Aramaic word · H7476

רַעְיוֹן

vera'yonohi

thought

Thought or musing, often a troubled, churning thought. In the Aramaic of Daniel: 2:29, 30 ('thoughts of your heart'); 4:19 ('his thoughts alarmed him'); 5:6, 10 (Belshazzar's thoughts terrify him); 7:28 (Daniel's thoughts alarm him).

A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

thought

Aramaic of ra.yon (רַעְיוֹן "striving" H7475)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Daniel 2:29

Range of meaning

Thought or musing, often a troubled, churning thought. In the Aramaic of Daniel: 2:29, 30 ('thoughts of your heart'); 4:19 ('his thoughts alarmed him'); 5:6, 10 (Belshazzar's thoughts terrify him); 7:28 (Daniel's thoughts alarm him).

Against the English

'Thoughts' is accurate. BSB's 'your thoughts turned to' and NIV's 'your mind turned to' make it sound like calm reflection. In Daniel's usage the word tends toward unsettled preoccupation, which fits 2:1: 'his spirit was troubled and sleep left him'.

Used elsewhere in the period

This Aramaic word is used only in Daniel within the Bible. A Hebrew word that looks the same appears in Ecclesiastes ('striving after wind', 1:17; 4:16), probably from a related root meaning 'to strive or desire'. Josephus retells this scene with the king 'anxious about who would rule the world after him' (Antiquities 10.10.4).

From the study of Daniel 2:30

Range of meaning

'Thought, musing, mental preoccupation'. In the Bible it occurs only in Daniel's Aramaic, and it is often troubled thought: 'his thoughts alarmed him' (5:6, 10), 'my thoughts greatly alarmed me' (7:28), and Nebuchadnezzar's dream-thoughts that frightened him (4:16 [4:19 Eng.]).

Against the English

'Thoughts' is accurate, but it can sound neutral. The word in Daniel usually means anxious, restless pondering.

Used elsewhere in the period

Daniel 2:29, 30; 4:16; 5:6, 10; 7:28. Compare Hebrew raʿyon in Ecclesiastes ('striving after wind', 1:17; 4:16), where it means preoccupation or pursuit.

From the study of Daniel 7:28

Range of meaning

Thought, the activity of the mind. In Daniel it is usually thoughts that come up in the night or after a revelation: musings, broodings, troubling mental images.

Against the English

KJV 'cogitations' (from the Vulgate's cogitationibus), most modern versions 'thoughts'. Both are fine. 'Thoughts' can sound calmer than the restless brooding meant.

Used elsewhere in the period

Only in Daniel's Aramaic: 2:29–30, the king's thoughts on his bed; 4:19, Daniel's alarming thoughts; 5:6, 10, Belshazzar's. Hebrew raʿyôn in Ecclesiastes ('striving/chasing', 1:17; 2:22) probably comes from a related root about mental reaching.

Where it appears

Daniel · 6

  1. Daniel 2:29 רַעְיוֹנָךְ֙ thought[s] your

    As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen.

    Here: 'Your thoughts'. The word is plural in form. Elsewhere in Daniel it is used for troubled, preoccupying thoughts (4:19; 5:6, 10; 7:28), which fits 2:1, where the king's 'spirit was troubled'.

  2. Daniel 2:30 וְרַעְיוֹנֵ֥י and [the] thoughts of

    And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

    Here: 'And the thoughts of'. In Daniel this word usually means anxious, troubling thoughts (5:6, 7:28). It points back to 2:29, the king lying in bed wondering what would come after him.

  3. Daniel 4:19 וְרַעְיֹנֹ֖הִי and thoughts his

    For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!

    Here: 'And his thoughts'. In Daniel this word is used for the thoughts that rush in after a vision or dream (2:29–30; 4:5; 5:6; 7:28). Here it is the meaning of the dream flooding Daniel's mind.

  4. Daniel 5:6 וְרַעיֹנֹ֖הִי and thoughts his

    his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.

    Here: 'And his thoughts.' His own mind, the inner thoughts and imaginings he has in reaction to the sign. In Daniel the word is used for the thoughts that come with troubling visions (2:29–30; 4:19; 7:28).

  5. Daniel 5:10 רַעְיוֹנָ֔ךְ thought[s] your

    Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.

    Here: 'Your thoughts'. In Daniel the word means the racing thoughts that come with a disturbing vision or sign (2:29–30; 4:19; 5:6; 7:28). The plural verb shows it is the subject: his own thoughts are what is frightening him.

  6. Daniel 7:28 רַעְיוֹנַ֣י thoughts my

    Thus ends the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. But I kept the matter to myself.”

    Here: 'My thoughts': the inner turning-over of what he had seen. The word belongs to Daniel's vocabulary of disturbed kings (2:29–30; 4:19; 5:6, 10).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.