אַרְיֵה

Daniel 6:7 אַרְיָוָתָֽא׃ lions the

All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.

Here: 'Of the lions': the definite form, the known royal lions. Kings of the region kept lions in captivity, which fits a royal court.

Daniel 6:12 אַרְיָותָ֑א lions the

So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”

Daniel 6:16 אַרְיָוָתָ֑א lions the

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

Here: 'The lions', plural, with the Aramaic ending for 'the'. These are real, kept animals. In ancient Near Eastern royal imagery lions also stood for the king's own power.

Daniel 6:19 אַרְיָוָתָ֖א lions the

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.

Daniel 6:20 אַרְיָוָתָֽא׃ lions the

When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

Here: 'The lions' (plural, with 'the'). These are the particular lions in this pit. A lion was the classic picture of deadly danger, and in 7:4 a lion stands for Babylon itself.

Daniel 6:22 אַרְיָוָתָ֖א lions the

My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”

Here: 'The lions.' The specific lions of the royal den (gubbā') named all through the chapter. This is a definite group of animals, not 'lions' in general.

Daniel 6:24 אַרְיָוָתָא֙ אַרְיָ֣וָתָ֔א lions the

At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Here: Plural with the definite article: the particular lions kept by the king, already named throughout the chapter.

Daniel 6:27 אַרְיָוָתָֽא׃ lions the

He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Here: 'The lions': the specific beasts in the pit (6:16, 24). The plural ending looks feminine, but that is a normal Aramaic plural for this noun and does not mean 'lionesses'.

Daniel 7:4 כְאַרְיֵ֔ה [was] like a lion

The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man and given the mind of a man.

Here: "Like a lion." The prefix kĕ- ("like") marks this as vision language: Daniel sees something that resembles a lion, not an ordinary animal. The lion was king of the beasts and a stock prophetic image for Babylon.