Lexical Summary
dikken: To prepare, to make right, to establish
Original Word: דִּכֵּן
Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun common
Transliteration: dikken
Pronunciation: dik-KEN
Phonetic Spelling: (dik-kane')
KJV: same, that, this
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) prolonged from H179 (אוֹבִיל - Obil)1]
1. this
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
same, that, this
(Aramaic) prolonged from dek; this -- same, that, this.
see HEBREW dek
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) from
dekDefinitionthis, that.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; only Daniel; Ezra uses ( + demonstrative affix.
n, W
CG 111); —
Daniel 2:31 ,
Daniel 7:20,21 .
Topical Lexicon
Scriptural Occurrencesדִּכֵּן appears three times in the Aramaic portions of Daniel (Daniel 2:31; 7:20; 7:21). Each instance functions as a demonstrative that highlights something seen in a prophetic vision. By drawing the reader’s attention to a particular object (“this image,” “that horn,” “this horn”), the term sharpens focus on key elements that unveil God’s sovereign plan over the kingdoms of this world.
Historical Context in Daniel
1. Daniel 2:31 introduces Nebuchadnezzar’s colossal statue: “You, O king, were watching, and behold, a great statue. This statue, large and exceedingly bright, stood before you, and its form was awesome”. דִּכֵּן singles out the statue as the central symbol through which God reveals the succession of empires.
2. Daniel 7:20–21 shifts from a metallic image to living beasts. The prophet recounts “that horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke words of arrogance” (7:20). In verse 21, “this horn was warring against the saints and prevailing against them.” By repeating the demonstrative, the narrative isolates the arrogant horn to underscore its unique hostility toward God’s people.
Theological Significance
• Divine Revelation: Each “this/that” marks a divinely given object lesson. The statue discloses a panoramic view of gentile dominion; the horn exposes the final worldly ruler who persecutes the faithful.
• Sovereignty of God: The pointed language reminds the reader that God controls not only the broad sweep of history but the specific instruments—“this image,” “that horn”—through which He accomplishes His purposes.
• Conflict and Vindication: דִּכֵּן frames both threat and deliverance. The same narrative that highlights “this horn” also proclaims its ultimate defeat: “But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away” (Daniel 7:26).
Ministry Implications
• Prophetic Clarity: Teachers and preachers can use the demonstrative emphasis to illustrate how biblical prophecy invites careful observation of details. It encourages believers to study prophecy not as speculative code but as a revelation anchored in identifiable symbols.
• Perseverance under Pressure: The saints who faced “this horn” (Daniel 7:21) reflect the church’s call to endure present trials with confidence in God’s final judgment. The text provides pastoral comfort: oppression is temporary; divine justice is certain.
Christological Foreshadowing
While דִּכֵּן itself is a grammatical pointer, the realities it highlights anticipate the Messianic kingdom. The destruction of “this statue” by a stone “cut without human hands” (Daniel 2:34) prefigures the reign of Jesus Christ, the stone the builders rejected yet the cornerstone of God’s eternal kingdom (Matthew 21:42). Likewise, the judgment of “that horn” anticipates the victory of the Son of Man, to whom “all peoples, nations, and languages should serve” (Daniel 7:14).
Application for Today
Believers are called to fix their gaze where Scripture points. When God says “this,” it is an invitation to take His revelation seriously, trust His timeline, and live in the assurance that the kingdoms symbolized by “this image” and the power embodied in “that horn” will ultimately give way to the everlasting dominion of Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
דִּכֵּ֥ן דִכֵּ֔ן דִכֵּ֜ן דכן dik·kên ḏik·kên dikKen dikkên ḏikkên
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