Lexical Summary
shegal: wives
Original Word:שֵׁגָל
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:shegal
Pronunciation:shay-gal'
Phonetic Spelling:(shay-gawl')
KJV: wife
NASB:wives
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH7694 (שֵׁגָל - queen)]
1. a (legitimate) queen
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wife
(Aramaic) corresponding toshegal; a (legitimate) queen -- wife.
see HEBREWshegal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
shegalDefinition(royal) consort
NASB Translationwives (3).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scopeשֵׁגָל (shegal) designates the royal wife who shares the throne with a reigning monarch. Unlike a harem concubine, the shegal bears official standing, appearing publicly beside the king and sharing in his honors. In Daniel the word is embedded in an Aramaic narrative, yet it preserves the same meaning found elsewhere in Hebrew poetry.
Occurrences in Scripture
Daniel 5:2,Daniel 5:3,Daniel 5:23 record Belshazzar’s profane banquet in which “the king and his nobles, his wives and concubines drank from them” (Daniel 5:3). The plural form indicates that several shegal-status wives were present. Their inclusion in the revelry underscores the depth of irreverence: even those who personified royal dignity joined in desecrating vessels consecrated to the Lord.
Historical Background
Neo-Babylonian custom normally segregated royal women from male banquets, reserving the public stage for high-ranking men. Herodotus notes that Persian queens dined separately, entering later only for ceremonial greetings.Daniel 5’s scene therefore highlights extraordinary moral and political decline. Bringing the shegalim into a drunken feast marked Belshazzar’s disregard for propriety and foreshadowed the kingdom’s imminent fall.
Theological and Symbolic Significance
1. Covenant desecration. Holy vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple symbolized Yahweh’s covenant presence. When the shegalim raised those cups to toast lifeless idols (Daniel 5:23), they joined the king in declaring false gods superior to the Holy One of Israel.
2. Failed stewardship. Royal spouses shared the king’s glory; consequently they also shared accountability. The handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5:25-28) announced judgment on an entire court that had abused sacred trust.
3. Contrast with the true Bride. Scripture later reveals the Church as the pure bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27). Shegalim who celebrate blasphemy provide an antithetical picture, warning against spiritual adultery (James 4:4).
Application for Ministry
• Leadership responsibility. Those closest to power can either magnify godliness or amplify sin. Counsel to modern leaders must stress vigilance over both personal conduct and household influence (1 Timothy 3:4-5).
• Sanctity of worship. The misuse of consecrated objects by the shegalim cautions congregations against casual treatment of ordinances, offerings, and gatherings devoted to God (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).
• Discipleship of women. Recognizing the public impact of royal wives encourages intentional discipleship for women in visible roles so that, like Esther rather than Belshazzar’s queens, they may advance God’s purposes.
Related Concepts and Further Study
Queen (גְּבִירָה, gebirah) –1 Kings 15:13
Royal bride imagery –Psalm 45:9;Revelation 19:7
Divine judgment on pride –Proverbs 16:18;Acts 12:21-23
Forms and Transliterations
שֵֽׁגְלָתָ֣ךְ שֵׁגְלָתֵ֖הּ שגלתה שגלתך šê·ḡə·lā·ṯāḵ šê·ḡə·lā·ṯêh šêḡəlāṯāḵ šêḡəlāṯêh shegelaTach shegelaTeh
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