Lexical Summary
regal: feet
Original Word:רְגַל
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:rgal
Pronunciation:reh'-gel
Phonetic Spelling:(reg-al')
NASB:feet
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH7272 (רֶגֶל - feet)]
1. foot
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
foot
(Aramaic) corresponding toregel -- foot.
see HEBREWregel
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
regelDefinitionfoot
NASB Translationfeet (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (see Biblical Hebrew); —
dual absolute
Daniel 7:4; emphatic -
Daniel 2:41,42; suffix -
Daniel 2:33;
Daniel 2:34, Kt, Qr (K
§ 53, 2, Anm.b))
Daniel 7:7,19; —
feet; in vision, of image
Daniel 2:33,34,41,42, of beast
Daniel 7:4,7,19.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeרְגַל in the Aramaic sections of Daniel refers to the physical “foot” or “feet,” but in context it carries broader connotations of stability, dominion, and the point of contact between earthly kingdoms and the ground they occupy.
Occurrences in Daniel
1.Daniel 2:33 – “its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay.”
2.Daniel 2:34 – “a stone was cut out, but not by human hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.”
3.Daniel 2:41 – “as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom.”
4.Daniel 2:42 – “the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.”
5.Daniel 7:4 – “it was lifted up from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.”
6.Daniel 7:7 – “it devoured and crushed and trampled underfoot whatever was left.”
7.Daniel 7:19 – “devouring, crushing, and trampling underfoot with its feet whatever was left.”
Prophetic Imagery
Feet represent the final, vulnerable stage of successive world empires (Daniel 2). Iron mingled with clay pictures internal fragility; once those feet are struck, the whole statue collapses. InDaniel 7, feet symbolize the violent power of the beasts—imperial systems that “trample” the earth. Thus רְגַל highlights both the instability of human dominion and its capacity for oppression.
Historical Significance
Historically, the iron-and-clay feet have been linked to the later phases of the Roman Empire and its subsequent fragmented states. The mixed composition accurately foreshadows political entities that are partly strong yet inherently brittle, never achieving the cohesion of earlier empires. The trampling feet of the fourth beast likewise mirror Rome’s relentless expansion and persecution.
Theological Significance
The stone that shatters the feet (Daniel 2:34-35) anticipates the Messiah’s kingdom, “a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). By striking the feet, God exposes the foundation of human power as insufficient and proclaims the superior, eternal reign of Christ. The imagery inDaniel 7 parallelsPsalm 110:1 and1 Corinthians 15:25, where all enemies are placed “under His feet.” Thus רְגַל becomes a theological hinge between human instability and divine sovereignty.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Hope: Believers can live confidently, knowing all earthly powers have brittle feet before the stone that is Christ.
• Vigilance: The trampling imagery warns the church about oppressive regimes and calls for prayerful endurance.
• Holiness: Just as kingdoms crumble through internal weakness, so personal compromise endangers spiritual stability.
Christological Implications
Christ is the stone “cut out without hands,” the ultimate answer to the fragile feet of worldly rule. His exaltation places all things beneath His feet (Hebrews 2:8), reversing the destructive trampling ofDaniel 7 and establishing righteous dominion.
Intercanonical Resonances
The foot imagery echoesGenesis 3:15, where the serpent’s head is crushed under the promised seed’s heel, andRevelation 19:15, where Christ “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.” רְגַל therefore links the Bible’s opening promise to its consummation, framing history within God’s consistent plan.
Summary
רְגַל, though a simple reference to feet, serves as a prophetic motif exposing the fragility of human empires, forecasting the triumph of Christ’s kingdom, and calling believers to steadfast hope and holy living.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּרַגְלַ֥יהּ בְּרַגְלַ֣הּ ברגלה ברגליה רַגְל֔וֹהִי רַגְל֕וֹהִי רַגְלַ֙יִן֙ רַגְלַיָּ֔א רַגְלַיָּ֣א רגלוהי רגליא רגלין bə·raḡ·lah bə·raḡ·layh beragLah bəraḡlah beragLaih bəraḡlayh raḡ·la·yin raḡ·lay·yā raḡ·lō·w·hî raglaiYa ragLayin raḡlayin raḡlayyā ragLohi raḡlōwhî
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