| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the adversative conjunction beram {בְּרַ֡ם | bə-ram} ‘but’, signaling contrast with the previous content. The existential particle itay {אִיתַ֞י | ʾî-tay} ‘there is’ introduces elah {אֱלָ֤הּ | ʾĕ-lāh} ‘God’ as subject. The locative phrase bishmaya {בִּשְׁמַיָּא֙ | biš-ma-yā} ‘in heaven’ sets the backdrop for the participle gale {גָּלֵ֣א | gā-lē} ‘revealer’ with razin {רָזִ֔ין | rā-zīn} ‘mysteries’, emphasizing ongoing divine disclosure. The Haphil perfect vehoda {וְהוֹדַ֗ע | wə-hō-ḏāʿ} ‘and he has made known’ forms a causative action directed lemalka nevukhadnetsar {לְמַלְכָּא֙ נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֔ר | lə-mal-kāʾ nə-bū-ḵad-neṣ-ṣar} ‘to King Nebuchadnezzar’. The relative interrogative ma di {מָ֛ה דִּ֥י | mā dî} ‘what that’ + the Peal imperfect lehevei {לֶהֱוֵ֖א | le-he-wê} ‘will be’ form a nominal clause of future revelation. The temporal construct beacharit yomayya {בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית יוֹמַיָּ֑א | bə-ʾa-ḥa-rît yō-ma-yā} ‘in the end of days’ carries an eschatological sense. Finally, the compound chelmakh vechezvei reshakh al-mishkevekh dena hu {חֶלְמָ֨ךְ וְחֶזְוֵ֥י רֵאשָׁ֛ךְ עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבָ֖ךְ דְּנָ֥ה הֽוּא | ḥel-mākh wə-ḥez-wê rē-šāk ʿal-miškə-ḇeḵ də-nā hû} identifies the dream and visions as the subject matter. The Aramaic sequence of participles and perfect forms foregrounds divine agency in revealing hidden knowledge. |