H1761 H1761
and entertainment (Aramaic plural noun, uncertain meaning, possibly music, dancing, or concubines)
An obscure Aramaic plural noun in Daniel 6:18, describing something King Darius rejected during his anxious night while Daniel was in the lions' den. Ancient and modern interpreters disagree: musical instruments? Dancing girls? Concubines? Food and entertainment generally? The Septuagint and other versions guessed variously. The context suggests diversions or comforts the king refused in his distress, but the precise meaning remains elusive.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Daniel 6:18 says Darius 'spent the night fasting; no entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.' Spanish 'diversiones' (entertainments) and English 'entertainment' take the broadest interpretive path. French retains 'fouler' (trample—likely a database error), while German preserves the Hebrew, acknowledging lexical uncertainty. The narrative point is clear: Darius rejected all comfort in solidarity with Daniel's peril. 1×
AR["وَ-طَعَامٌ"]·ben["এবং-বিনোদন"]·DE["[ודחון]"]·EN["and-entertainment"]·FR["et-fouler"]·heb["ו-שעשועים"]·HI["और-मनोरंजन"]·ID["dan-hiburan"]·IT["[ודחון]"]·jav["lan-hiburan"]·KO["그리고-오락-이"]·PT["e-diversões"]·RU["и-увеселения"]·ES["y-diversiones"]·SW["na-burudani"]·TR["ve-eğlence"]·urd["اور-رقاصائیں"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
‡ † [דַּחֲוָה] n.f. dub.;—pl. abs. דַּחֲוָן Dn 6:19, Vrss conject.; AV RV instr. of music (so AE, assuming meaning strike [strings] for דְּחָא [BH דָּחָה] thrust; Saad RVm dancing-girls; Bertholdt al. concubines (from sens. obsc. of Arabic دَحَى), but then read prob. לְחֵנָן (5:2, 3, 23) Marti Prince Dr.