Lexical Summary
gob: Pit, Cistern
Original Word:גֹּבּ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:gob
Pronunciation:gob
Phonetic Spelling:(gobe)
KJV: den
NASB:den
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) from a root corresponding toH1461 (גּוּב - Pit)]
1. a pit (for wild animals) (as cut out)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
den
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding toguwb; a pit (for wild animals) (as cut out) -- den.
see HEBREWguwb
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
gebDefinitiona pit, den
NASB Translationden (10).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] ( , Syriac
pit;? compare Biblical Hebrew proper name, of a location, √ ); — construct
Daniel 6:8;
Daniel 6:25;
Daniel 6:13; emphatic
Daniel 6:17;
Daniel 6:18;
Daniel 6:20;
Daniel 6:21;
Daniel 6:24;
Daniel 6:24;
Daniel 6:25.
Topical Lexicon
Term OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 1358 denotes a “den” or “pit,” employed exclusively inDaniel 6 to describe the lions’ den into which Daniel is cast. The word is never used figuratively in Scripture; every occurrence anchors the reader in a concrete setting of imminent death from which God dramatically delivers His servant.
Occurrences and Narrative Context
1.Daniel 6:7 – The satraps’ proposal: “whoever petitions any god or man except you, O king, for thirty days will be thrown into the den of lions.”
2.Daniel 6:12 – The plotters press the decree’s enforcement.
3.Daniel 6:16 – The king obeys the irrevocable law: “Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!’”.
4.Daniel 6:17 – A stone is set and sealed: earthly authority attempts to close Daniel’s fate.
5.Daniel 6:19–20 – At dawn Darius rushes to the den and cries out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God… been able to rescue you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20).
6.Daniel 6:23 – Daniel is lifted out, “no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”
7.Daniel 6:24 – The conspirators and their families are thrown in; “before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”
Historical Background
Medo-Persian monarchs practiced keeping lions in captivity both as a display of royal power and as a means of execution. Archaeological findings from Persian sites verify lion imagery in palatial reliefs and hunting depictions. The unchangeable “law of the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 6:8) reflects the period’s legal rigidity, heightening the narrative tension: only divine intervention can override imperial decree.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Sovereignty versus Human Decree: The sealed den pits an immutable royal edict against the higher authority of Israel’s God.
2. Faithful Witness in Exile: Daniel’s unwavering prayer life (Daniel 6:10) shows covenant loyalty amid political pressure.
3. Angelic Deliverance: “My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22). The event parallelsPsalm 34:7, testifying to consistent divine protection.
4. Retributive Justice: Those who devised the trap suffer the fate they intended for the righteous (cf.Proverbs 26:27).
Typological and Prophetic Significance
The sealed stone, royal guards, and morning discovery prefigure the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Both narratives feature:
• an innocent sufferer condemned by jealous leaders,
• a sealed enclosure guarded by official authority,
• divine vindication manifested at dawn,
• resulting proclamation of God’s supremacy (Daniel 6:26–27;Matthew 28:18).
Thus the den becomes an anticipatory shadow of the empty tomb, affirming Scripture’s unified redemptive storyline.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Prayer as Primary Loyalty: Daniel’s routine of praying “three times a day” (Daniel 6:10) encourages believers to prioritize communion with God over cultural pressures.
• Civil Obedience with Moral Integrity: Daniel serves the empire faithfully until obedience conflicts with worship; at that point he peacefully accepts consequences, modelingActs 5:29.
• Confidence in Crisis: Pastors and counselors draw onDaniel 6 to shepherd congregations facing hostility, reminding them that deliverance—whether temporal or eternal—rests with God.
Related Biblical Imagery
• Pits as Death Traps: Joseph’s cistern (Genesis 37:24) and Jeremiah’s dungeon (Jeremiah 38:6) echo the peril of a “pit” yet anticipate deliverance.
• Lions as Agents of Judgment and Testing: Samson (Judges 14), David (1 Samuel 17:34–37), and the Psalmist’s metaphorical lions (Psalm 22:13) together portray God’s mastery over ferocious powers.
• Stones and Seals: The den’s stone aligns withJoshua 10:18’s cave andMatthew 27:66’s tomb, underlining the futility of human attempts to confine God’s purposes.
Conclusion
The tenfold use of גֹּבּ inDaniel 6 frames a singular narrative that magnifies God’s faithfulness to His covenant people, affirms His dominion over pagan kingdoms, and foreshadows the climactic victory achieved in Christ. In personal devotion, pastoral care, and proclamation, the lions’ den continues to call believers to steadfast trust, confident that no decree or danger can sever them from the delivering power of the living God.
Forms and Transliterations
גֻּבָּ֑א גֻּבָּ֗א גבא וּלְגֹ֤ב ולגב לְג֖וֹב לְגֹ֖ב לְגֻבָּ֔א לְגֻבָּ֖א לְגֻבָּ֥א לגב לגבא לגוב gub·bā gubBa gubbā lə·ḡō·wḇ lə·ḡōḇ lə·ḡub·bā leGo ləḡōḇ leGov ləḡōwḇ legubBa ləḡubbā ū·lə·ḡōḇ uleGo ūləḡōḇ
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