6655. tsad
Lexical Summary
tsad: Side, alongside, beside

Original Word: צַד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsad
Pronunciation: tsad
Phonetic Spelling: (tsad)
KJV: against, concerning
NASB: against, regard
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6654 (צַּד - side)]

1. used adverbially (with preposition) at or upon the side of

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
against, concerning

(Aramaic) corresponding to tsad; used adverbially (with preposition) at or upon the side of -- against, concerning.

see HEBREW tsad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tsad
Definition
side
NASB Translation
against (1), regard (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
צַד noun [masculine] side (very rare in Aramaic; perhaps Hebrew, see Biblical Hebrew id., √ צדד); — construct, with preposition: ׳לְצ עליא Daniel 7:25, i.e. against; מַלְכוּתָא ׳מִצּ Daniel 6:5, i.e. arising from, touching.

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Scope and Nuances

צַד (ṣad) functions within Biblical Aramaic as a relational noun that denotes “side,” “part,” or “direction,” and by extension “in regard to,” “concerning,” or “against.” The word thus highlights a spatial or legal juxtaposition—placing one party in relation to, or in opposition to, another.

Occurrences

1. Daniel 6:4 – bureaucratic rivals look “in regard to (צַד) the kingdom” to discover grounds for accusation against Daniel.
2. Daniel 7:25 – the blasphemous king speaks “words against (צַד) the Most High,” revealing direct hostility toward divine authority.

Literary and Historical Setting

Both occurrences appear in the Aramaic sections of Daniel, a book set during the Exile when God’s people faced foreign domination. The term’s legal-political flavor suits a court narrative in which faithfulness to the LORD is weighed alongside imperial law. In Daniel 6, administrators weaponize bureaucracy against a righteous servant; in Daniel 7, an eschatological tyrant directs his propaganda against God Himself. Thus צַד bridges immediate historical opposition and the ultimate cosmic conflict between human kingdoms and the Kingdom of God.

Theological Threads

Opposition to God’s servants (Daniel 6) and to God Himself (Daniel 7) are portrayed as of one piece. Daniel’s innocence foreshadows the blameless integrity required of believers (Philippians 2:15), while the little horn’s boastful words anticipate the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). The motif of “side/against” therefore traces a line from temporal hostility to final eschatological rebellion.

Ministry Implications

• Integrity under scrutiny: “They could find no ground for accusation or evidence of corruption” (Daniel 6:4) encourages leaders to cultivate transparent righteousness so that any opposition lacks legitimate footing.
• Spiritual vigilance: The saints are warned that political power can align “against the Most High” (Daniel 7:25), calling for discernment regarding ideologies and laws that contradict God’s standards.
• Perseverance: Even when “the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25) divine sovereignty limits oppression; endurance is therefore grounded in God’s predetermined times and seasons.

Intercanonical Resonance

The accusatory connotation of צַד in Daniel 6 converges with New Testament depictions of Satan as “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10). Likewise, the directional nuance of being “against the Most High” mirrors Jesus’ warning that “whoever is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). Across both Testaments, alignment with or against the LORD defines destiny.

Pastoral Application

• Equip believers to expect and wisely navigate unjust opposition.
• Counsel them that integrity is both defense and testimony.
• Anchor eschatological teaching in God’s ultimate vindication of His saints, reassuring the flock that any hostility “from the other side” is temporary and divinely bounded.

Related Terms

Contrasted with עַל (“upon/against”) and קֳבֵל (“before/opposite”), צַד specifically accents proximity and relational stance, sharpening the focus on legal or ideological confrontation rather than mere physical position.

Summary

צַד subtly yet powerfully frames the tension between faithfulness and hostility, whether in Daniel’s Persian court or in the final conflicts of redemptive history. Its two appearances remind readers that every human endeavor, policy, and proclamation ultimately stands either at God’s side or against Him, and that the outcome is governed by the unassailable sovereignty of the Most High.

Forms and Transliterations
לְצַ֤ד לצד מִצַּ֣ד מצד lə·ṣaḏ ləṣaḏ leTzad miṣ·ṣaḏ miṣṣaḏ mitzTzad
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Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 6:4
HEB: לְהַשְׁכָּחָ֥ה לְדָנִיֵּ֖אל מִצַּ֣ד מַלְכוּתָ֑א וְכָל־
NAS: against Daniel in regard to government affairs;
KJV: against Daniel concerning the kingdom;
INT: to find Daniel regard to government but

Daniel 7:25
HEB: וּמִלִּ֗ין לְצַ֤ד [עִלָּיָא כ]
NAS: He will speak out against the Most High
KJV: [great] words against the most High,
INT: words against high will speak

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6655
2 Occurrences


lə·ṣaḏ — 1 Occ.
miṣ·ṣaḏ — 1 Occ.

6654
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