1585. gemar

Lexical Summary

gemar: perfect

Original Word: גְּמַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: gmar
Pronunciation: geh-MAR
Phonetic Spelling: (ghem-ar')
NASB: perfect
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H1584 (גָּמַר - come to an end)]

1. perfect

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

perfect

(Aramaic) corresponding to gamar -- perfect.

see HEBREW gamar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to gamar
Definition
to complete
NASB Translation
perfect (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[גְּמַר] verb complete (often ᵑ7 Syriac; rare Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Passive participle גְּמִיר Ezra 7:12 as adjective perfect (read perhaps ׳שְׁלָם ג, Torrey Berthol; compare Ezra 5:7).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

A single Aramaic term occurring in Ezra 7:12 conveys the idea of something whole, finished, or complete. Within its one appearance it carries diplomatic, theological, and practical weight far beyond its brevity, situating the reader at the intersection of Persian protocol and the biblical theme of God bringing His purposes to perfect conclusion.

Biblical Occurrence

Ezra 7:12—“Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Historical Context

• Date: Approximately 458 B.C. during the seventh year of Artaxerxes I.
• Setting: The royal chancery at Susa issues an official memorandum authorizing Ezra’s mission to Jerusalem.
• Audience: Ezra, priest and scribe, is empowered to teach the Law, appoint magistrates, and ensure compliance with divine statutes throughout the province Beyond the River.

Significance in the Narrative of Ezra

1. Validation of the Mission: The king’s single-word salutation signals a fully authorized commission. Ezra’s work is therefore portrayed not as a private initiative but as a completed legal mandate under imperial seal.
2. Covenantal Continuity: By acknowledging “the Law of the God of heaven,” Artaxerxes implicitly affirms the exclusivity of Israel’s God, foreshadowing later imperial acknowledgments such as Cyrus’s decree (Ezra 1:2).
3. Literary Marker of Closure: The term appears at the outset of the letter, framing the entire document as a finished reality rather than a proposal in process. The structure mirrors earlier Aramaic sections (Ezra 4–6) in which similar formulas mark the completion of decrees.

Broader Canonical Links

• Divine Completion: Other Old Testament passages celebrate God’s finishing work—such as Psalms 138:8, “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me”—inviting readers to connect royal “completion” with divine assurance.
• New Testament Fulfilment: The theme culminates in John 19:30 where Christ declares, “It is finished,” echoing the same concept of completed work that secures God’s redemptive plan.
• Prophetic Parallel: Isaiah 55:11 promises that the word God sends out “will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it,” underscoring that when God speaks, the outcome is already considered whole.

Theological Implications

1. Sovereign Orchestration: God moves the heart of a pagan monarch so that a legal document embodies divine completeness, showing that no human authority can thwart the finished purposes of heaven.
2. Peace Rooted in Wholeness: While renders the salutation as “Greetings,” earlier traditions captured the nuance as “perfect peace.” Biblical peace (shalom) is frequently linked to fullness or completeness (Numbers 6:24-26; John 14:27).
3. Foundation for Confidence: Because the decree is presented as an accomplished fact, Ezra can proceed without hesitation, modeling the believer’s confidence in God’s already-settled promises.

Ministry Applications

• Assurance in Calling: Servants of God may step forward boldly, trusting that divine commissions are not tentative but complete in God’s counsel (Ephesians 2:10).
• Commitment to Finish Well: The term challenges ministries to move beyond initial enthusiasm to genuine completion (2 Timothy 4:7).
• Discipleship Emphasis on Wholeness: Biblical teaching aims at fully formed disciples, “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4).

Related Scripture for Reflection

• Psalms 57:2; Psalms 138:8—God fulfills His purposes.
• Philippians 1:6—“He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
• Revelation 21:6—“It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega.”

Summary

The lone Aramaic word translated “Greetings” in Ezra 7:12 serves as a literary seal of completeness that unites Persian legalese with the biblical motif of divine fulfillment. Its placement in the narrative assures Ezra, and every subsequent reader, that when God commissions, the outcome is already counted as whole. In ministry and personal discipleship alike, this single occurrence reinforces unwavering confidence in the God who perfects all that He ordains.

Forms and Transliterations

גְּמִ֖יר גמיר gə·mîr geMir gəmîr

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 7:12
HEB: אֱלָ֧הּ שְׁמַיָּ֛א גְּמִ֖יר וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃
NAS: of heaven, perfect [peace]. And now
KJV: of heaven, perfect [peace], and at such a time.
INT: of the God of heaven perfect and now

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1585
1 Occurrence

gə·mîr — 1 Occ.