וְרַחֲמִ֗ין לְמִבְעֵא֙ מִן־קֳדָם֙ אֱלָ֣הּ שְׁמַיָּ֔א עַל־רָזָ֖ה דְּנָ֑ה דִּ֣י לָ֤א יְהֹֽבְדוּן֙ דָּנִיֵּ֣אל וְחַבְרֹ֔והִי עִם־שְׁאָ֖ר חַכִּימֵ֥י בָבֶֽל׃
(Daniel 2:18)
And to seek mercies from before the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
This verse is a clear example of how Biblical Aramaic uses the peʿal imperfect to express potential or intended outcomes within a purpose clause. The clause introduced by דִּי (“so that”) contains the verb יְהֹבְדוּן — formally active but functioning here in a negative jussive sense (“might not perish”). This usage reflects the close relationship between morphology and syntax in conveying purpose, especially in prayer contexts.
Parsing יְהֹבְדוּן
- Root: א־ב־ד (“to perish”)
- Stem: Peʿal (G-stem)
- Form: Imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
- Voice: Active (used with negative particle לָא to express “might not perish”)
- Aspect: Incomplete, modal nuance (jussive/optative)
- Subject: Daniel and his companions
Table: Morphological and Functional Features
| Feature | Description | Effect in Context |
|---|---|---|
| Stem | Peʿal | Base meaning “to perish” |
| Aspect | Imperfect | Expresses an unrealized action — here, avoidance of destruction |
| Voice | Active | Morphologically active; prohibition/jussive force comes from לָא + imperfect |
| Function | Purpose clause with modal nuance | Indicates the goal of seeking divine mercy |
Syntax: Purpose and Petition
The structure דִּי + imperfect forms a purpose clause (“so that…”). In this case, the negative לָא before the imperfect shifts it into a prohibitive/jussive expression — “that they might not perish.” This is common in Biblical Aramaic petitions, where the speaker frames the desired outcome using modal imperfect forms.
Prayer Language in Biblical Aramaic
The phrase לְמִבְעֵא רַחֲמִין (“to seek mercies”) highlights a distinctive idiom in Aramaic prayer, pairing the infinitive construct לְמִבְעֵא (“to request/seek”) with the plural רַחֲמִין to express appeal for divine compassion. Such phrasing is common in exilic and post-exilic literature, reflecting a liturgical tone that matches the formal grammar of the purpose clause.
Grammar Serving Theology
The grammatical precision of יְהֹבְדוּן within the purpose clause does more than mark a verb form — it encodes the community’s hope. By framing survival as the direct result of divine mercy, the syntax ties the preservation of Daniel and his friends to the heavenly court’s intervention, blending grammatical structure with theological narrative.
