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Ulai

biblical_place_name theological_term standard

Ulai is the river or canal near Susa where Daniel received his vision in Daniel 8.

At a Glance

Ulai is a geographical name in Daniel 8, most likely referring to a river or canal near ancient Susa. It serves as the setting for Daniel’s vision and does not function as a theological term in itself.

Key Points

Description

Ulai is the name associated with the watercourse near Susa in Daniel 8:2, 16, where Daniel received his vision. In the biblical text, it functions primarily as a geographical marker that locates the vision in a real historical setting. Interpreters commonly understand Ulai to have been a canal or river in the vicinity of ancient Susa in Elam, though the precise identification is not certain. Because Scripture uses Ulai as place-name rather than as a doctrinal concept, it belongs in a biblical geography category rather than a theological term entry.

Biblical Context

Daniel places the vision by the Ulai in Susa, which helps root the prophecy in a concrete historical and geographic context. The location underscores that Daniel’s visions are presented as revelation within real time and place.

Historical Context

Susa was an important city in the Persian world, and the reference to Ulai fits the broader setting of the later chapters of Daniel. The name likely refers to a local watercourse or canal system known to ancient readers.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Ancient Jewish readers would have recognized Susa as a significant imperial center and Ulai as part of that landscape. The biblical emphasis is on the vision’s location, not on a symbolic meaning for the name itself.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew form refers to the watercourse named in Daniel 8. The precise etymology and modern identification are uncertain, but the term clearly functions as a place-name in the narrative.

Theological Significance

Ulai has no doctrine of its own, but it reinforces the historical and geographic rootedness of Daniel’s prophetic vision.

Philosophical Explanation

Place-names in Scripture serve as narrative anchors. Ulai reminds readers that biblical revelation is presented in concrete history rather than abstract myth.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build doctrine on the exact modern identification of Ulai. The biblical text is clear about its role as the setting of Daniel’s vision, but less specific about its precise geographic equivalent today.

Major Views

Most interpreters understand Ulai as a river or canal near Susa. The main interpretive issue is identification, not meaning: the term functions as a location marker in Daniel 8.

Doctrinal Boundaries

No doctrine depends on the precise identification of Ulai. Its value is geographic and narrative, not doctrinal.

Practical Significance

Ulai reminds readers that prophecy in Scripture is anchored in real places and historical settings.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Ulai

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