ARAMAIC WORD STUDY – EXCELLENT SPIRIT –   YATARA’ RUCHA  רוח יתירא

Daniel 6:3: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

The more I read this passage over the more I became fascinated with this idea of an excellent spirit. Look at Daniel, we have a man who had every reason to hate his employer, his king. Here he was a good Godly man forced to serve a pagan Persian king whose religious faith was to follow Zoroastrianism.  Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions dating back to ancient Iran 3,500 years ago. It is very similar to the Hebrew religion and yet very different. Their god is known as Ahura (like in Star Trek) and Mazda (like in the car) who is considered the supreme deity and means Wise Lord. They believe Ahura Mazda is almighty but not omnipotent.  It emphasizes a duty to protect nature which puts it in the pantheistic fold.  Still, Darius was a spiritual man, although not a Godly man. Yet he saw an excellent spirit in Daniel. 

The first thing we need to realize is that chapters 2 through 7 in Daniel are in Aramaic and the remaining portions are in Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls have uncovered no less than five copies of the Book of Daniel, all perfectly in harmony with each other. The Septuagint does have some extra material not found in our English translations, but that doesn’t apply to this passage. 

The word excellent in Aramaic is yatara which is a little different than the Hebrew word.  The Hebrew yetar word has more of the idea of an abundance.  Yet, the Aramaic word carries the idea of pre-eminence. Thus a yatar rucha or excellent spirit is one where the Spirit of God is pre-eminent is one’s life. King Darius was very astute. He probably noticed something different in Daniel from all the other wise men. Daniel seemed to be more focused on his relationship with God than the other wise men. The others were constantly seeking the favor of the king, yet Daniel would be seeking only the favor of his God. Here was someone whose spirit was pre-eminent over the flesh.  

Where all the other wise men were spouting the party line and the same old same old, Daniel would speak of new things, things of God, things that would bring about a transformation. Perhaps what Darius saw was a man who did not care about making an impression by speaking the party line, but one who would speak the truth of God. He could sense his rucha or his spirit/mind. The king recognized that there was something about Daniel that was pure and holy. Perhaps because Daniel had a pure heart.

Years ago when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute I met an elderly man in his 90’s although he looked to be in his 70’s. He had such a joyful look that his face shined with the love of God I actually thought I could measure that glow with a light meter. I commented to someone that this guy had to be someone special, it was like a blessing just being in his presence.  The person laughed and said; “Funny you should say that, he is George Schuler who wrote the old hymn: Make me a blessing, out of my life may Jesus shine.” I believe I saw a man with a yatar rucha, an excellent spirit.

I have prayed every day that God will make me a blessing.  I have had experiences where total strangers come up to me and ask if I am a priest. I asked why they would ask that and they usually say; “I don’t know just something about you.”  I hope what they saw was a yatar rucha, an excellent spirit. I don’t know but I do know it follows one who loves Jesus with all their heart and if you have a yatar rucha, an excellent spirit, people will notice but you will not even be aware of it.