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.
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"]
▼ 6 more senses below
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"]
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"]
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 +…