The Aramaic noun arka means 'length,' 'prolonging,' or 'extension of time.' It appears in Daniel's Aramaic sections where it refers to a continuation or extension of a period. The word shares a root with the Hebrew concept of long-suffering and patience.
In Daniel's accounts of Babylonian and Persian courts, the concept of arka — extending or prolonging time — reflects a profound theological tension: human kings grant time extensions within earthly power, but only God truly controls the times and seasons. Daniel's interpretation of dreams repeatedly concerns the 'length' of kingdoms and the ultimate shortening of human empires when God's kingdom comes.