### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic word **ʼushsharnâʼ**, represented by `{{H846}}`, refers to a **wall**. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. Derived from a root suggesting uprightness, this term is used specifically in the book of Ezra to denote the large, structural walls of Jerusalem during the period of its rebuilding.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Both occurrences of `{{H846}}` are found in a single narrative context where the authority of the Jewish people to rebuild is challenged. Tatnai, a local governor, confronts the elders, asking, "Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this **wall**?" [[Ezra 5:3]]. This accusatory question is repeated almost verbatim when the elders are formally questioned about their work on the house and "these **walls**" [[Ezra 5:9]]. In this context, the wall is not just a construction project but a focal point of a political and jurisdictional dispute.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Aramaic words provide a fuller picture of the construction and the controversy surrounding it:
* `{{H1124}}` **bᵉnâʼ** ((Aramaic) or בְּנָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to בָּנָה; to build; build, make.): This verb for "to build" is directly tied to `{{H846}}` in the questions posed to the elders, framing the central action of the conflict [[Ezra 5:3]].
* `{{H3635}}` **kᵉlal** ((Aramaic) corresponding to כָּלַל; to complete; finish, make (set) up.): This word is used to describe the finishing of the project, as in the phrase "to make up this wall," indicating the comprehensive nature of the rebuilding effort [[Ezra 5:3]].
* `{{H7761}}` **sûwm** ((Aramaic) corresponding to שׂוּם; {to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)}; [phrase] command, give, lay, make, [phrase] name, [phrase] regard, set.): This verb is used to ask who "made" or issued the decree for the construction, establishing the theme of legal authority [[Ezra 5:9]].
* `{{H2942}}` **ṭᵉʻêm** ((Aramaic) from טְעַם, and equivalent to טַעַם; properly, flavor; figuratively, judgment (both subjective and objective); hence, account (both subjectively and objectively); [phrase] chancellor, [phrase] command, commandment, decree, [phrase] regard, taste, wisdom.): As the word for "decree" or "commandment," it is the legal basis being questioned. The entire legitimacy of building the wall `{{H846}}` rests on this command [[Ezra 5:9]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic significance of `{{H846}}` in its limited context is directly tied to the restoration of Israel after the exile.
* **Symbol of Authority:** The **wall** is the physical object at the center of a debate over authority. The challenge from Tatnai is not about the construction itself but about who gave the permission, or decree `{{H2942}}`, to build it [[Ezra 5:3]].
* **National Restoration:** Rebuilding the walls was a crucial step in re-establishing Jerusalem as a secure and sovereign city. Its construction, alongside the house of God, symbolized the renewal of the nation and its identity.
* **Point of Contention:** The term appears exclusively within a context of opposition. The **wall** `{{H846}}` represents a visible and provocative sign of Jewish progress that draws the scrutiny and suspicion of neighboring governors [[Ezra 5:3]].
### Summary
In summary, **ʼushsharnâʼ** `{{H846}}` is more than just an architectural term. Though it appears only twice, its context in Ezra makes it a potent symbol of the right to rebuild, the struggle for legitimacy, and the tangible evidence of a royal decree. The word is inseparable from the themes of authority and opposition that defined the Jewish return from exile.
TRV