H5894 H5894
Watcher, wakeful one; angelic beings described in Daniel's visions
This enigmatic term appears only in Daniel's Aramaic visions, denoting angelic beings characterized by their wakefulness and vigilance. In Daniel 4, these 'watchers' descend from heaven with decrees concerning Nebuchadnezzar's judgment, representing divine messengers who remain perpetually alert. The root connects to Syriac and Jewish Aramaic terms for waking or being awake. Ancient Jewish literature, particularly 1 Enoch, developed elaborate angelology around these watchers, though their biblical appearance is limited to Daniel. The term emphasizes the angels' role as heaven's sentinels, never sleeping, constantly observing and executing God's decrees. Some scholars connect the term to Phoenician concepts of heavenly watchers.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Three occurrences in Daniel 4, all describing these angelic messengers. The multilingual evidence shows interesting variation: some translations preserve 'watcher/vigilant,' while German sometimes shows 'city' (Stadt), suggesting accidental conflation with the common word 'ir' (city). The Aramaic context and the apocalyptic genre of Daniel support the angelic interpretation. The watchers in Daniel announce and execute divine judgment, functioning as heaven's agents in earthly affairs. Their perpetual wakefulness contrasts with human sleep, emphasizing divine omniscience. 3×
AR["السَّاهِرِينَ", "سَاهِرًا", "سَاهِرٌ"]·ben["প্রহরী", "প্রহরীদের"]·DE["Stadt", "[עירין]"]·EN["watcher", "watchers"]·FR["veilleur", "ville"]·heb["מלאך", "מלאכים"]·HI["जागृत", "जागृतों-के"]·ID["para-penjaga", "penjaga"]·IT["[עירין]", "città"]·jav["juru-jaga", "para-juru-jaga"]·KO["감시자-가", "선고-로"]·PT["um-vigilante", "vigilantes"]·RU["страж", "стража", "стражей"]·ES["los-vigilantes", "un-vigilante"]·SW["mlinzi", "walinzi"]·TR["gözcü", "gözcülerin"]·urd["پہرےدار", "پہرےداروں"]
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
† עִיר n.m. waking, or wakeful, one, i.e. angel (√ עיר, cf. Syriac ܥܳܪ wake, ܥܺܝܪ waking (PS 2843), JAram עִיר, NH עֵיר adj. awake);—abs. ע׳ Dn 4:10, 20; pl. abs. עִירִין v 14; Aq Symm. ἐγρήγορος; cf. CharlesEnoch i, 5; xxxix. 12; also p. 356 Drad loc.; doubtful is the connex. with Ph. Zophesemim (Euseb.Praep. Evang. 10), i.e. צפי שמים watchers of heaven, as keeping watch over or spying out (ZimKAT3. 629 JeremAT im Licht d. AO 63).