Lexical Summary
manda: Knowledge, understanding
Original Word:מַנְדַּע
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:manda`
Pronunciation:man-dah'
Phonetic Spelling:(man-dah')
KJV: knowledge, reason, understanding
NASB:knowledge, reason
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH4093 (מַדָּע מַדַּע - knowledge)]
1. wisdom or intelligence
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
knowledge, reason, understanding
(Aramaic) corresponding tomadda'; wisdom or intelligence -- knowledge, reason, understanding.
see HEBREWmadda'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
maddaDefinitionknowledge, the power of knowing
NASB Translationknowledge (2), reason (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
Jid.; Syriac
,
; Biblical Hebrew (late); compare 'Mandâ' = , Nö
M xx); — absolute
Daniel 5:12; emphatic -
Daniel 2:21; suffix -
Daniel 4:31;
Daniel 4:33.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and scopeThe word denotes the capacity to perceive, discern, and understand—knowledge that is both intellectual and spiritual. In Daniel, it functions as a key term for grasping revelatory truth, whether bestowed by God upon His servant or acclaimed by Gentile rulers who recognize divine wisdom.
Canonical context in Daniel
1.Daniel 2:21 presents God as the One who “gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning,” underscoring that true understanding originates with Him and is sovereignly distributed.
2.Daniel 4:34 records Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony after his humbling: “my reason returned to me,” signaling a restoration of right knowledge that leads to praise.
3.Daniel 4:36 again links the return of the king’s “reason” (knowledge) with the restoration of his throne, portraying right knowledge as essential to exercising righteous rule.
4.Daniel 5:12 lists Daniel’s “knowledge, insight, and ability to interpret dreams” among qualities that set him apart in Belshazzar’s court.
Across these scenes, knowledge serves as the hinge between revelation and response: receiving God-given understanding produces humility, worship, and faithful service; rejecting or misusing it invites judgment.
Theological themes
• Divine omniscience: The term highlights God’s exhaustive understanding of times, seasons, and human kingdoms (Daniel 2:21).
• Human finitude: Nebuchadnezzar’s loss and recovery of knowledge illustrate that even kings stand dependent on God for sanity and perception (Daniel 4:34-36).
• Revelation and stewardship: Daniel models how received knowledge must be stewarded for the good of others and the glory of God (Daniel 5:12; compare1 Peter 4:10).
• Judgment and grace: God’s willingness to restore knowledge after repentance (Daniel 4) emphasizes both His justice and mercy.
Historical background
The term appears in the Aramaic chapters (Daniel 2–7), a court narrative set amid Babylonian and Medo-Persian dominance. In that pluralistic milieu, God reveals superior knowledge through Daniel, demonstrating His supremacy over pagan diviners and affirming to exiled Judah that their covenant Lord remains in control of world affairs.
Ministry implications
• Teaching and discipleship: Sound doctrine begins with God’s self-disclosure; teachers should echo Daniel’s humility, crediting God as the ultimate source of insight (James 1:5).
• Leadership: Nebuchadnezzar’s account warns leaders that competence and authority rest on God-given understanding; pride corrodes perception, while repentance restores it.
• Pastoral care: Restoring minds captive to falsehood echoes God’s act of returning “reason” to the king; prayer and Scripture are instruments for such renewal (Romans 12:2).
• Apologetics: Daniel’s calm confidence before powerful skeptics encourages believers to present truth persuasively yet dependently, trusting the Lord to impart knowledge to hearers (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Related biblical concepts
Knowledge intertwines with wisdom (hokmah) and understanding (biynah).Proverbs 1:7 begins with the fear of the Lord as its foundation, whileHosea 4:6 laments the destruction that comes from lack of knowledge. In the New Testament, Paul prays that believers may be “filled with the knowledge of His will” (Colossians 1:9), echoing Daniel’s experience of Spirit-given discernment within a hostile culture.
Christological perspective
Jesus Christ embodies perfect knowledge (John 2:24-25) and, like Daniel, reveals mysteries of the kingdom (Matthew 13:11). His supremacy over earthly powers mirrors Daniel’s God-given insight before Babylonian kings, assuring the church that ultimate authority belongs to the Son who “knows all things” (John 21:17).
Application for believers today
Seekers of knowledge must root their pursuit in reverence for God, submit intellect to Scripture, and rely on the Holy Spirit for illumination. As Daniel’s faithful witness transformed empires, so contemporary Christians, armed with divinely granted understanding, can engage cultures, shape policies, and serve communities in ways that exalt the God who “gives knowledge to the discerning.”
Forms and Transliterations
וּמַנְדְּעִי֙ וּמַנְדְּעָ֖א וּמַנְדַּ֡ע ומנדע ומנדעא ומנדעי מַנְדְּעִ֣י ׀ מנדעי man·də·‘î mandə‘î mandeI ū·man·da‘ ū·man·də·‘ā ū·man·də·‘î umanDa ūmanda‘ ūmandə‘ā ūmandə‘î umandeA umandeI
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