### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic verb mᵉlâʼ (מְלָא, `{{H4391}}`) serves as the direct Aramaic equivalent to the more frequently occurring Hebrew verb mālēʼ (מָלֵא, `{{H4390}}`). Its fundamental and most common meaning is "to fill" or "to be full." The semantic range of mᵉlâʼ encompasses several facets:
* **Literal Filling:** Implies the physical act of occupying space or a container completely.
* **Completion or Fulfillment:** Denotes the reaching of a designated end, whether of a period of time or a decreed measure.
* **Intensification or Abundance:** Suggests a state of being thoroughly imbued with something, or reaching an extreme degree of a quality.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
As an Aramaic term, mᵉlâʼ is found exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament, primarily within the Book of Daniel. Its occurrences illuminate key theological themes:
* **[[Daniel 2:35]]**: "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and *filled* the whole earth." Here, mᵉlâʼ describes the expansive, universal dominion of God's kingdom, symbolized by the stone, which grows to occupy and encompass all earthly realms, leaving no room for rival powers. This signifies ultimate sovereignty and comprehensiveness.
* **[[Daniel 3:19]]**: "Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was *customarily heated*." In this context, mᵉlâʼ (often translated as "customarily heated" or "wont to be heated") conveys a sense of intensified, extreme heat. It speaks to the king's over-the-top command, reflective of his boundless rage, pushing the furnace to its fullest, most intense capacity for judgment.
* **[[Daniel 4:25]]**: "that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and you shall eat grass like oxen and be wet with the dew of heaven; and seven times shall *pass over* you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." Here, mᵉlâʼ signifies the completion or fulfillment of a decreed period of time ("seven times," referring to years). It underscores the divine decree regarding Nebuchadnezzar's judgment, emphasizing that his period of humiliation was divinely ordained and would run its full, appointed course.
* **[[Daniel 5:26]]**: "This is the interpretation of the word: MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and *finished* it." In the famous "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" inscription, mᵉlâʼ is used in the sense of "finished" or "fulfilled." It declares that the time allotted for Belshazzar's kingdom has reached its divinely appointed end, signifying the completion of its reign and the imminent judgment upon it.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary and most significant related word is the Hebrew mālēʼ (מָלֵא, `{{H4390}}`), which shares the identical core meaning and a broad semantic range, including being full, filled, complete, or consecrated. This strong lexical correspondence highlights the consistency of this concept across Hebrew and Aramaic biblical texts.
Other related concepts include:
* **Completion/Perfection:** The idea of something reaching its intended end or state.
* **Abundance/Sufficiency:** A state of having more than enough or being entirely adequate.
* **Sovereignty/Decree:** The divine power to ordain and bring to pass events or periods of time.
* **Saturation/Pervasion:** The act of thoroughly permeating or occupying a space.
### Theological Significance
The Aramaic mᵉlâʼ carries profound theological weight, particularly within the prophetic context of Daniel:
* **Divine Sovereignty and Fulfillment of Prophecy:** The consistent usage of mᵉlâʼ in Daniel underscores God's absolute sovereignty over human kingdoms and history. Whether it is the fulfillment of a period of judgment for a king ([[Daniel 4:25]], [[Daniel 5:26]]) or the ultimate establishment of His eternal kingdom ([[Daniel 2:35]]), mᵉlâʼ emphasizes that God's plans and decrees will unfailingly reach their appointed "fullness" or completion. Human empires rise and fall according to His precise timing and purpose.
* **The All-Encompassing Kingdom of God:** The imagery of the stone filling the whole earth ([[Daniel 2:35]]) is a powerful theological statement about the nature of God's kingdom. It is not merely one kingdom among many, but one that will ultimately supersede, permeate, and fill all creation, establishing a universal and eternal dominion. This speaks to the comprehensive and ultimate victory of God's reign.
* **Divine Justice and Judgment:** The "fullness" of the furnace's heat ([[Daniel 3:19]]) and the "finishing" of a kingdom's time ([[Daniel 5:26]]) illustrate the intensity and certainty of divine judgment when God's patience or decreed time for a wicked kingdom runs out. God's justice is not arbitrary but operates according to a divine measure and timing, reaching its "full" expression.
### Summary
The Aramaic verb mᵉlâʼ (מְלָא, `{{H4391}}`), corresponding directly to the Hebrew mālēʼ (`{{H4390}}`), fundamentally means "to fill" or "to be full." In the Book of Daniel, its primary biblical occurrences reveal its nuanced application to describe literal spatial filling, the intensification of a state, and, most significantly, the divinely appointed completion or fulfillment of periods of time or decrees. Theologically, mᵉlâʼ powerfully articulates God's absolute sovereignty over history, the inevitable and all-encompassing nature of His eternal kingdom, and the precise timing and certainty of His divine judgments. It highlights that all things, whether human reigns or prophetic periods, are subject to God's ultimate plan and will reach their divinely ordained "fullness."
TRV