פְּשַׁר (pe.shar)
pe.shar
interpretation
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 20 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The noun peshar means interpretation, specifically the explanation of a dream or vision. It appears almost exclusively in the book of Daniel, where it serves as the key to unlocking mysterious symbols presented to kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. The word is Aramaic, the diplomatic language of the ancient Near East, reflecting the international setting of these court narratives.
Its root sense connects to opening or explaining what is hidden. In Daniel 2:16, the king’s officials ask for time so they might give "the interpretation" of the dream, and in Daniel 5:16, Belshazzar promises high honors to anyone who can provide it. The term highlights that divine secrets require a revealed key to be understood, turning confusion into clarity.
Translators consistently render peshar as "interpretation," capturing its precise function in these texts. It does not mean mere guesswork or speculation but a definitive explanation given by God’s wisdom. The word underscores the biblical theme that God alone reveals hidden truths to those He chooses, making understanding possible where human insight fails.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life presents mysteries that feel beyond your reach, the word peshar offers a quiet comfort. It means interpretation, specifically the key that unlocks what is hidden. In the ancient courts of Babylon, kings faced dreams they could not understand, and their wise men failed to provide answers. This term highlights that true clarity does not come from human cleverness alone, but from divine revelation.
For your faith, this means you do not need to possess all the answers to navigate uncertainty. The biblical narrative shows that God gives understanding to those who seek Him with humility. When confusion clouds your path, remember that wisdom is a gift. You can rest in the assurance that the same God who revealed secrets to Daniel is present in your own moments of doubt.
This perspective shifts your focus from anxiety to trust. Instead of striving to decode every event on your own, you are invited to look upward for guidance. The promise remains that God makes known what is hidden, turning confusion into clarity for those who listen.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 20 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ interpretation/ its9×
- and/ interpretation/ the6×
- interpretation/ the2×
- interpretation/ its2×
- interpretations1×
- and/ [the] interpretation of1×
- [the] interpretation of1×
- [is] [the] interpretation of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/פִשְׁרֵ֖/הּ4×
- וּ/פִשְׁרָ֖/א3×
- וּ/פִשְׁרֵ/הּ֙3×
- פְּשַֽׁר\־2×
- וּ/פִשְׁרָ֥/ה2×
- פִּשְׁרֵֽ/הּ\׃\ \פ1×
- פִּשְׁרִ֛ין1×
- פִשְׁרָ֖/א1×
- פִשְׁרָ/א֙1×
- פִשְׁרֵ֖/הּ1×
- וּ/פִשְׁרָ֥/א1×
- וּ/פִשְׁרֵֽ/הּ\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:30
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
This verse clarifies that the ability to interpret comes from God's initiative to reveal secrets, not from Daniel's personal wisdom.
-
Daniel 5:16
But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Belshazzar acknowledges the specific power to dissolve doubts and provide interpretation as a unique spiritual gift.
-
Daniel 7:16
I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. “So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
Here Daniel seeks understanding for his own vision, showing that even prophets relied on divine explanation for what they saw.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does peshar mean in the Bible?
Is peshar the same as guessing?
Why is this word important for understanding Daniel?
Every Occurrence (20 verses across 1 books)
Daniel 20 verses
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and…
Daniel 2:5The king answered the Chaldeans, “The thing has gone from me. If you don’t make known to me the dream and its…
Daniel 2:6But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore…
Daniel 2:7They answered the second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”
Daniel 2:9But if you don’t make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt…
Daniel 2:16Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
Daniel 2:24Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said…
Daniel 2:25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of…
Daniel 2:26The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen,…
Daniel 2:30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent…
Daniel 2:36“This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king.
Daniel 2:45Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the…
Daniel 5:7The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the…
Daniel 5:8Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the…
Daniel 5:12because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and…
Daniel 5:15Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to…
Daniel 5:16But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and…
Daniel 5:17Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I…
Daniel 5:26“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
Daniel 7:16I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. “So he told me, and made me know…