עֵץ329 H6086
Tree, wood, timber; firewood, stick, stake/gallows, wooden shaft; broad term for any woody plant or product
Hebrew ets is the all-purpose word for anything woody — from a living tree in an orchard to a plank of construction timber to a bundle of firewood. Its theological prominence begins in Eden with the 'tree of life' and the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Gen 2:9), and it remains central in Proverbs where 'tree of life' becomes a metaphor for wisdom and flourishing (Prov 3:18). Materially, ets is the acacia wood of the tabernacle (Exod 25:10), the firewood Abraham binds for Isaac (Gen 22:3), and the gallows Haman builds for Mordecai (Esth 5:14). Its range mirrors that of English 'wood' — simultaneously plant, material, and product.
Senses
1. tree, living tree — A living, standing tree — individually, collectively, or as a named species. Arabic shajara and Swahili mti/miti match this botanical sense. The Edenic trees of life and knowledge (Gen 2:9; 3:3) anchor the word theologically, while Judges 9:8 personifies the trees in Jotham's fable. Jer 17:8 and Ps 1:3 use the planted tree as the quintessential image of the righteous person rooted beside water. 156×
AR["خَشَبَةٍ", "شَجَرًا", "شَجَرٌ", "شَجَرٍ", "شَجَرَةً", "شَجَرَةٍ", "شَجَرَةُ", "شَجَرُ", "شَجَرِ", "عِيص"]·ben["গাছ", "গাছে", "গাছের"]·DE["Baum", "Galgen", "ein-Baum", "ein-Holz"]·EN["a-tree", "is-a-tree-of", "tree", "tree-of", "trees-of"]·FR["arbre", "bois", "un-arbre"]·heb["עץ", "עצים"]·HI["पेड़", "पेड़-", "वृक्ष"]·ID["adalah-pohon", "pohon", "sepotong-kayu"]·IT["albero", "legno", "un-albero"]·jav["kajeng", "wit", "wit-", "wit-woh-wohan"]·KO["나무", "나무-다", "나무-의", "나무가", "나무도", "나무를", "나무이", "나무이니라"]·PT["madeiro", "árvore", "árvore,", "árvore-de", "árvores-de"]·RU["дерева", "дереве", "дерево", "деревом", "деревьев"]·ES["un-árbol", "árbol", "árbol-de", "árboles-de"]·SW["miti", "miti-ya", "mti", "ndege", "ni-mti", "wa-mti", "ya-miti"]·TR["agac", "agaci", "ağacı", "ağacıdır", "ağacın", "ağaç", "ağaçta"]·urd["درخت", "درخت-پر", "درخت-کا", "پھلدار-درخت"]
2. wood, timber, lumber — Wood as a processed material for construction, carpentry, and crafting — timber, boards, beams, and planks. Arabic khashab and Spanish madera capture this artisanal sense. The tabernacle instructions dominate: acacia wood for the ark (Exod 25:10), the table (25:23), and the frames (26:15). Solomon's temple similarly requires vast quantities of timber (1 Kgs 5–6), making this the primary material-culture sense of ets. 104×
AR["خَشَبَ", "خَشَبُ", "خَشَبِ", "مِن-أخشابِ"]·ben["কাঠ", "কাঠ-এর", "কাঠের"]·DE["Holz-von"]·EN["wood-of"]·FR["bois-de"]·heb["עצי"]·HI["लकड़ी", "लकड़ी-का", "लकड़ी-की", "लकड़ी-के", "लकड़ी-से"]·ID["kayu", "kayu-"]·IT["legno-di"]·jav["kajeng", "kajeng-", "kajeng-kajeng", "kayu-"]·KO["나무로", "나무를", "나무의"]·PT["madeiras-de", "madeiras-de-"]·RU["дерева", "дерево", "из-дерева"]·ES["madera-de", "maderas-de"]·SW["la-miti", "miti-ya-", "ya-miti", "ya-miti-ya-", "za-miti"]·TR["agacları", "ağaçları", "ağaçlarından"]·urd["لکڑی", "لکڑی-"]
Exod 25:10, Exod 25:13, Exod 25:23, Exod 25:28, Exod 26:15, Exod 26:26, Exod 27:1, Exod 27:6, Exod 30:1, Exod 30:5, Exod 31:5, Exod 35:24 (+38 more)
3. firewood, fuel wood — Wood gathered or designated as fuel for burning — firewood and kindling. Arabic hatab and Swahili kuni specify this combustion use. The Aqedah narrative is saturated with it: Abraham splits the firewood, Isaac carries it, and it is laid on the altar (Gen 22:3, 6, 7, 9). Levitical offering instructions repeatedly specify the wood arrangement on the altar fire (Lev 1:7–8), linking this sense to sacrificial worship. 42×
AR["-الحَطَبِ", "ال-حَطَبَ", "ال-حَطَبِ", "الْحَطَبَ", "الْحَطَبِ", "حَطَبًا", "حَطَبٍ"]·ben["-কাঠগুলি", "-কাঠগুলির", "কাঠ", "কাঠগুলি", "কাঠগুলিকে", "কাঠগুলির", "কাঠগুলির।", "কাঠে", "কাঠের"]·DE["Holz", "auf-die-Hölzer", "der-Holz", "die-Hölzer"]·EN["the-wood", "wood"]·FR["bois", "le-bois"]·heb["ה-עץ", "ה-עצים", "ל-ה-עץ", "עצים"]·HI["लकड़ियाँ", "लकड़ियां", "लकड़ियों", "लकड़ियों-ה", "लकड़ियों-के", "लकड़ियों-को", "लकड़ी-के"]·ID["kayu"]·IT["il-legno", "il-wood", "legno"]·jav["kajeng"]·KO["그-나무", "그-나무들", "그-나무들을", "그-나무를", "나무", "나무-를", "나무들을", "나무들의"]·PT["as-lenhas", "das-lenhas", "lenha", "lenhas"]·RU["дров", "дрова", "дровах"]·ES["las-leñas", "leña", "leñas", "leños", "los-leños"]·SW["kuni"]·TR["-odunlar", "-odunları", "-odunların", "odunlar", "odunları", "odunların"]·urd["-لکڑیوں", "لکڑیاں", "لکڑیوں", "لکڑیوں-کے", "ہ-لکڑیوں"]
4. stick, staff, rod — A shaped piece of wood functioning as a stick, staff, or rod. Arabic asa and Swahili fimbo designate this implement sense. Ezekiel's two symbolic sticks representing Judah and Israel (Ezek 37:16–20) are the most theologically charged examples. Lam 4:8 uses the comparison 'their skin has shriveled on their bones, become dry as a stick' to describe siege-ravaged Jerusalem. 10×
AR["عوداً", "عَصًا", "عَصَا", "كَالْعُودِ", "لِعَصًا", "ٱلْعِصَيَانِ"]·ben["কাঠ", "কাঠের-মত", "লাঠি", "লাঠিগুলি", "লাঠির-জন্য"]·DE["Baum", "ein-stick", "wie-Galgen", "zu-Baum"]·EN["a-stick", "into-stick", "like-a-stick", "stick", "stick-of", "the-sticks"]·FR["[העצים]", "[עץ]", "au-bois", "comme-arbre", "un-stick"]·heb["ה-עצים", "כ-עץ", "ל-עץ", "עץ"]·HI["एक", "एच", "और-मैं-बनाऊँगा-उन्हें", "और-वे-होंगे", "यूसुफ", "लकड़ियाँ", "लकड़ी", "लकड़ी-की-तरह"]·ID["-sepotong-kayu", "kayu", "kayu-kayu-itu", "menjadi-kayu", "seperti-kayu"]·IT["a-albero", "albero", "come-albero", "gli-alberi", "un-bastone"]·jav["kados-kayu", "kajeng", "kajeng-kajeng", "kajeng-ning", "kanggé-kajeng", "kayu"]·KO["그-막대기들이", "나무-를", "나무-처럼", "막대기", "막대기-", "막대기로-"]·PT["as-madeiras", "como-madeira", "madeira", "madeira-de", "para-madeira"]·RU["в-дерево", "дерево", "деревья", "как-дерево"]·ES["como-madera", "como-palo", "los-palos", "palo", "palo-de", "un-palo"]·SW["fimbo", "fimbo-ya", "kama-kuni", "kuwa-fimbo"]·TR["agac", "değnegi", "değnegini", "değneginin", "değnek", "değnek-olarak", "değnekler", "odun-gibi"]·urd["لکڑی", "لکڑی-میں", "لکڑی-کی-طرح", "لکڑیاں"]
5. sense 5 — A large upright wooden stake, pole, or gallows used for public execution or display of a corpse. The Book of Esther concentrates all nine occurrences: Haman erects a fifty-cubit-high ets for Mordecai (Esth 5:14; 7:9–10). Spanish madero, German Galgen, and English 'gallows/pole' all render this specialized punitive-display sense, which carries overtones of public shame and divine reversal. 9×
AR["الْخَشَبَةَ", "الْخَشَبَةُ", "الْخَشَبَةِ", "خَشَبَةً", "خَشَبَةٍ"]·ben["-কাঠ", "-কাঠে", "-কাঠের", "কাঠ"]·DE["Galgen", "der-Galgen"]·EN["gallows", "the-gallows", "the-pole", "tree"]·FR["bois"]·heb["ה-עץ", "עץ"]·HI["फाँसी"]·ID["tiang"]·IT["legno"]·jav["kajeng"]·KO["그-나무가", "그-나무를", "그-나무에", "나무", "나무를"]·PT["madeiro", "o-madeiro"]·RU["дереве", "дерево"]·ES["el-madero", "madero"]·SW["ambao", "juu-ya", "mti"]·TR["ağacı", "ağacı-", "ağacın", "ağacın-"]·urd["درخت"]
6. shaft, wooden handle — The wooden shaft or handle of a weapon, particularly a spear. Arabic ud (stick/shaft) and Spanish asta (spear-shaft) identify this component sense. 1 Sam 17:7 describes Goliath's spear shaft as thick 'like a weaver's beam,' making the ets a measure of the giant's terrifying power. Additional occurrences in materials lists (Exod 25:5; 35:7; Lev 14:4, 49) likely refer to cedarwood sticks used in purification rituals. 8×
AR["(وَ-عُودُ)", "وَ-أخشابُ", "وَ-خَشَبَ", "وَ-عُودُ", "وَخَشَبَ", "وَخَشَبُ"]·ben["এবং-কাঠ", "ও-কাঠ"]·DE["und-Baum", "und-Holz-von", "und-shaft-von"]·EN["(and-shaft-of)", "and-shaft-of", "and-wood-of"]·FR["(and-shaft-of)", "et-bois", "et-bois-de", "et-shaft-de"]·heb["(ו-עץ)", "ו-עץ", "ו-עצי", "ו-עצים"]·HI["(और-लकदि)", "और-लकड़ी", "या"]·ID["(dan-kayu)", "dan-kayu", "dan-kayu-"]·IT["(and-asta-of)", "e-asta-di", "e-legno", "e-legno-di"]·jav["kayu", "lan-kajeng-", "lan-kajeng-kajeng", "lan-kayu"]·KO["(그리고-나무)", "그리고-나무-의", "그리고-나무를"]·PT["(e-haste-de)", "e-madeira-de", "e-madeiras-de", "e-madeiras-de-"]·RU["(и-древко)", "и-дерево", "и-деревья", "и-древко", "и-древком"]·ES["y-asta-de", "y-madera-de"]·SW["na-miti", "na-miti-ya-", "na-mpini-wa", "na-mti", "na-mti-wa"]·TR["(ve-sap)", "ve-ağacı", "ve-ağaçları", "ve-odunu", "ve-odunuyla", "ve-sopası"]·urd["(اور-لکڑی)", "اور-لکڑی"]
7. sense 7 — A single occurrence in Josh 2:6 where ets appears to denote stalks of flax laid out on Rahab's roof. The multilingual evidence — English 'the flax,' Spanish 'el lino,' French 'le lin' — uniformly identifies the material as flax rather than wood. This may reflect either a specialized agricultural usage (woody flax stalks) or a textual anomaly, but the context of drying flax on a rooftop is unambiguous. 1×
AR["العودِ"]·ben["কাঠের"]·DE["der-flax"]·EN["the-flax"]·FR["le-lin"]·heb["ה-עץ"]·HI["लकड़ी-की"]·ID["rami"]·IT["il-lino"]·jav["rami"]·KO["그-나무의"]·PT["o-linho"]·RU["дерева"]·ES["el-lino"]·SW["kitani"]·TR["-ağacın"]·urd["لکڑی-کی"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H???? 1. (4670×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עֵץ329 n.m. Gn 2: 9 tree, trees, wood;—ע׳ abs. Gn 3:3 +, cstr. 3:24 +, עֵץ־ 2:16 +; sf. עֵצְיךָ Dt 28:42, etc.; pl. עֵצִים Ju 9:8 +, cstr. עֲצֵי Is 7:2 +, sf. עֵצֶיךָ Dt 29:10, עֵצֵינוּ La 5:4, etc.;— 1. (c. 150 times) a. a standing tree Gn 18:4, 8 (J) +, Ex 15:25 (J; of shrub?), Je 17:18 = ψ 1:3 (sim.); to be felled Dt 19:5; 2 K 6:6; הָעֵצִים (appar. incl. vine and bramble) in allegory Ju 9:8 +…