H3546 H3546
to be able, capable (Aramaic equivalent of Hebrew יכל)
This Aramaic verb, the direct equivalent of Hebrew yakol, expresses ability or capability. In Daniel's Aramaic chapters, it appears in contexts where human wisdom proves insufficient—the wise men are not 'able' to reveal Nebuchadnezzar's dream or read the writing on the wall. The participle form functions almost adjectivally, describing someone as 'able' or 'capable' of performing a task, usually with an infinitive following to specify what they can or cannot do.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The verb appears four times in Daniel's Aramaic sections, always in negative contexts of human inability before divine mysteries. The king asks Daniel, 'Are you able to make known to me the dream?' (Dan 2:26), expecting the same failure as the other wise men. The king describes the dream to Daniel as one 'you are able to interpret' (Dan 4:18), acknowledging Daniel's unique Spirit-given capacity. But at Belshazzar's feast, the Babylonian wise men 'were not able' to read the mysterious writing (Dan 5:8), nor could they interpret it (Dan 5:15). Spanish capaz/podían and French pouvoir track the capability sense, while German leaves the participle forms in brackets. 4×
AR["تَقْدِرُ", "قَادِرٌ", "يَقْدِرُوا"]·ben["পার", "পারছিল", "সক্ষম"]·DE["[כהל]", "[כהלין]"]·EN["able", "are-able"]·FR["pouvoir"]·heb["יכול", "יכולים"]·HI["समर्थ", "समर्थ-थे", "समर्थ-है", "समर्थ-हैं"]·ID["dapat", "sanggup"]·IT["[כהל]", "[כהלין]"]·jav["saged"]·KO["능하니", "하였더라", "할-수-있느냐"]·PT["capaz", "podiam", "és-capaz"]·RU["могли", "смогли", "способен", "ты"]·ES["capaz", "podían", "pudieron", "puedes"]·SW["kweli", "unaweza", "weza"]·TR["güçlü", "yapabildiler", "yapabilirsin"]·urd["قادر", "قادر-تھے", "قادر-ہے"]
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
† [כְּהַל] vb. be able (𝔗 id.; Egyptian Aramaic, S-CPap. A 6, 8, 11 +; Ethiopic ክህለ cf. syn. יְכִל);— Pe. Pt. act., usually sq. inf.: abs. כָּהֵל Dn 2:26; 4:15 (inf. om.); pl. abs. כָּֽהֲלִין 5:8, 15.