עֲקַר
Definition
The Aramaic noun עֲקַר (ʻăqar) means 'root' and refers to the act of uprooting or plucking something out by its roots. In its sole biblical occurrence in Daniel 7:8, it describes the violent removal of three 'horns' (representing kings) from a beast in a prophetic vision. The action implies complete and permanent destruction, not merely cutting down, but tearing out the very foundation. This sense of total eradication is consistent with its Hebrew cognate.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the Aramaic portion of the book of Daniel. It appears in Daniel 7:8 within the context of a prophetic vision concerning the rise and fall of kingdoms. The usage is metaphorical, describing the divine judgment and overthrow of political powers, emphasizing their complete and final end.
Etymology
The word is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew root עָקַר (ʻāqar, H6131), which means 'to pluck up, root out, or uproot.' The Aramaic form directly corresponds to this meaning. The root concept involves forceful removal from a foundational base, carrying into Aramaic the same imagery of total destruction found in Hebrew prophetic literature (e.g., Jeremiah 1:10).
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word carries significant theological weight in the context of Daniel's apocalyptic prophecy. It underscores God's sovereign authority to judge and utterly remove human kingdoms that oppose His rule. The imagery of uprooting reinforces the theme of divine judgment as total and irreversible, a concept central to prophetic messages about God's ultimate victory over evil empires. Understanding this term enriches the reading of Daniel 7 by highlighting the completeness of God's planned judgment.
In an ancient agrarian society, the act of uprooting a plant or tree was a definitive act of destruction, preventing regrowth. This metaphor for political overthrow would have been powerfully understood. The vision in Daniel uses imagery familiar to its original audience—beasts and horns representing kingdoms—to communicate God's control over history and the fate of empires.
עָקַר (ʻāqar, H6131) — The Hebrew verb meaning 'to uproot,' used more frequently in prophetic judgment oracles (e.g., Jeremiah 1:10). נָתַשׁ (nāṯaš, H5428) — A Hebrew synonym meaning 'to pluck up or tear away,' often used in parallel with עָקַר for emphatic judgment language.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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