H8122 H8122
sun; the celestial luminary that marks time and seasons in the created order
This Aramaic noun refers to the sun, appearing in Daniel 6:14 in a temporal expression marking the time of day. While Hebrew uses שֶׁמֶשׁ for the sun, this Aramaic form שִׁמְשָׁא appears in the emphatic state (equivalent to the definite article). The sun functions both as a timekeeper and as a created element within God's ordered cosmos, never as an object of worship in biblical theology despite its prominence in surrounding ancient Near Eastern religions.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The celestial body that provides light and marks time. In Daniel 6:14 (English 6:15), the emphatic form שִׁמְשָׁא (shimsha) appears in the phrase 'at the going down of the sun,' indicating the evening hour when King Darius reluctantly approached the lions' den. English, Spanish, and French all use their standard words for 'sun' ('the-sun,' 'el-sol,' 'soleil'), while German retains the bracketed Aramaic form. The sun here functions as a temporal marker rather than having symbolic significance, though the timing underscores the king's urgency and distress. 1×
AR["الشَّمْسِ"]·ben["সূর্যের"]·DE["[שמשא]"]·EN["the-sun"]·FR["soleil"]·heb["ה-שמש"]·HI["सूर्यास्त-के"]·ID["-matahari"]·IT["[שמשא]"]·jav["srengenge"]·KO["지는"]·PT["sol"]·RU["солнца"]·ES["el-sol"]·SW["jua"]·TR["güneşin"]·urd["آفتاب-کے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [שְׁמַשׁ] n.[m. so DWB] sun;—emph. שִׁמְשָׁא Dn 6:15.