Aramaic word · H8624

תַּקִּיף

vetakifa'

strong

Strong, mighty, powerful, forceful. In Daniel it is used of the iron fourth kingdom (2:40, 42) and the terrifying fourth beast (7:7). Its root t-q-p means to grow strong or become hard.

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

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

might, strong, mighty

Aramaic of taq.qiph (תַּקִּיף "mighty" H8623)

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 4:3

Range of meaning

Strong, mighty, powerful, forceful. In Daniel it is used of the iron fourth kingdom (2:40, 42) and the terrifying fourth beast (7:7). Its root t-q-p means to grow strong or become hard.

Against the English

"Mighty" is a fair rendering. What English cannot show is that this root is a key word that keeps coming back through the chapter.

Used elsewhere in the period

The root runs through Daniel 4: the tree "grew and became strong" (4:11, 20); "it is you, O king, who have grown great and strong" (4:22); "by the might [tǝqap̄] of my power" (4:30). It is used of God's mighty works only here.

From the study of Ezra 4:20

Range of meaning

Strong or mighty: physical, military or political force. Related words are the verb təqēf, "grow strong, become hard" (Dan 4:8, 17; 5:20), and the noun təqōf, "might" (Dan 2:37).

Against the English

"Mighty" (KJV, BSB, WEB, YLT, ESV), "powerful" (NIV, NLT). Accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Dan 2:40, 42 (the iron kingdom); 3:33 (Eng. 4:3, God's wonders); 7:7 (the fourth beast). Hebrew Eccl 6:10 ("one stronger than he").

Where it appears

Ezra · 1

  1. Ezra 4:20 תַּקִּיפִ֗ין strong

    And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.

    Here: Strong in the sense of power you can feel: military and political force. Daniel uses the same word for the iron fourth kingdom (Dan 2:40) and the terrifying fourth beast (Dan 7:7). The king is calling them formidable, not good.

Daniel · 4

  1. Daniel 2:40 תַקִּיפָ֖ה strong

    Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.

  2. Daniel 2:42 תַקִּיפָ֔ה strong

    And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.

  3. Daniel 4:3 תַקִּיפִ֑ין strong

    How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

    Here: "Mighty": forceful, overpowering. The same root (t-q-p) runs through the chapter for the tree that "grew strong" (4:11, 20), for the king's own growing strength (4:22) and for his boast "by the might of my power" (4:30). The king gives that word for strength to God before the story even begins.

  4. Daniel 7:7 וְתַקִּיפָ֜א and strong

    After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.

    Here: 'And strong'. The word is used of mighty kingdoms and kings (2:40, of the iron kingdom 'strong as iron'; 2:42; 3:33/4:3 of God's signs).

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