Lexical Summary
telag: Snow
Original Word:תְּלַג
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tlag
Pronunciation:teh-lag
Phonetic Spelling:(tel-ag')
KJV: snow
NASB:snow
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH7950 (שֶׁלֶג - snow)]
1. snow
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
snow
(Aramaic) corresponding tosheleg; snow -- snow.
see HEBREWsheleg
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
shelegDefinitionsnow
NASB Translationsnow (1).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and ImageryThe single biblical use of תְּלַג captures the crystalline whiteness of fresh snow. InDaniel 7:9 the radiant garment of the “Ancient of Days” is said to be “as white as snow,” underscoring absolute purity, unapproachable holiness, and incorruptible righteousness. Snow, glistening and untouched, becomes an apt visual for the moral perfection of God.
Biblical Context: Daniel’s Vision of the Ancient of Days
Daniel 7 records a nighttime vision granted to the prophet during the exile. After four beast-kingdoms rise from the sea, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool” (Daniel 7:9). The word תְּלַג anchors the scene in sensory certainty: God’s integrity is no mere concept but a blazing reality that dwarfs the violent kingdoms of men.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Purity. The snow-white garment signals moral perfection, recalling other “whiter than snow” passages (Psalm 51:7;Isaiah 1:18) that speak of cleansing from sin.
2. Sovereign Judgment. The Ancient of Days sits on a fiery throne, robes gleaming like snow, ready to judge—linking purity with justice (Daniel 7:10).
3. Christological Fulfillment.Daniel 7:13–14 introduces “One like a Son of Man” who receives everlasting dominion. Revelation echoes the same imagery: “His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow” (Revelation 1:14), explicitly identifying Jesus Christ with the Ancient of Days.
Historical and Cultural Background
Daniel wrote in Aramaic within the Babylonian court, a milieu steeped in imperial splendor. By describing God’s attire with the humble yet dazzling image of snow, the vision contrasts divine majesty with earthly pomp. Ancient Near Eastern rulers boasted of embroidered, jewel-studded robes; Daniel’s God needs only His own inherent purity to signal supremacy.
Intertextual Echoes
•Psalm 51:7 – David pleads, “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow,” tying forgiveness to snow’s brilliance.
•Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,” presenting salvation as transformation.
•Matthew 28:3 – The angel at the empty tomb appears with clothing “white as snow,” connecting resurrection victory to Daniel’s courtroom scene.
•Revelation 1:14 – The glorified Christ shares the snowy whiteness, affirming His deity and Daniel’s prophecy.
Ministry and Devotional Application
• Assurance of Holiness. Believers can approach God with reverence, knowing His holiness is uncompromised and eternally consistent.
• Call to Purity. As snow covers and transforms the landscape, so the righteousness of Christ covers all who trust Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Hope in Judgment. The Ancient of Days will conclusively put down evil; the snowy garment guarantees that judgment proceeds from perfect purity.
• Worship Fuel. Visualizing the gleaming robe invites adoration that transcends cultural depictions and centers on God’s revealed glory.
Practical Reflection
When freshly fallen snow silences the world and reflects radiant light, it preaches Daniel’s message: God’s purity is unbeaten, His throne secure, and His verdicts untainted. That reality steadies faith in turbulent times and summons the church to live “blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15).
Forms and Transliterations
כִּתְלַ֣ג כתלג kiṯ·laḡ kitLag kiṯlaḡ
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
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