Lexical Summary nishmah: Breath, spirit Original Word: נִשְׁמָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance breath (Aramaic) corresponding to nshamah; vital breath -- breath. see HEBREW nshamah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to neshamah Definition breath NASB Translation life-breath (1). Topical Lexicon Term and Context נִשְׁמָא (nishma) appears once in the Old Testament, in Daniel 5:23. Spoken by Daniel to Belshazzar, the term identifies the “breath” that God holds in His hand. The Aramaic setting and the crisis of Babylonian judgment combine to make this single occurrence a theological hinge: human life is portrayed as utterly contingent upon the sovereign God. Biblical Usage Daniel 5:23: “But you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven… yet you have not glorified the God who holds in His hand your breath and all your ways.” Here breath is not a mere physiological reality; it is the evidence of divine ownership over human existence. By ignoring the One who sustains his life, Belshazzar demonstrates the folly of self-exaltation. Relation to Other Hebrew Concepts of Breath While נִשְׁמָא occurs only in Daniel 5:23, it resonates with נְשָׁמָה (neshamah) and רוּחַ (ruach). Together these passages reveal that breath is a divine gift, connecting creature to Creator, body to spirit, and time to eternity. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: Life persists only at God’s pleasure. Daniel’s indictment of Belshazzar demonstrates that earthly power is subordinate to the One who sustains breath. Historical Setting of Daniel 5 Belshazzar’s feast occurred on the eve of Babylon’s fall to the Medo-Persian Empire. Surrounded by idolatry, arrogance, and imminent judgment, Daniel’s reference to נִשְׁמָא sounded a prophetic alarm: the king’s breath—and empire—were moments from termination. The writing on the wall (“MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN”) underscored the lesson: weigh a kingdom on divine scales and it is found wanting when it forgets the God of life. Practical Ministry Applications • Humility: Leaders and congregants alike must recognize that authority and ability are on loan from God (James 4:13-15). Christological and Eschatological Echoes Jesus Christ embodies the principle of divine breath: He is the Creator through whom life came (John 1:3) and the Redeemer who “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22). Pentecost fulfills the promise of new breath—empowered life for mission (Acts 2:1-4). Ultimately, Revelation 11:11 anticipates the final victory when “the breath of life from God entered” the witnesses, foreshadowing universal resurrection. Summary נִשְׁמָא anchors a sweeping biblical motif: God alone imparts and sustains breath. Daniel’s single use of the word confronts human pride, reinforces divine sovereignty, and summons every generation to reverent dependence on the Giver of life. Forms and Transliterations נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ נשמתך niš·mə·ṯāḵ nishmeTach nišməṯāḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 5:23 HEB: וְלֵֽאלָהָ֞א דִּֽי־ נִשְׁמְתָ֥ךְ בִּידֵ֛הּ וְכָל־ NAS: hand are your life-breath and your ways, KJV: in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all INT: the God which are your life-breath hand and whose all 1 Occurrence |
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