אֱדַ֗יִן לְדָנִיֵּ֛אל בְּחֶזְוָ֥א דִֽי־לֵילְיָ֖א רָזָ֣ה גֲלִ֑י אֱדַ֨יִן֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל בָּרִ֖ךְ לֶאֱלָ֥הּ שְׁמַיָּֽא׃ (Daniel 2:19)
Then to Daniel in a vision of the night the mystery was revealed; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
In Daniel 2:19, the verb גֲלִי (“was revealed”) appears in the peʿil stem, the passive counterpart to the peʿal. This form provides a textbook example of how Biblical Aramaic marks passivity morphologically rather than only through context, setting it apart from the previous verse where the passive nuance arose syntactically.
Parsing גֲלִי
- Root: ג־ל־י (“to uncover, reveal”)
- Stem: Peʿil (passive of peʿal)
- Form: Perfect, 3rd masculine singular
- Voice: Passive
- Subject: “the mystery” (רָזָה)
- Agent: implied — God as the revealer
Table: Contrast Between Peʿal and Peʿil
| Stem | Form | Voice | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peʿal | Perfect, 3ms | Active | גְּלֵי | he revealed |
| Peʿil | Perfect, 3ms | Passive | גֲלִי | was revealed |
The Syntax of Revelation
The phrase בְּחֶזְוָא דִי־לֵילְיָא (“in a vision of the night”) functions as the locative setting of the revelation. The passive גֲלִי highlights that Daniel is not the actor but the recipient of divine disclosure. This grammatical choice aligns with the theology of the passage: mysteries are not discovered by human effort but are unveiled by divine initiative.
Narrative Flow
The adverb אֱדַיִן (“then”) frames the sequence of events. First, the mystery “was revealed” (passive divine action); second, Daniel “blessed” (active human response). This alternation between passive and active verbs mirrors the rhythm of revelation and response — divine disclosure followed by human doxology.
When Mystery Meets Grammar
The peʿil form גֲלִי is not only a grammatical marker but also a theological signal. By shifting agency from Daniel to God, the grammar itself testifies that the solution to Babylon’s enigma originates in heaven, not in human wisdom. Thus, Aramaic morphology reinforces the narrative’s central claim: mysteries belong to God, and their unveiling is His prerogative.
