כַּשְׂדַּי
𐤊𐤔𐤃𐤉
Kaseday
H3779 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An inhabitant of the region of Chaldea (southern Mesopotamia), specifically a member of the ethnolinguistic group called the Chaldeans. In biblical Aramaic usage, it also designates members of the intellectual and priestly elite of Babylon, particularly those associated with the interpretation of dreams, astrology, and esoteric knowledge. Depending on context, the term can refer collectively to the Chaldean people or more narrowly to their educated class who served in royal courts.
Semantic Range
Chaldean (inhabitant of Chaldea), member of the Chaldean people, court sage or astrologer (by extension in Aramaic contexts), member of the Babylonian scholarly or priestly elite
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. The Hebrew כַּשְׂדַּי (Kasday) is the Aramaic equivalent of Hebrew כַּשְׂדִּי (Kasdî), referring to a member of the כַּשְׂדִּים (Kasdim), the Chaldeans. The underlying root is not securely identified within Northwest Semitic and is likely a loanword from Akkadian (Kaldu or Kasdu), the name for the Chaldean tribes in Mesopotamia. The term was adopted into both Hebrew and Aramaic to denote this ethnic group.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra), כַּשְׂדַּי refers to both the people of Chaldea (southern Babylonia) and the class of sages or astrologers prominent in Neo-Babylonian royal courts. The Chaldeans originally appear in biblical narrative as a distinct ethnic group in lower Mesopotamia, but by the Neo-Babylonian period 'Chaldean' also carried connotations of scholarly and priestly status within Babylonian society. In prophetic and narrative books, the term is used historically for the conquering people who established the last great Mesopotamian empire (the Neo-Babylonian or 'Chaldean' Empire, 7th–6th centuries BCE). In Daniel and other Aramaic passages, English translations sometimes render 'Chaldeans' as 'astrologers' or 'wise men', but this narrows the meaning and may obscure its primary reference to an ethnic group. Later Greek and Latin sources further extended the term to mean a practitioner of astrology or magical arts, but these senses should be distinguished from the primary biblical usage. See also כַּשְׂדִּים (Kasdim) for the corresponding Hebrew usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to כַּשְׂדִּי; a Chaldaean or inhabitant of Chaldaea; by implication, a Magian or professional astrologer; Chaldean.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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כשׂד (k-ś-d) — Chaldea, Chaldean people (ethnonym of uncertain origin)
Word Forms
8 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3779-05 |
כשדי/א | khshdy | ANgmsd/Td |
Chaldeans | the Chaldean man | 4 |
H3779-01 |
כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖/י | kasedaey | ANgmsc/Sp1cs |
Chaldeans | my Chaldean | 2 |
H3779-02 |
כַּשְׂדָּאִ֑ין | kasedain | ANgmpa |
Chaldeans | Chaldeans | 2 |
H3779-04 |
כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤/י | khasedaey | ANgmpc/Sp1cs |
Chaldeans | my Chaldeans | 1 |
H3779-03 |
כַשְׂדָּאָֽ/ה | khasedaah | ANgmsd/Td |
the Chaldean | the Chaldean | 1 |
H3779-08 |
וְ/כַשְׂדָּֽי | vekhaseday | AC/Ngbsa |
or Chaldean | Chaldean | 1 |
H3779-07 |
ל/כשדי/א | lkhshdy | AR/Ngmsd/Td |
to the Chaldeans | to the Chaldean | 1 |
H3779-06 |
לְ/כַשְׂדָּאֵ֔/י | lekhasedaey | AR/Ngmpa/Sp1cs |
to the Chaldeans | to my Chaldeans | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
13 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3779-07 |
Daniel 2:5 | ל/כשדי/א | lkhshdy | AR/Ngmsd/Td |
to the Chaldeans | to the Chaldean |
H3779-06 |
Daniel 2:5 | לְ/כַשְׂדָּאֵ֔/י | lekhasedaey | AR/Ngmpa/Sp1cs |
to the Chaldeans | to my Chaldeans |
H3779-05 |
Daniel 2:10 | כשדי/א | khshdy | ANgmsd/Td |
Chaldeans | the Chaldean man |
H3779-04 |
Daniel 2:10 | כַשְׂדָּאֵ֤/י | khasedaey | ANgmpc/Sp1cs |
Chaldeans | my Chaldeans |
H3779-08 |
Daniel 2:10 | וְ/כַשְׂדָּֽי | vekhaseday | AC/Ngbsa |
or Chaldean | Chaldean |
H3779-02 |
Daniel 3:8 | כַּשְׂדָּאִ֑ין | kasedain | ANgmpa |
Chaldeans | Chaldeans |
H3779-05 |
Daniel 4:4 | כשדי/א | khshdy | ANgmpd/Td |
Chaldeans | the Chaldean man |
H3779-01 |
Daniel 4:4 | כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖/י | kasedaey | ANgmsc/Sp1cs |
my | my Chaldean |
H3779-05 |
Daniel 5:7 | כשדי/א | khshdy | ANgmpd/Td |
Chaldeans | the Chaldean man |
H3779-01 |
Daniel 5:7 | כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖/י | kasedaey | ANgmpc/Sp1cs |
Chaldeans | my Chaldean |