The Aramaic form of 'to live' — used in Daniel's court language and later Jewish literature. This is the word behind the common exclamation l'chaim ('to life!'), one of Judaism's most recognizable phrases.
When Nebuchadnezzar declares 'O king, live forever!' (Dan 2:4), he uses chaya — but the irony is that only God truly lives forever. Daniel's use of this word in the Aramaic sections creates a theological contrast: earthly kings seek eternal life through power, but true eternal life belongs to God's kingdom alone (Dan 4:34). The word gains its fullest expression in Christ: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6).