H1414 H1414
chop down, hew down — to cut down trees with forceful blows
This Aramaic verb appears in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great tree, where the heavenly watcher commands 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches!' The verb emphasizes the violent, decisive action of felling—not gentle pruning but complete destruction. Both occurrences are imperatives in the same vision (Daniel 4), first in the dream itself, then in Daniel's retelling. The command to hew down the mighty tree symbolized the coming judgment on Nebuchadnezzar's pride, though the stump would remain, promising eventual restoration.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To cut down or hew down a tree with forceful strokes. Both uses in Daniel 4:14, 23 are plural imperatives addressed to angelic beings, commanding the felling of the great tree representing Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. The Aramaic verb emphasizes decisive, destructive cutting, appropriate to the judgment-oracle context. Translations (chop down, cortad, couper) consistently convey the violent, complete nature of this tree-felling, symbolizing the temporary removal of the king from his throne. 2×
AR["اقْطَعُوا"]·ben["কেটে-ফেল"]·DE["[גדו]"]·EN["chop-down"]·FR["couper"]·heb["כרתו"]·HI["काट-डालो"]·ID["tebanglah"]·IT["[גדו]"]·jav["Tebangna"]·KO["베어라"]·PT["Cortai"]·RU["срубите"]·ES["cortad"]·SW["ukateni"]·TR["kesin"]·urd["کاٹ-ڈالو"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [גְּדַד] vb. hew down (𝔗J; Syriac (rare); BH cut);— Pe. Imv. mpl. גֹּ֫דּוּ אִילָנָא (K§ 46, Beisp. α) Dn 4:11, 20.