H1313 H1313
my spice/balsam - fragrant substance, likely balsam or aromatic resin, used in perfumery
The word refers to valuable aromatic substances—spices, balsam, or perfume—highly prized in the ancient world. Related to Arabic بَشَامٌ and Greek βάλσαμον (balsam), these substances served as tokens of wealth and royal gifts. They appear in descriptions of temple incense, royal treasuries, and intimate love poetry. The possessive form 'my spice' in Song of Songs adds personal tenderness to the imagery.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In Song of Songs 5:1, the beloved speaks of gathering 'my spice' alongside myrrh, creating a sensory tapestry of fragrance and intimacy. The first-person possessive intensifies the personal nature of this love poetry. Cross-linguistic renderings consistently emphasize ownership ('mi-especia,' 'mon-baume'), though German's 'mein-Name' appears to be a mistranslation or textual confusion. 1×
AR["بْسَمِي"]·ben["আমার-সুগন্ধি"]·DE["in-mein-Name"]·EN["my-spice"]·FR["mon-baume;"]·heb["בשמי"]·HI["अपने-मसाले"]·ID["rempah-rempahku"]·IT["mio-spice-mio"]·jav["rempah-kula"]·KO["내-향료-와"]·PT["meu-perfume"]·RU["бальзамом-моим"]·ES["mi-especia"]·SW["manukato-yangu"]·TR["baharatimi"]·urd["میرے-مصالحے-کے"]
Related Senses
H8081 1. oil (substance) (180×)H3196 1. wine (fermented grape juice) (141×)H1706 1. honey (54×)H4682 1. unleavened bread/cakes (53×)H2461 1. milk (42×)H8492 1. new wine / must (38×)H0400 1. food, nourishment (36×)G3631 1. wine (34×)H3978 1. food, nourishment (30×)H1314 1. spice / perfume / balsam (29×)H7416 1. pomegranate (fruit/ornament) (28×)H3323 1. fresh oil, olive oil (23×)H2964 1. prey, torn flesh (19×)H3899 2. food, sustenance (19×)G1033 1. food (17×)G5160 1. food (16×)H5561 1. spices, aromatic substances (16×)H0402 1. food, nourishment (14×)G2219 1. leaven (13×)H4478a 1. manna (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בֹּ֫שֶׂם n.m. 1 K 10:10 spice, balsam, balsamtree (Arabic بَشَامٌ, Aramaic בּוּסְמָא, ܒܶܣܡܳܐ, Gk. βάλσαμον; cf. Löw53)—ב׳ Is 3:24 +, בֶּ֫שֶׂם Ex 30:23 v. infr., בְּשָׂמִי Ct 5:1 (as if from בָּשָׂם); pl. בְּשָׂמִים Ex 25:6 + 18 times, בְּשָׂמָיו Ct 4:16;— 1. spice, perfume, sweet odour Is 3:24; קִנְּמָן־בֶּשֶׂם Ex 30:23 (ב׳ perhaps so pointed to distinguish it from) קְנֵה־בֹשֶׂם v 23;—with this…