עֲמַר (a.mar)
a.mar
wool
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 ʿamar refers to wool, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible within Daniel 7:9. It serves as the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew word tsemer, describing the raw fiber sheared from sheep.
In this singular instance, the term helps paint a vivid image of divine majesty. The vision describes the Ancient of Days with hair "like pure wool," emphasizing whiteness and age rather than texture alone. This usage aligns with other biblical imagery where white wool symbolizes purity or the passage of time.
Its rarity in Scripture makes this occurrence particularly notable. By using ʿamar, the text maintains linguistic consistency with the Aramaic sections of Daniel while evoking a tangible, familiar material to convey the solemnity and antiquity of the heavenly figure depicted.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In Daniel’s vision, the Ancient of Days appears with hair like pure wool. This image conveys dignity, age, and wisdom. The material is familiar to anyone who has seen sheep, making the divine presence feel both majestic and approachable.
For your faith, this reminds you that God’s authority is rooted in eternal stability. He is not distant or abstract. His character is consistent, just as wool is a known substance. You can trust the One who sits on the throne with such clear, tangible imagery.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- like/ wool1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כַּ/עֲמַ֣ר1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 7:9
“I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was Ancient of Days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
The term describes the hair of the Ancient of Days, linking wool to divine age and purity in a vision of judgment.