulgence, sacrilege, and impending divine reckoning.
Etymology
שְׁתָה is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew verb שָׁתָה (H8354), which means 'to drink.' It is derived from a common Semitic root (š-ṯ-y) conveying the act of drinking. The Aramaic form functions as a noun ('a drinking'), directly corresponding to its Hebrew verbal root, showing the close linguistic relationship between the two languages used in the Old Testament.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is central to the narrative of divine judgment in Daniel 5. The act of 'drinking' from the holy temple vessels represents a profound act of sacrilege and arrogance against the God of Israel. Understanding this Aramaic term enriches the reading by highlighting how a mundane act (drinking) becomes the specific vehicle for idolatry and defiance that provokes God's immediate judgment, as seen in the handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5:5).
In the ancient Near Eastern context, communal drinking at a royal feast was a sign of celebration, power, and social bonding. However, using vessels specifically consecrated to another deity (or to Yahweh) for such a feast was a deliberate political and religious act, meant to demonstrate supremacy and desecration. Belshazzar's 'drinking' from the Jewish temple cups was a public declaration that his gods had defeated the God of Judah.
מַשְׁקֶה (mashqeh, H4945) — A Hebrew term for 'drink' or 'banquet,' often with a more general or festive connotation, not specific to the sacrilegious context of Daniel 5.
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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