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III. Biblical Aramaic. Biblical Aramaic exhibits root thirty-three times, of which all except for šallīṭ in Ezr. 4:20; 7:24 occur in Daniel; both as the verb šlṭ (seven times) and in the nouns šolṭān (fourteen times), šilṭōn (twice; on the form → I), and šallīṭ (ten times). One can compare the fifteen examples of the Hebrew cognate: as a verb (five times in the G-stem: Eccl. 2:19; 8:9; Est. 9:1 [2×]; Neh. 5:15; three times in the C-stem: Ps. 119:133; Eccl. 5:18; 6:2), as the noun šilṭōn (twice: Eccl. 8:4, 8; cf. Sir. 9:13), and as the adjective šallīṭ (four times: Gen. 42:6; Eccl. 7:19; 8:8; 10:5; cf. Sir. 9:13) with the feminine form šallæṭæṯ (once in Ezk. 16:30, in pause); in contrast, šolṭān does not appear. Of these fifteen occurrences, nine appear in Qoheleth; the others also stem from the postexilic period, except for hū haššallīṭ ʿal-hāʾāræṣ in Gen. 42:6, which may, however, be a later explanatory gloss.

In the G-stem, the verb denotes the exercise of ruling power, as in Dnl. 2:39. Another person, such as an official authorized by the king, can also be in the position to exercise it (Dnl. 5:7, 16). In the figurative sense, it denotes “to assume authority” in reference to fire (3:2) or lions (6:25). The C-stem means “to give power, to empower” and has the king (2:38) or a high functionary (2:48) as object. Other than this latter passage, all instances of the verb have the preposition b- as complement indicating over whom or where power will be exercised.

The noun šilṭōn appears in Dnl. 3:2f. (twice) personified “ruler” as šilṭōnē meḏīnāṯā, i.e., the high officials who govern the provinces of the Persian empire (along with other official titles).

In contrast, the noun šolṭān functions as a verbal abstract in the sense of “power, dominion” in Dnl. 3:33; 4:19, 31 (2×); 6:27 (2×); 7:6, 12, 14 (3×), 26; 7:27 (2×). The plural in Dnl. 7:27 refers to the empires of the world. The word appears in context with other terms from the same lexical field: malḵū “dominion, ruling power” in 3:33; 4:31; 6:27; 7:14, 27; reḇū “majesty, grandeurʾ in 4:19; 7:27; yeqār “honor, dignity” in 7:14.

Furthermore, the form šallīṭ occurs ten times, two of them substantivally for “official” (Dnl. 2:15) or “ruler” (5:29). In both cases it accompanies the preposition b- indicating the realm of dominion. Seven additional passages employ the word as an adjective “mighty” (Dnl. 2:10; 4:14, 22, 23, 29; 5:21; Ezr. 4:20), all except for Dnl. 2:10 also with b- in the sense described. Finally, it occurs in an impersonal construction in Ezr. 7:24, lā šallīṭ followed by the infinitive meaning “it is not permitted to.”

The theological use of šallīṭ is most clearly evident in the contrast between contingent secular power and the absolute dominion of God. As the holy ones in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Dnl. 4:14 explain, the supreme God rules over human power (šallīṭ bemalḵūṯ ʾanāšā) and is free to bestow it upon whomever he will. The dream interpretation in Dnl. 4:22, 23, 29 then relates this statement to the king. An echo of the same theological conviction resounds in Dnl. 5:21. From this perspective, šallīṭ and šolṭān are part of the theological vocabulary in Daniel that consistently describes God’s superior dominion over human kingdoms and realms. In contrast to them, his dominion, as Dnl. 6:27 emphasizes, has no end.

Theodotion translates šallīṭ in Dnl. 4:22 (25), 29 (32) with the verb κυριεύειν “to rule,” but in Dnl. 4:14 (17) has κύριος εἶναι “to be lord.” The unrevised old translation (Old Greek [OG]) employs ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν “to have power” in Dnl. 4:14 (17), 29 (32). In Dnl. 4:23, both versions (Theodotion 4:26; OG 4:27) the read noun /šolṭān/ for the plural absolute šallīṭīn, in the consonantal text spelled defectively šlṭn, and render it with ἐξουσία “power.”

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