Lexical Summary
shezab or shezib: Deliver, rescue
Original Word:שְׁזַב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:shzab
Pronunciation:shay-ZAB or shay-ZEEB
Phonetic Spelling:(shez-ab')
KJV: deliver
NASB:deliver, delivered, delivering, delivers
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH5800 (עָזַב - To leave)]
1. to leave, i.e. (causatively) free
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
deliver
(Aramaic) corresponding toazab; to leave, i.e. (causatively) free -- deliver.
see HEBREWazab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
azabDefinitionto deliver
NASB Translationdeliver (5), delivered (2), delivering (1), delivers (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(probably
as loan-word from Assyrianšûzub(u), ušêib,deliver, √ezêbu (4 = ), DlPr 140 HptGGN 1583, 91; BAS i.13 K§ 43, l, Anm.; , Syriac
, Christian-Palestinian Aramaic
SchulthLex. 203, also Nabataean Cooke255; compare proper name Biblical Hebrew; Old Aramaic SAC102; see also following article); —Perfect3masculine singularDaniel 3:28;Daniel 6:28;Imperfect3masculine singularDaniel 3:17; suffixDaniel 6:17,Daniel 3:13;Infinitive suffixDaniel 6:21, -Daniel 6:15, -Daniel 3:17; —deliver (usually with ):Daniel 3:17b, accusative of personDaniel 3:28;Daniel 6:28b, suffix personDaniel 3:15,17a;Daniel 6:15;Daniel 6:17;Daniel 6:21, absoluteDaniel 6:28a.
Topical Lexicon
Linguistic and Canonical SettingThe verb under study appears only in the Aramaic sections of the Book of Daniel (Daniel 2:4 b–7:28). Although Aramaic served as the diplomatic and commercial language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, the word’s meaning—“to deliver” or “to rescue”—carries unmistakably Hebrew theological overtones. Its deliberate use in narratives addressed to Gentile monarchs places Yahweh’s saving power on an international stage, revealing that the God of Israel is not bound by geography or political borders.
Occurrences in Daniel
1. Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)
•Daniel 3:17: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.”
•Daniel 3:28 records Nebuchadnezzar’s confession that God “delivered His servants who trusted in Him.”
2. Lions’ Den (Daniel 6)
•Daniel 6:16: Darius expresses reluctant hope—“Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”
•Daniel 6:20: The king’s anxious cry, “Has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
•Daniel 6:27: The royal decree concludes, “He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”
The distribution—three references in chapter 3 and six in chapter 6—links the term to two pivotal deliverance accounts that form literary pillars in the Aramaic section, bracketing visions that speak of God’s ultimate dominion.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Sovereignty: Both narratives stress that God’s power to rescue exceeds the might of kings, furnaces, and lions. Deliverance is not contingent on human manipulation but rests on divine prerogative.
2. Covenant Faithfulness amid Exile: Although Judah languishes under foreign rule, the covenant God remains active. The exiles’ fidelity (“whom you serve continually”) and God’s response display continuity with earlier redemptive acts (Exodus 14:30).
3. Witness to the Nations: Pagan rulers become heralds of Yahweh’s greatness (Daniel 3:28–29; 6:26–27). The verb thus functions evangelistically, showcasing salvation before a watching world.
4. Conditional–Unconditional Paradox: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego affirm that God “is able to deliver,” yet submit to His will even if He does not (Daniel 3:18). True faith trusts God’s capacity without presuming upon His timetable.
Implications for Faith and Practice
• Courage under Persecution: The term invites believers to stand firm when obedience collides with cultural demands, confident that deliverance—whether temporal or eternal—is in God’s hands.
• Prayer and Fasting:Daniel 6 portrays spiritual disciplines that precede divine rescue, encouraging the church to persist in godliness regardless of opposition.
• Public Testimony: Both accounts move from private conviction to public proclamation. Modern ministry likewise calls for visible, uncompromised allegiance to Christ that leads others to glorify God (1 Peter 2:12).
Christological and Eschatological Motifs
The angelic or “fourth man” presence in the furnace prefigures the incarnate Son who “will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Daniel’s sealed den anticipates the sealed tomb, and his emergence foreshadows resurrection victory. Ultimately, the verb points beyond episodic rescues to the final deliverance promised inDaniel 12:1 and fulfilled inRevelation 21:4.
Worship and Devotional Uses
Hymns and prayers draw on these texts to celebrate God as Deliverer. Personal meditation onDaniel 3 and 6 nurtures trust, especially for believers facing hostility, illness, or systemic injustice.
Summary
Every use of this Aramaic verb in Daniel showcases God’s unrivaled ability to rescue His faithful servants, demonstrates His ongoing covenant loyalty during exile, and heralds His sovereignty to the nations. These deliverances anticipate the ultimate salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ and challenge believers in every age to steadfast faith, bold witness, and confident hope.
Forms and Transliterations
וְשֵׁיזִ֣ב ושיזב יְשֵֽׁיזְבִנְכ֖וֹן יְשֵׁיזְבִנָּֽךְ׃ יְשֵׁיזִֽב׃ ישיזב׃ ישיזבנך׃ ישיזבנכון לְשֵׁיזָבוּתֵ֑הּ לְשֵׁיזָבוּתַ֑נָא לְשֵׁיזָבוּתָ֖ךְ לשיזבותה לשיזבותך לשיזבותנא מְשֵׁיזִ֣ב משיזב שֵׁיזִ֣יב שיזיב lə·šê·zā·ḇū·ṯa·nā lə·šê·zā·ḇū·ṯāḵ lə·šê·zā·ḇū·ṯêh ləšêzāḇūṯāḵ ləšêzāḇūṯanā ləšêzāḇūṯêh lesheizavuTach lesheizavuTana lesheizavuTeh mə·šê·ziḇ məšêziḇ mesheiZiv šê·zîḇ šêzîḇ sheiZiv vesheiZiv wə·šê·ziḇ wəšêziḇ yə·šê·zə·ḇin·ḵō·wn yə·šê·zə·ḇin·nāḵ yə·šê·ziḇ yəšêzəḇinḵōwn yəšêzəḇinnāḵ yəšêziḇ yesheizevinChon yesheizevinNach yesheiZiv
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