318. ochoreyn
Lexical Summary
ochoreyn: other, another, following

Original Word: אָחֲרֵין
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: ochoreyn
Pronunciation: o-kho-reyn'
Phonetic Spelling: (okh-or-ane')
KJV: at last
Word Origin: [from H31 (אֲבִיהוּד - Abihud)7]

1. last

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
at last

(Aramaic) or (shortened):ochoren (Aramaic) {okh-or-ane'}; from 'ochoriy; last -- at last.

see HEBREW 'ochoriy

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אחרין Daniel 4:5 Kt, וְעַד אחרין עַל קֳדָ מַי דָּנִיֵּאל; very dubious (see Commentaries); usually and unto the last (= at last) came in, etc.; but word in this sense unknown: Qr אָחֳרָן; read perhaps (Bev) וְעֹד אָחֳרָן (or ? Kt אַחֲרִין; compare) and yet another came in before me.



Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence and Immediate Context

The only appearance of אָחֲרֵין is found in Daniel 4:8, within Nebuchadnezzar’s first-person account of his second troubling dream. The term is translated in the Berean Standard Bible as “other,” describing the magicians who had already failed before Daniel arrived: “At last, Daniel came into my presence …” (Daniel 4:8). By using a separate word for the “other” counselors, the narrative isolates Daniel as qualitatively different from the rest of the royal experts.

Literary and Theological Significance in Daniel 4

1. Contrast of Sources of Wisdom
• The “others” represent Babylon’s celebrated learning; Daniel embodies revelation from “the Most High God” (Daniel 4:17).
• Their inability to interpret the dream heightens the divine origin of Daniel’s insight and underscores that “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Daniel 2:21).

2. Preparation for Humbling the King
• Nebuchadnezzar’s consultation of the “others” shows his habitual dependence on human counsel. Their failure sets the stage for Daniel to announce a humiliating verdict that will exalt God’s sovereignty: “the living may know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17).
• The term therefore serves as a narrative hinge between human impotence and divine intervention.

3. Echoes of Earlier Biblical Patterns
• Joseph (Genesis 41:8-16) also rises after Pharaoh’s “other” magicians fail. Both episodes reveal a consistent biblical theme: God elevates faithful servants in foreign courts to display His supremacy.
• The prophets frequently taunt “other” gods or counselors who cannot foretell events (Isaiah 41:21-24). Daniel 4 continues this prophetic polemic within an imperial setting.

Historical Background

Babylonian kings maintained guilds of magicians (ḥarṭummîm), enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. These specialists relied on omen literature, astrology, and dream manuals. Daniel, though trained in the court curriculum (Daniel 1:4), distinguished himself by trusting the God of Israel. The Aramaic term אָחֲרֵין would have sounded natural in court Aramaic, yet its placement in Scripture marks a decisive theological point: worldly expertise stops where God’s revelation begins.

Canonical Connections

• Human Counsel versus Divine Revelation – Psalm 33:10-11; Isaiah 55:8-9.
• God Exalting the Faithful in Pagan Courts – Genesis 41:14-16; Esther 8:1-2.
• Divine Sovereignty over Kings – Psalm 75:6-7; Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 2:44.

Ministry Implications

1. Reliance on God’s Wisdom

Pastoral leadership and personal decision-making must resist the pull to mirror Nebuchadnezzar’s first instinct—turning to “other” sources—before seeking God. James 1:5 assures believers that He “gives generously to all without finding fault.”

2. Distinctive Witness in Secular Culture

Like Daniel, Christians serve within societies shaped by alternative worldviews. The solitary occurrence of אָחֲרֵין invites believers to stand apart from prevailing wisdom, offering Spirit-empowered insight that testifies to Christ (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

3. Encouragement for Exiles and Minorities

Daniel’s solitary faithfulness in a foreign court models obedience for modern communities feeling marginalized. God’s vindication of Daniel encourages perseverance, echoing 1 Peter 2:12.

Christological Perspective

Daniel’s role prefigures the ultimate Revealer, Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Just as the king’s “other” counselors could offer no life-giving interpretation, so the world’s philosophies prove empty beside the gospel’s revelation.

Summary

Though אָחֲרֵין appears only once, its strategic placement crystallizes a major biblical motif: the impotence of human wisdom and the triumph of divine revelation through a faithful servant. In preaching, teaching, and personal devotion, the term reminds believers to look beyond “others” and rest in the unrivaled wisdom of the living God.

Forms and Transliterations
אָחֳרֵ֡ין אחרין ’ā·ḥo·rên ’āḥorên ochoRein
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 4:8
HEB: וְעַ֣ד אָחֳרֵ֡ין עַל֩ קָֽדָמַ֨י
NAS: But finally Daniel came
KJV: thereof.But at the last Daniel came in
INT: at finally came before

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 318
1 Occurrence


’ā·ḥo·rên — 1 Occ.

317
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