H0418 H0418
algum wood (imported timber, possibly sandalwood or juniper)
An imported wood, likely from Lebanon or Ophir, used in Solomon's temple and palace construction. The exact botanical identification remains uncertain—suggestions include sandalwood, juniper, or red pine. Chronicles mentions it alongside cedars and cypresses from Lebanon, and also as a precious import from Ophir along with gold and gems. The dual occurrence (H0418 algum in Chronicles, H0484 almug in Kings for the same material) represents variant spellings of the same foreign loanword, highlighting how exotic trade goods sometimes received inconsistent transliteration.
Senses
1. sense 1 — 2 Chronicles 2:8 requests algum wood from Lebanon alongside cedars and cypress for the temple. 2 Chronicles 9:10-11 describes Huram's ships bringing algum wood from Ophir, which Solomon used to make steps for the temple and palace, as well as lyres and harps for musicians. The wood's value is underscored by its association with precious stones and its use for both sacred architecture and musical instruments. The variant spelling (algum vs. almug) reflects the challenges of rendering foreign trade vocabulary into Hebrew. 3×
AR["الصَندَلِ", "وَ-صَنْدَلٍ"]·ben["আর-চন্দন-কাঠ", "চন্দনের"]·DE["[אלגומים]", "[האלגומים]", "[ואלגומים]"]·EN["algum", "and-algum", "the-algum"]·FR["[אלגומים]", "[האלגומים]", "[ואלגומים]"]·heb["אלגומים", "ה-אלגומים", "ו-אלגומים"]·HI["और-अलगूम", "चन्दन-की"]·ID["algum", "dan-algum"]·IT["[אלגומים]", "[האלגומים]", "[ואלגומים]"]·jav["lan-sandalwood", "sandalwood"]·KO["그-백단향-의", "그리고-백단목들", "백단향-의"]·PT["algumin", "e-almuguins", "o-algumin"]·RU["альгумим", "и-сандаловые"]·ES["el-sándalo", "sándalo", "y-sándalos"]·SW["na-misandali", "ya-misandali"]·TR["algum'un", "ve-algum"]·urd["اور-صندل", "صندل-کی"]
Related Senses
H3754 1. vineyard, cultivated grape plot (92×)H0730 1. cedar tree or wood (73×)H1612 1. vine, grapevine (55×)H3293a 1. forest, wood, thicket (55×)H5560 1. fine flour (53×)H5193 1. plant vegetation (48×)H2232 1. sow seed, plant crops (41×)H1715 1. grain, cereal crop (40×)H7114b 1. reap, harvest grain (36×)H2132 1. olive tree (34×)H8184 1. barley (34×)H2406 1. wheat (grain crop) (30×)H7070 1. reed, cane (plant) (30×)H7848 1. acacia (28×)H8328 1. root of a plant (28×)H8384 1. fig tree (25×)H5488 1. reeds, rushes (in 'Sea of Reeds') (24×)G0290 1. a vineyard (23×)G2325 1. reap, harvest a crop (21×)G4687 1. sow seed, plant (21×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אַלְגּוּמִים n.[m.] pl. a tree (foreign & obscure) alw. with עֲצֵי:—2 Ch 2:7 עֲצֵי אֲרָזִים בְּרוֹשִים וְאַ׳ (fr. Lebanon); עֲצֵי אַ׳ 2 Ch 9:10 (‖ אֶבֶן יְקָרָה; both fr. Ophir); cf. v 11. vid. foll.