Original Word: נִשְׁמָא
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: nishma'
Pronunciation: nish-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (nish-maw')
KJV: breath
NASB: life-breath
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H5397 (נְשָׁמָה - breath)]
1. vital breath
(Aramaic) corresponding to nshamah; vital breath -- breath.
see HEBREW nshamah
נִשְׁמָא (nishma) appears once in the Old Testament, in Daniel 5:23. Spoken by Daniel to Belshazzar, the term identifies the "breath" that God holds in His hand. The Aramaic setting and the crisis of Babylonian judgment combine to make this single occurrence a theological hinge: human life is portrayed as utterly contingent upon the sovereign God.
Biblical Usage
Daniel 5:23: "But you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven... yet you have not glorified the God who holds in His hand your breath and all your ways."
Here breath is not a mere physiological reality; it is the evidence of divine ownership over human existence. By ignoring the One who sustains his life, Belshazzar demonstrates the folly of self-exaltation.
Relation to Other Hebrew Concepts of Breath
While נִשְׁמָא occurs only in Daniel 5:23, it resonates with נְשָׁמָה (neshamah) and רוּחַ (ruach).
• Genesis 2:7 sets the pattern: "the LORD God formed man...and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life."
• Job 33:4 speaks similarly: "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Together these passages reveal that breath is a divine gift, connecting creature to Creator, body to spirit, and time to eternity.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Sovereignty: Life persists only at God’s pleasure. Daniel’s indictment of Belshazzar demonstrates that earthly power is subordinate to the One who sustains breath.
2. Human Accountability: Because God grants breath, every moral decision carries responsibility before Him (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 17:25).
3. Sacredness of Life: From conception to final exhale, life is sacred, shaping biblical ethics regarding justice, mercy, and the protection of the vulnerable.
Historical Setting of Daniel 5
Belshazzar’s feast occurred on the eve of Babylon’s fall to the Medo-Persian Empire. Surrounded by idolatry, arrogance, and imminent judgment, Daniel’s reference to נִשְׁמָא sounded a prophetic alarm: the king’s breath—and empire—were moments from termination. The writing on the wall ("MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN") underscored the lesson: weigh a kingdom on divine scales and it is found wanting when it forgets the God of life.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Humility: Leaders and congregants alike must recognize that authority and ability are on loan from God (James 4:13-15).
• Stewardship of Life: Physical health, mental vigor, and spiritual vitality should be cultivated in gratitude, not presumption (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
• Evangelistic Urgency: Because breath is finite, proclaiming reconciliation through Jesus Christ cannot be deferred (2 Corinthians 6:2).
• Worship: Every inhalation is an invitation to praise. Psalms 150:6 commands, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD."
Christological and Eschatological Echoes
Jesus Christ embodies the principle of divine breath: He is the Creator through whom life came (John 1:3) and the Redeemer who "breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’" (John 20:22). Pentecost fulfills the promise of new breath—empowered life for mission (Acts 2:1-4). Ultimately, Revelation 11:11 anticipates the final victory when "the breath of life from God entered" the witnesses, foreshadowing universal resurrection.
Summary
נִשְׁמָא anchors a sweeping biblical motif: God alone imparts and sustains breath. Daniel’s single use of the word confronts human pride, reinforces divine sovereignty, and summons every generation to reverent dependence on the Giver of life.
1 Occurrence
Strong's Hebrew 5396
1 Occurrence
niš·mə·ṯāḵ — 1 Occ.