H1355 H1355
back, side — the rear or lateral surface of a beast in Daniel's vision
This word appears in the cryptic vision of Daniel 7, describing features of the leopard-like beast with four wings. The Hebrew text preserves both a written form (Ketiv) and a read-aloud form (Qere), creating interpretive ambiguity: does it mean the creature's 'back' or its 'sides'? Most interpreters favor 'sides,' suggesting the four wings sprouted from the beast's flanks. The Aramaic term connects to both Hebrew and Syriac words for back, side, or flank, showing how apocalyptic imagery stretched vocabulary into new symbolic territory.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The back or sides of the leopard-like creature in Daniel's vision (Daniel 7:6). The textual tradition preserves two readings (Ketiv and Qere) both pointing to the posterior or lateral aspect of the beast's body where the four wings were positioned. Translators diverge on whether this refers to the creature's back proper or its sides, but both interpretations locate the wings on the beast's upper body, emphasizing its supernatural speed. 2×
AR["(ظَهْرِهَا)", "ظَهْرِهَا"]·ben["(এর-পিঠে)", "[এর-পিঠে]"]·DE["Hoehe", "[גביה]"]·EN["(qere:its-back)", "[ketiv:its-back]"]·FR["hauteur", "orgueil"]·heb["[גבה]", "גבה"]·HI["(उसकी-पीठ)", "[उसकी-पीठ]"]·ID["[punggungnya]", "punggungnya"]·IT["[גבה]", "[גביה]"]·jav["(gigiripun)", "[gigir]"]·KO["(그것의-등에)", "[그것의등에]"]·PT["(suas-costas)", "[suas-costas]"]·RU["(спине-его)", "[спине-его]"]·ES["[lomo-de-ella]", "lomo-de-ella"]·SW["(mgongo-wake)", "[mgongo-wake]"]·TR["(sırtında)", "[sırtında]"]·urd["اُس-کی-پیٹھ", "اُس-کی-پیٹھ-پر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גַּב] n.[m.] either back (𝔗 גַּב back, top; BH גַּב, √ גבב), or side (√ גנב, cf.Arabic جَنْبٌ side, Syriac ܓܰܒܴ݁ܐ side, √ ܓܢܒ;—v. also D WB 65);—pl. sf. Dn 7:6 Kt wings עַל־גַּבַּיהּ on its sides (Bev Behrm Dr; Qr גַּבַּהּ perhaps its back, so most).