אֱדַ֥יִן דָּֽנִיֵּ֖אל לְבַיְתֵ֣הּ אֲזַ֑ל וְ֠לַחֲנַנְיָה מִֽישָׁאֵ֧ל וַעֲזַרְיָ֛ה חַבְרֹ֖והִי מִלְּתָ֥א הֹודַֽע׃
(Daniel 2:17)
Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Ḥananyah, Mishaʾel, and ʿAzaryah, his companions.
This verse features two key verbs — אֲזַל (“he went”) and הוֹדַע (“he made known”) — both in the peʿal perfect, anchoring the actions within the narrative past. These forms demonstrate how Biblical Aramaic structures sequential events in storytelling, paralleling Hebrew’s use of the wayyiqtol form but without a dedicated prefix-conjugation narrative tense.
Parsing the Verbs
- Root: א־ז־ל (“to go”)
Form: Peʿal perfect, 3ms — אֲזַל - Root: י־ד־ע (“to know/make known”)
Form: Peʿal perfect, 3ms with causative nuance — הוֹדַע
Table: Morphological Details
| Verb | Root | Stem | Form | Voice | Function in Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲזַל | א־ז־ל | Peʿal | Perfect, 3ms | Active | Marks the main sequential action — Daniel’s going |
| הוֹדַע | י־ד־ע | Peʿal (with causative sense) | Perfect, 3ms | Active | Describes the next action — informing his companions |
Sequential Storytelling in Biblical Aramaic
In Biblical Hebrew, sequential narrative is often driven by wayyiqtol forms. Biblical Aramaic, however, relies on perfect forms in coordination with adverbs like אֱדַיִן (“then”) to move the story forward. The sequence here — “Then Daniel went… and made known…” — is a classic example of this technique.
Nuances of הוֹדַע
Although הוֹדַע is formally peʿal, it carries a causative nuance (“to cause to know”), which overlaps with the function of the Hebrew hiphil. This is an example of how semantic causativity can be embedded in a root’s usage without requiring a distinct stem change in Biblical Aramaic.
Action Framing and Characterization
By pairing אֲזַל with הוֹדַע, the narrative emphasizes Daniel’s proactive leadership. He does not passively wait for events to unfold; he goes directly to his home and immediately informs his companions. This structure underscores Daniel’s initiative and the communal nature of the coming prayer for divine revelation.
