כַּסְדַּי
𐤊𐤎𐤃𐤉
Kaseday
H3679 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of the Kasdim (Chaldeans), referring specifically to a person belonging to the Semitic people originating in southern Mesopotamia (primarily in the region later known as Babylonia); occasionally, in later contexts, this term came to be associated with court scholars or astrologers, reflecting the reputation of the Chaldeans for their expertise in astronomy and divination. The primary sense is ethnic/geographic, referring to the people or nation of the Kasdim, while later textual traditions sometimes extend the meaning to practitioners of Babylonian wisdom.
Semantic Range
member of the Chaldean people, inhabitant of the Chaldean region, court official associated with Babylonian wisdom or astrology
Root / Etymology
The term כַּסְדַּי derives from the Hebrew root כּשׂד (cf. כַּשְׂדִּים Kasdim), generally understood as the ethnonym for the Chaldean people. The origin of the root is uncertain, and it may be a foreign loanword reflecting the self-designation of this population. The association with 'astrologer' stems from the later Babylonian period, not from the original etymology.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כַּסְדַּי denotes individual Chaldeans or in the plural כַּשְׂדִּים the people as a whole. In the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods (late monarchic into exilic and post-exilic periods), the term refers specifically to the southern Mesopotamian nation that played a central role in the fall of the Judahite kingdom and the exile, especially under Nebuchadnezzar II. Earlier biblical uses may refer to more general Aramean or tribal groups in lower Mesopotamia. In later biblical texts (notably Daniel), the term can also denote court astrologers or magi, reflecting Hellenistic associations of Chaldeans with occult wisdom. English translations often use 'Chaldean' or sometimes 'wise man,' but this can obscure the primarily ethnic/geographic sense in most biblical contexts. The extension to 'astrologer' is secondary and context-dependent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for כַּשְׂדִּי; {a Kasdite, or descendant of Kesed; by implication, a Chaldaean (as if so descended); also an astrologer (as if proverbial of that people}; Chaldean.
Bantu Hebrew
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כשׂד (k-ś-d) — Kasdim, Chaldean identity, inhabitant of southern Mesopotamia
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3679-02 |
כסדי/א | khsdy | ANgmpd/Td |
the Chaldean | the Kasdim | 1 |
H3679-01 |
כַּסְדָּאָ֑/ה | kasedaah | ANgmsd/Td |
who | the Kasdite | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences