Lexical Summary iqqar: Root, main part, essence Original Word: עִקַּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stump (Aramaic) from aqar; a stock -- stump. see HEBREW aqar Brown-Driver-Briggs עִקַּר ( < רָ֯ K§ 59 c)) noun [masculine] root, stock (√ עקר, see Biblical Hebrew, and, on meaning of √, SchwZMG lii (1898), 140); — construct שָׁרְשׁ֫וֺהִי ׳ע Daniel 4:12; Daniel 4:20; Daniel 4:23. Topical Lexicon Literary setting in Daniel עִקַּר appears three times in Daniel 4, the Aramaic narrative that recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great tree cut down and banded, yet with “the stump and roots” left in the earth (Daniel 4:15; Daniel 4:23; Daniel 4:26). The imagery is central to the chapter’s structure: vision, interpretation, fulfillment, and restoration. By retaining the stump, the text preserves hope within judgment and frames the chapter’s overarching message that “the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wishes” (Daniel 4:17). Imagery of the stump 1. Continuity after cutting. The stump embodies life that survives drastic pruning. Unlike a felled trunk that is uprooted, a stump keeps silent potential under the soil, ready for divinely appointed renewal. Theological themes: Divine sovereignty and mercy • Judgment is purposeful, not merely punitive. Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall is calibrated to lead him to confess, “Heaven rules” (Daniel 4:26). Historical significance for Israel and the exiles The Jews in Babylonian captivity could see themselves in the stump: cut down nationally yet preserved by covenant promises. Nebuchadnezzar’s personal account serves as a macro-image for empires. Mighty kingdoms rise and fall, but the God of Abraham sustains His purposes. The remnant motif would later comfort the post-exilic community rebuilding a seemingly insignificant temple (Haggai 2:3–9). New Testament resonance Luke 1:52 notes that God “has brought down rulers from their thrones but has exalted the humble,” echoing the Daniel narrative. Paul’s olive-tree metaphor (Romans 11:17–24) also rests on the hope that what is cut can live again. The stump thus anticipates resurrection realities: death-like loss followed by Spirit-given renewal (John 12:24). Practical ministry applications 1. Pastoral counseling. Believers broken by sin or circumstance may be assured that God often leaves a “stump”—undetected reserves of grace—from which restoration will spring. In sum, עִקַּר is more than a botanical term; it is a visual theology of judgment tempered by hope, fitting seamlessly into the Bible’s grand narrative of ruin and restoration. Forms and Transliterations עִקַּ֤ר עקר ‘iq·qar ‘iqqar ikKarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 4:15 HEB: בְּרַ֨ם עִקַּ֤ר שָׁרְשׁ֙וֹהִי֙ בְּאַרְעָ֣א NAS: leave the stump with its roots KJV: leave the stump of his roots INT: Yet the stump roots the ground Daniel 4:23 Daniel 4:26 3 Occurrences |