### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic word **gîyr**, represented by `{{H1528}}`, means **plaster** or lime. It is an exceptionally rare term, appearing only **1 time** in a single verse in the entire Bible, marking a singular, dramatic event.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole use of `{{H1528}}` is found in the account of the writing on the wall in the book of Daniel. During a feast held by King Belshazzar, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote a message upon the **plaister** of the wall of the king's palace. The king witnessed this event as it happened, seeing the part of the hand that wrote the divine message [[Daniel 5:5]]. In this context, the plaster serves as the canvas for a direct and startling communication from God.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Aramaic words are crucial to understanding the scene where `{{H1528}}` appears:
* `{{H3797}}` **kᵉthal** (a wall (as gathering inmates)): This word identifies the structure to which the **plaister** was applied. The divine writing appeared on the **wall** of the king's palace, making it a public and unavoidable spectacle [[Daniel 5:5]].
* `{{H3790}}` **kᵉthab** (to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)): This verb defines the action performed upon the plaster. A supernatural hand **wrote** a message, turning a simple wall surface into a divine tablet [[Daniel 5:5]].
* `{{H3028}}` **yad** (a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)): This term signifies the instrument of the message. The fingers of a man's **hand** emerged to write on the plaster, indicating a deliberate and powerful act [[Daniel 5:5]].
* `{{H1965}}` **hêykal** (a large public building, such as a palace or temple): This specifies the location of the event as the king's **palace**, a place of royal authority and revelry that was interrupted by God's judgment [[Daniel 5:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H1528}}` is tied entirely to its unique context in [[Daniel 5:5]].
* **Medium for Divine Judgment:** The plaster, an ordinary building material, becomes the medium for an extraordinary message of divine judgment against a defiant king.
* **Irrefutable Evidence:** The writing on the **plaister** serves as a physical and visible sign of God's power. It was not a private vision but a public miracle that the king himself **saw** [[Daniel 5:5]].
* **Setting for Prophecy:** The message inscribed on the **plaister** of the wall sets the stage for Daniel to deliver a prophetic interpretation, announcing the imminent fall of the kingdom.
### Summary
In summary, while `{{H1528}}` is a simple word for **plaster**, its single biblical appearance is unforgettable. It plays a passive but essential role in one of the most dramatic moments of divine intervention in the Old Testament. The use of this common material highlights how God can employ any part of creation, even a plastered wall, to deliver a powerful and history-altering message to humanity.
TRV