Bible Word Study
עֲדָא
ʻădâʼ · null
עֲדָא
Definition
The Aramaic word עֲדָא (ʻădâʼ) primarily means 'to pass away, remove, or alter.' It denotes a change, transition, or cessation of a state or condition. In Daniel 2:21 and 4:31, it describes God's sovereign action in changing times and seasons or removing a king's sanity. In other contexts, it refers to the literal passing away or removal of something, such as a bodily injury being 'altered' so that no harm remains (Daniel 3:27) or a decree that does not 'pass away' or get revoked (Daniel 6:8, 12).
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the book of Daniel (9 times). It appears in contexts of divine sovereignty over human affairs and political decrees. It describes God altering circumstances (Daniel 2:21, 4:31, 5:20), the non-revocation of royal laws (Daniel 6:8, 12), and the enduring nature of a kingdom that shall not 'pass away' (Daniel 7:14). The usage consistently highlights transition, removal, or permanence against change.
Etymology
Derived from the Aramaic root עֲדָא, corresponding to the Hebrew root עָדָה (H5710), which carries a sense of passing on or removing. The Aramaic form is specific to the biblical Aramaic language sections of the Old Testament.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it underscores God's absolute sovereignty over history, kingdoms, and human decrees. In Daniel, it emphasizes that God is the one who changes times and removes kings (Daniel 2:21), and that His kingdom is the only one that will never 'pass away' (Daniel 7:14). Understanding this term enriches the reading of Daniel by highlighting the contrast between temporary human rule and God's eternal, unalterable dominion. In the Aramaic-speaking context of the Babylonian and Persian courts depicted in Daniel, the concept of an irrevocable law (a 'law of the Medes and Persians') was a well-known cultural and political reality. The use of עֲדָא to say a decree does not 'pass away' (Daniel 6:8, 12) directly engages with this idea, contrasting mutable human decrees with the ultimate, unchangeable decrees of God. שְׁנָא (shᵉnâ, H8133) — Also Aramaic, means 'to change,' but often with a sense of difference or alternation, not necessarily removal. עֲבַר (ʻăbar, H5674) — Aramaic, means 'to pass over, through,' focusing more on traversal than cessation.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]