### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic word **qᵉṭar**, represented by `{{H7001}}`, is based on a root meaning a knot. This term is used to describe both a physical "joint," like a vertebra, and figuratively, a "doubt" or riddle. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively within the book of Daniel.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical context, `{{H7001}}` illustrates a sharp contrast between human frailty and divine insight. Its physical meaning is seen in the terrifying account of King Belshazzar, whose "thoughts troubled him, so that the **joints** of his loins were loosed" upon seeing the writing on the wall [[Daniel 5:6]]. The word's figurative sense is then used to describe Daniel's unique gift. He is known for his ability in the "dissolving of **doubts**" [[Daniel 5:12]], a skill the king later pleads for him to use to solve the divine riddle [[Daniel 5:16]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning and function of `{{H7001}}` within its narrative context:
* `{{H8271}}` **shᵉrêʼ** (to free, separate; figuratively, to unravel... dissolve, loose): This verb is directly paired with `{{H7001}}` in all of its appearances. It describes both the "loosing" of the king's physical joints in fear [[Daniel 5:6]] and the "dissolving" of intellectual knots or doubts by Daniel ([[Daniel 5:12]], [[Daniel 5:16]]).
* `{{H6590}}` **pᵉshar** (to interpret; make (interpretations), interpreting): Daniel's ability for "dissolving of doubts" is presented as a parallel skill to his ability for "**interpreting** of dreams" [[Daniel 5:12]], linking the solving of riddles directly to the act of interpretation.
* `{{H6591}}` **pᵉshar** (an interpretation): This is the ultimate goal of resolving a `{{H7001}}` doubt. The king summons Daniel to "dissolve doubts" specifically so that he can "make known... the **interpretation** thereof" [[Daniel 5:16]].
### Theological Significance
The conceptual weight of `{{H7001}}` is centered on the theme of resolving divinely presented problems.
* **Human Frailty vs. Divine Power:** The word masterfully contrasts the physical "loosing" of a powerful king's joints in terror with the intellectual "dissolving" of complex doubts by God's servant. One represents the body breaking down, the other a mind empowered by God.
* **Problems as Knots:** The root idea of a "knot" frames difficult situations and riddles as tangled problems that cannot be broken by force but must be carefully unraveled or "dissolved."
* **God-Given Insight:** The ability to resolve these "doubts" is not presented as mere human wisdom but as a function of the "excellent spirit" found in Daniel [[Daniel 5:12]], marking it as a divine gift for revealing truth.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7001}}` is a focused but powerful Aramaic term. Its dual application as a physical "joint" and a figurative "doubt" is used exclusively in Daniel 5 to draw a stark line between the collapse of earthly power and the profound wisdom granted by God. The word encapsulates the idea that while divine mysteries can unravel a man physically, they can be unraveled intellectually by one who has the Spirit of God.
TRV