גִּיר (gir)
gir
plaster
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The Aramaic noun gir refers to chalk or plaster, appearing only once in the biblical text at Daniel 5:5. In this specific context, it describes the substance used for writing on the wall of Belshazzar’s palace. The word functions as a concrete material detail, grounding the supernatural event in physical reality.
This term is an Aramaic variant of the Hebrew gir (H1615), both sharing the same basic meaning. Its singular occurrence highlights the starkness of the scene: mysterious writing appears on a surface prepared with this common building material. The simplicity of the word underscores the sudden intrusion of divine judgment into a royal setting.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for plaster appears in a moment of sudden stillness within Daniel 5. Belshazzar sees fingers writing on the wall, and the text notes this detail specifically. It grounds a terrifying supernatural event in a physical reality we can touch. Plaster is ordinary, meant for everyday walls, yet here it becomes the canvas for divine judgment.
This reminds us that God speaks through the materials of our daily lives. He does not need grand miracles to be heard; He uses what is already there. When you face uncertainty or fear, remember that the same God who wrote on a palace wall sees your situation clearly. Your ordinary circumstances are never too common for His purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- plaster/ the1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- גִּירָ֕/א1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 5:5
In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
The word identifies the specific surface where the mysterious writing appeared, highlighting the stark contrast between a mundane building material and a supernatural message.