H5094b H5094b
illumination, insight, light; intellectual brilliance and understanding
This Aramaic feminine noun appears in Daniel's description of Daniel's extraordinary wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar (and later the queen mother) testifies that Daniel possesses illumination—intellectual light beyond normal human understanding—along with wisdom and insight comparable to divine knowledge. The term evokes both literal light and metaphorical enlightenment, suggesting Daniel's mind was illuminated by divine revelation, enabling him to understand mysteries hidden from others.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Occurs in Daniel 5:11 and 5:14, both describing Daniel's exceptional qualities. The cross-linguistic glosses uniformly render this as 'light' or 'illumination' (English 'light', Spanish 'luz', French 'lumière'), emphasizing the enlightenment motif. In both passages it appears alongside wisdom and understanding, forming a triad of exceptional intellectual-spiritual qualities. 2×
AR["نُورٌ", "وَ-نُورٌ"]·ben["আলোক", "এবং-আলোক"]·DE["[ונהירו]", "[נהירו]"]·EN["and-light", "light"]·FR["et-lumière", "lumière"]·heb["הארה", "ו-הארה"]·HI["और-प्रकाश", "प्रकाश"]·ID["dan-terang", "terang"]·IT["[ונהירו]", "[נהירו]"]·jav["lan-padhang", "padhang"]·KO["그리고-빛-과", "빛-과"]·PT["e-iluminação", "iluminação"]·RU["и-свет", "свет"]·ES["luz", "y-luz"]·SW["mwanga", "na-mwanga"]·TR["aydınlık", "ve-aydınlık"]·urd["اور-روشنی", "روشنی"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נַהִירוּ (K§§ 16. 5; 61. 4) n.f. illumination, insight (Syriac id.);—abs. Dn 5:11, 14 (both + שָׂבְלְתָנוּ, חָכְמָה).