Lexical Summary benas: To flee, to escape Original Word: בְּנַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be angry (Aramaic) of uncertain affinity; to be enraged -- be angry. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) a prim. root Definition to be angry NASB Translation became indignant (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּנַס verb be angry (ᵑ7J id.; Samaritan  ); — Pe`al Perfect3masculine singular וּקצַך שַׂגִּיא ׳ב Daniel 2:12. Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting בְּנַס appears once in Scripture, in Daniel 2:12, where it conveys the sudden eruption of Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath when the Babylonian magi confess their inability to recount and interpret his forgotten dream. The Berean Standard Bible renders the scene: “This made the king so furious and angry that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.” The term therefore stands at a narrative pivot—moving the plot from court intrigue to a life-or-death crisis that will showcase divine sovereignty through Daniel’s God-given revelation. Context in Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s anger is not a passing irritation; it is the combustible fuse that threatens to extinguish the entire class of wise men. In the wider flow of Daniel, this royal fury contrasts sharply with the calm assurance God grants His servant (Daniel 2:14–19). The contrast magnifies both the impotence of human wisdom under duress and the sufficiency of divine wisdom granted in answer to prayer. Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern monarchs possessed absolute authority over life and death within their realms. Babylonian inscriptions show that offenders could be executed on mere whim. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar’s rage is historically believable; yet Scripture records it chiefly to exalt the God who alone can “reveal deep and hidden things” (Daniel 2:22). The single use of בְּנַס thus encapsulates the volatile climate of the imperial court and underscores the peril from which the Lord delivers His people. Theological Insights 1. Human wrath exposes human limitation. Nebuchadnezzar’s anger flows from anxiety born of ignorance; knowledge belongs to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29; James 1:5). Ministry Applications • Pastoral counsel: uncontrolled anger often masks fear. Address the underlying insecurity by directing hearts to the God who “gives wisdom to the wise” (Daniel 2:21). Related Scripture Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 16:32; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Jonah 4:1–4; Ephesians 4:26–27; James 1:19–20. Each passage warns against rash anger and commends patience, the very virtue conspicuously absent in the Babylonian king but exemplified by Daniel. Christological Foreshadowing Nebuchadnezzar’s lethal decree intensifies the need for a mediator. Daniel, standing between the king’s wrath and the condemned, prefigures the greater Mediator who, centuries later, would stand between sinners and the just wrath of God (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25). Practical Reflection for Believers בְּנַס reminds disciples that the furnace of human anger cannot thwart God’s purposes. Whether confronted by an irate employer, a hostile government, or personal conflict, the faithful are called to respond with prayer-saturated wisdom, confident that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Conclusion Though בְּנַס surfaces only once, its narrative impact resounds across the canon: God turns raging fury into redemptive opportunity, revealing that kingdoms rise and fall at His word, and that those who seek Him in crisis will find Him faithful. Forms and Transliterations בְּנַ֖ס בנס bə·nas beNas bənasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:12 HEB: דְּנָ֔ה מַלְכָּ֕א בְּנַ֖ס וּקְצַ֣ף שַׂגִּ֑יא NAS: the king became indignant and very KJV: the king was angry and very INT: of this the king became furious and very |
    |