Word Study for H7011 (קַיָּם)

qayâm /kah-yawm'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) from קוּם

Meaningpermanent (as rising firmly)

KJV usagestedfast, sure.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qayâm — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word qayâm, represented by H7011, means permanent (as rising firmly); stedfast, sure. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. This term conveys a sense of stability and enduring certainty.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, both found in the book of Daniel, H7011 is used to describe absolute reliability. It is used in a royal decree to describe the God of Daniel as "stedfast for ever," in contrast to the transient nature of earthly powers Daniel 6:26. It is also used to give assurance to King Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom "shall be sure unto thee" once he acknowledges the ultimate authority of heaven Daniel 4:26.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the concept of permanence and authority:

H426 ʼĕlâhh (God): The primary subject described as stedfast in Daniel 6:26 is God himself, highlighting His eternal and unchanging nature.
H4437 malkûw (kingdom): This term is directly associated with H7011 in both of its appearances. A kingdom is made sure Daniel 4:26, and the stedfast God has a kingdom that will not be destroyed Daniel 6:26.
H7985 sholṭân (dominion): Used in parallel with kingdom, this word appears in the declaration that the stedfast God's dominion will last forever Daniel 6:26.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7011 is centered on God's sovereignty.

The Steadfastness of God: The word is used to affirm the eternal and unchanging nature of the living God. He is declared to be "stedfast for ever" Daniel 6:26.
Conditional Security of Earthly Rule: The assurance of a kingdom being made "sure" is directly tied to the ruler's acknowledgment of a higher, heavenly authority Daniel 4:26.
Foundation of God's Eternal Kingdom: The permanent nature of God, described as stedfast, is the reason His kingdom and dominion will endure forever and cannot be destroyed Daniel 6:26.

Summary

In summary, H7011 qayâm, while rare, carries significant theological weight. It establishes a direct link between what is sure and stedfast and the nature of God Himself. It is used to contrast the permanent, reliable nature of God and His kingdom with the conditional and temporary status of human authority. Ultimately, it teaches that true permanence is found only in God and in submission to His sovereign rule.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

קַיָּם
קַיָּמָה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

2 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.