Lexical Summary
chakkim: Wise, skillful
Original Word:חַכִּים
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:chakkiym
Pronunciation:khak-keem'
Phonetic Spelling:(khak-keem')
KJV: wise
NASB:wise men
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) from a root corresponding toH2449 (חָכַם - wise)]
1. wise, i.e. a Magian
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wise
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding tochakam; wise, i.e. A Magian -- wise.
see HEBREWchakam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to
chakamDefinitiona wise man
NASB Translationwise men (14).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[]
14 (see Biblical Hebrew ); — plural absolute
Daniel 2:21; elsewhere of the class possessed of occult learning in Babylonian V:27, emphatic -
Daniel 2:13;
Daniel 5:15; construct -
Daniel 2:12.
Daniel 12:14 7t. Daniel.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and ScopeThe term designates the court “wise men” of Babylon who were consulted for dream interpretation, omens, and public policy. The word appears only in the Aramaic sections of Daniel and never outside that book, underscoring its tight association with the Babylonian and Medo-Persian courts.
Cultural Setting in Babylon
Babylonian advisers combined astronomy, divination, incantations, and statecraft. Their learning represented the summit of human scholarship in the ancient Near East, yet their knowledge rested on pagan revelation. The repeated failure of these specialists in Daniel highlights the limits of human intellect severed from the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).
Narrative Distribution in Daniel
1. Crisis over Nebuchadnezzar’s forgotten dream (Daniel 2:12-27) – the “wise men” face execution when they cannot recall or interpret the dream.
2. Exaltation of Daniel (Daniel 2:48) – the prophet is appointed “chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon,” illustrating the supremacy of God-given wisdom.
3. Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (Daniel 4:6, 18) – court sages again prove inadequate until Daniel speaks.
4. Belshazzar’s handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5:7-15) – the third and final exposure of their incompetence before the Most High.
Divine Wisdom Versus Human Expertise
Daniel 2:21 declares, “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” The verse reorients the narrative: whatever insight the Babylonian guild possessed had always been on loan from the true God and could be withdrawn at His will.Daniel 2:27 drives the point home: “No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about.” True revelation is sourced in heaven, not in libraries, omens, or secret arts.
Theological Implications
1. God’s sovereignty over rulers and scholars alike is absolute.
2. Authentic wisdom is inseparable from righteousness. Daniel’s moral integrity (“prudence and discretion,”Daniel 2:14) accompanies his revelatory gift.
3. Revelation is progressive: the Lord uses Daniel to unveil the succession of world empires, a foundation for later prophetic expectation.
Prophetic and Messianic Echoes
Daniel’s ascendancy over the wise men prefigures the Messiah, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Just as Daniel is promoted after revealing the king’s mystery, Jesus is exalted after disclosing the mystery of the kingdom. The weakness of Babylon’s sages anticipates the triumph of Christ over “the wisdom of this world” (1 Corinthians 1:20-24).
Practical Ministry Lessons
• Dependence on God in crisis: Daniel seeks corporate prayer (Daniel 2:18), reminding believers to engage the faith community when confronted by the world’s impossible demands.
• Engagement without compromise: Daniel works within a pagan institution yet remains untainted, a model for Christians serving in secular environments.
• Apologetic confidence: repeated impotence of the wise men encourages believers to trust Scripture’s sufficiency when secular philosophies falter.
Historical Significance for Israel in Exile
For deported Jews, Daniel’s victories over Babylonian wisdom signaled that covenant faith remained effective far from Jerusalem. The faithful could flourish, influence policy, and bear witness even under foreign domination.
Summary
The occurrences of חַכִּים spotlight an intellectual elite repeatedly eclipsed by a godly exile empowered by divine revelation. The pattern reinforces the biblical conviction that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10) and anticipates the ultimate revelation of wisdom in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
וְחַכִּֽימַיָּ֖א וחכימיא חַכִּֽימַיָּא֙ חַכִּימִ֣ין חַכִּימֵ֣י חַכִּימֵ֥י חכימי חכימיא חכימין לְחַכִּימִ֔ין לְחַכִּימֵ֖י לְחַכִּימֵ֣י לְחַכִּימֵ֤י לחכימי לחכימין chakkimaiYa chakkiMei chakkiMin ḥak·kî·may·yā ḥak·kî·mê ḥak·kî·mîn ḥakkîmayyā ḥakkîmê ḥakkîmîn lə·ḥak·kî·mê lə·ḥak·kî·mîn lechakkiMei lechakkiMin ləḥakkîmê ləḥakkîmîn vechakkimaiYa wə·ḥak·kî·may·yā wəḥakkîmayyā
Links
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