### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qîyr**, represented by `{{H7023}}`, refers to a **wall**, often one built in a trench. It can also be used in phrases to mean mason, side, town, or even **very**. The word appears **74 times** across **64 unique verses**. While most often describing a literal structure, it also signifies the side of an object and is used in powerful idioms.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H7023}}` is used in various physical and figurative contexts. Architecturally, it describes the **walls** of Solomon's temple, which were carved with figures of cherubim and palm trees [[1 Kings 6:29]] and overlaid with gold [[2 Chronicles 3:7]]. It also refers to the **side** of an altar where blood was sprinkled [[Leviticus 5:9]]. The term is used idiomatically in prophecies of judgment, with the repeated curse against "him that pisseth against the **wall**" [[1 Kings 14:10]]. Figuratively, a person under attack is described as a "bowing **wall**" [[Psalms 62:3]], and in a moment of intense personal prayer, Hezekiah "turned his face to the **wall**" [[2 Kings 20:2]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the concept of walls and structures:
* `{{H2346}}` **chôwmâh**: This word refers to a wall of protection and appears alongside `{{H7023}}` to describe a house built upon the town **wall** [[Joshua 2:15]].
* `{{H1129}}` **bânâh**: A primitive root meaning to build. This verb is frequently used for the action of constructing a **wall** or house [[1 Kings 6:5]].
* `{{H1447}}` **gâdêr**: Defined as a fence or hedge, this term is used in parallel with `{{H7023}}` to describe a tottering **fence** [[Psalms 62:3]].
* `{{H68}}` **ʼeben**: Meaning a stone, this word denotes the material from which walls are built. Masons are described as workers of a **wall** of **stone** [[2 Samuel 5:11]], and a **stone** is said to cry out from the **wall** [[Habakkuk 2:11]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H7023}}` is evident in its symbolic usage:
* **Divine Judgment:** The **wall** is often a target of God's wrath. Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy against the **wall** daubed with untempered morter, which the LORD will break down so its foundation is discovered [[Ezekiel 13:14]]. The Day of the Lord is a time of "breaking down the **walls**" [[Isaiah 22:5]].
* **Sanctuary and Separation:** The **walls** of the temple serve to delineate sacred space. They were elaborately decorated with cherubim [[Ezekiel 41:20]], and a **wall** was described as separating God from the people's abominations [[Ezekiel 43:8]].
* **Human Desperation and Faith:** The **wall** represents the limit of human strength. The blind "grope for the **wall**" in their confusion [[Isaiah 59:10]]. Conversely, turning one's face to the **wall** in prayer, as Hezekiah did, signifies a moment of profound and personal appeal to God [[Isaiah 38:2]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7023}}` extends beyond its simple definition of a physical partition. It is a key architectural term for homes and holy places, a powerful symbol in prophetic language, and part of a recurring idiom signifying total destruction. From the carved temple **walls** to the tottering **wall** of a man under judgment, the word illustrates a foundational element of both the physical and spiritual landscapes of the Bible.
TRV