Bible Lexicons

נְבִזְבָּה Daniel 2:6, plur. נְבָֽזְבָיָן; 5:17, f.; Chald. a gift; compare Jeremiah 40:5; Deuteronomy 33:24, in Targ. Jonath. If this word were of Chaldee origin, it might be derived from the root בַּזְבֵּז to ask for, for נְבִזְבְּזָה one ז being omitted; comp. גֻלְגֹּלֶת Γολγοθᾶ; but such a word could only be formed from the Conj. Niphal, which does not exist in Chaldee.-[In confirmation of the opinion of those who refer this word to the Niph. of the Ch. verb בַּזְבֵּז appeal may be made to a similar instance נִדְבָּךְ; nor is it absurd in Chaldee to regard nouns as being formed after the analogy of the conjugation Niphal, although this form is unused in the verb. Similar examples in Heb. are שַׁלְהֶבֶת, אֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ. Gas. App.]-It is better therefore to consider it to be of Persic original; comp. نوازان nuwazan, and نوازا nuwaza, donation; from the verb نواختن nuwachten, to benefit, to load with gifts and praises, as a king an ambassador. [In Thes., Ges. rejects the Persic etymology, and regards the Chaldee one previously given as the true one; looking on the נ merely as formative.] Some have supposed that this word was formed from the Greek νόμισμα (m being changed to b), but the idea of money is altogether foreign from the passage.