Senses
1. to alarm, terrify, dismay — Aramaic Pael verb meaning to alarm, terrify, or dismay, used exclusively in the book of Daniel. In the Pael active it describes the terrifying effect of dreams and visions: Daniel's own alarm (Dan 4:5 יְבַהֲלֻנַּנִי, 'they alarmed me'; 7:15, 28), the king being told not to be alarmed (Dan 4:19 יְבַהֲלָךְ, 'let it not alarm you'; 5:10), and the king's own terror (Dan 4:19 יְבַהֲלֻנֵּהּ, 'they alarmed him'; 5:6). The Hitpael participle describes Belshazzar as 'alarmed' (Dan 5:9 מִתְבָּהַל). Multilingual glosses converge: Arabic أَفْزَعَ (to terrify), Korean 놀라게 했다 (caused alarm), Hindi व्याकुल (distressed), Spanish turbaron/espantaban (troubled/frightened). 8×
AR["أَفْزَعَتْنِي","أَفْزَعَتْهُ","تُفْزِعْكَ","مُضْطَرِبٌ","يُفْزِعْكَ"]·ben["আমাকে-বিচলিত-করল","আমাকে-ভীত-করছিল","তাঁকে-ভীত-করছিল","তাকে-বিচলিত-করছিল","তোমাকে-বিচলিত-করুক","তোমাকে-ভীত-করুক","ভীত-হলেন"]·DE["Bestuerzung"]·EN["alarm-you","alarmed","alarmed-him","alarmed-me"]·FR["effrayer"]·heb["יבהילוהו","יבהילוך","יבהילוני","יבהילך","נבהל"]·HI["उसे-व्याकुल-कर-रहे-थे","घबरा-रहे-थे-मुझे","तुझे-व्याकुल-करे","तुझे-व्याकुल-करें","मुझे-व्याकुल-कर-गए","व्याकुल-हो-रहा-था"]·ID["mengejutkanku","mengejutkanmu","mengejutkannya","terkejut"]·IT["mi-spaventano","spaventare"]·jav["damel-kula-bingung","damel-panjenengan-bingung","damel-piyambakipun-bingung","kagèt","sami-kagèt","sami-ndamel-kula-kagèt"]·KO["그-를-놀라게-했다","그-를-놀라게-했으며","나-를-놀라게-했다","너-를-놀라게-하지","놀라게-하다","놀라며","두렵게했다-나를"]·PT["me-perturbaram","o-perturbaram","se-perturbou","te-perturbe","te-perturbem"]·RU["пусть-устрашают-тебя","ужасали-его","ужасали-меня","ужасают-тебя","устрашали-меня","устрашили-его","устрашили-меня","устрашился"]·ES["lo-turbaban","lo-turbaron","me-espantaban","me-turbaron","te-turben","turbado"]·SW["alitia-wasiwasi","kutia-wasiwasi","yalimtia-wasiwasi","yalinisumbua","yalinitia-wasiwasi"]·TR["dehşete-düşsün-seni","dehşete-düşürdü-beni","dehşete-düşürdü-onu","dehşete-düşürmesin-seni","korkuya-kapıldı"]·urd["اُسے-بے-چین-کرتے-تھے","اُسے-پریشان-کر-رہے-تھے","تجھے-پریشان-کریں","تجھے-پریشان-کرے","مجھے-بے-چین-کرتیں","پریشان-ہوا","گھبرا-دیتی-تھیں-مجھے","گھبرا-دیتے-تھے-مجھے"]
2. in haste, hastily — Aramaic Hitpael infinitive used adverbially with preposition ב to mean 'in haste, hastily,' describing urgent action rather than psychological terror. Appears in Dan 2:25 and 3:24 where officials bring people before the king 'in haste' (בְּהִתְבְּהָלָה), and in Dan 6:19 where Darius goes 'in haste' to the lions' den. The semantic shift from 'alarm' to 'haste' reflects the urgency born of agitation. Multilingual glosses confirm: Arabic بِسُرْعَةٍ (with speed), Korean 급히 (urgently), Hindi जल्दी से (quickly), Spanish apresuradamente/con prisa (hastily). 3×
AR["بِ-عَجَلَةٍ","بِسُرْعَةٍ","وَ-بِسُرْعَةٍ"]·ben["-তাড়াতাড়ি","এবং-তাড়াতাড়িতে"]·DE["Bestuerzung","und-Bestuerzung"]·EN["and-in-haste","in-haste"]·FR["effrayer","et-effrayer"]·heb["ב-בהלה","ו-ב-בהלה"]·HI["और-जल्दी-में","जल्दी-से"]·ID["dan-dengan-terburu-buru","dengan-terburu-buru","dengan-tergesa-gesa"]·IT["e-spaventare","spaventare"]·jav["kanthi-kesusu","lan-kanthi-gupuh"]·KO["그리고-급히","서둘러서","에서-급히"]·PT["com-pressa","e-com-pressa"]·RU["в-спешке","и-в-спешке"]·ES["apresuradamente","con-prisa","y-apresuradamente"]·SW["kwa-haraka","na-kwa-haraka"]·TR["aceleyle","ve-aceleyle"]·urd["اور-جلدی-سے","جلدی-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בְּהַל] vb. Pa. alarm, dismay (so usually 𝔗 (not Syriac); BH [בָּהַל]);—Impf. 3 ms. sf. יְבַהֲלָךְ Dn 4:16 and 3 mpl. sf. -לֻנַּנִי 4:2; 7:15, 28 (both juss. Str§ 13 c M § 52 a); -לוּךְ 5:10, -לֻנֵּ֑הּ 4:16, -לוּנֵּהּ 5:6. Hithpe. hasten (so Pi. in late BH; 𝔗 Ithpe. (rare)); Inf. בְּהִתְבְּהָלָה = in haste (orig. ‘in alarm’) Dn 2:25; 3:24; 6:20. Hithpa. Pt. pass. מִתְבָּהַל Dn 5:9 was greatly alarmed.