H8247 H8247
almond (tree/nut); the almond tree valued for early blossoming, or its edible nuts, used literally and symbolically
This noun refers to both the almond nut and the almond tree. Genesis 43:11 lists almonds among choice products Jacob sends to Egypt. Numbers 17:23 (17:8 in English) describes Aaron's rod that budded and produced almonds overnight—a sign of divine selection. Ecclesiastes 12:5 uses the almond tree blossoming as part of an allegory of old age. Jeremiah 1:11 contains a wordplay: God shows Jeremiah an almond branch (shaqed) and says 'I am watching' (shoqed), exploiting the similar sounds. The multilingual consensus (Spanish almendro/almendras, French amandes, German Mandeln) confirms the nut/tree identification. The almond's early spring blossoming made it a symbol of watchfulness and new life—first to wake from winter's sleep, hence its name and Jeremiah's wordplay.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Almond tree or its nuts. The nuts appear as valuable trade goods (Gen 43:11) and as miraculous sign on Aaron's budded rod (Num 17:8). The tree features in old age allegory (Eccl 12:5) and in Jeremiah's vision with wordplay on 'watching' (Jer 1:11). Prized for early spring blossoming and edible nuts, the almond symbolizes watchfulness and awakening—it 'watches' for spring, being first to bloom, hence Jeremiah's pun linking shaqed (almond) with shoqed (watching). 4×
AR["لَوْزًا", "لَوْزٍ", "هَ-شَّقِيد", "وَ-لَوْزًا"]·ben["আর-বাদাম", "বাদাম", "বাদাম-গাছ", "বাদাম-গাছের"]·DE["[השקד]", "almonds", "und-Mandeln", "wachen"]·EN["almonds", "and-almonds", "of-almond", "the-almond-tree"]·FR["[שקד]", "almonds", "et-amandes", "le-השקד"]·heb["ה-שקד", "ו-שקדים", "שקד", "שקדים"]·HI["और-बादाम", "बादाम", "बादाम-का"]·ID["badam", "buah-badam", "dan-buah-badam", "pohon-badam"]·IT["almonds", "e-almonds", "il-il-almond-albero", "vegliare"]·jav["amandel", "badam", "lan-kacang-almond", "woh-almond"]·KO["감복숭아-열매들을", "그리고-편도", "살구나무-의", "아몬드-그"]·PT["a-amendoeira", "amendoeira", "amêndoas", "e-amêndoas"]·RU["и-миндаля", "миндаль", "миндаль,", "миндального-дерева"]·ES["almendras", "almendro", "el-almendro", "y-almendras"]·SW["almonds", "mlozi"]·TR["badem", "badem-ağacının", "bademler", "ve-badem"]·urd["اور-بادام", "بادام", "بادام-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
† שָׁקֵד n.[m.] almond(-tree) (NH id.; so called from its early waking out of winter’s sleep, according to Ki Thes LagBN 45 al.; Aramaic שִׁיגְדָּא, ܫܶܓܕܳܐ, ܫܶܓܕܬܳܐ, whence Ethiopic ሰግድ: cf. NöM 39; cf. LöwNo. 319);— 1. almond, i.e. the nut, pl. שְׁקֵדִים Gn 43:11 (J; + בָּטְנִים, etc.), Nu 17:23 (P). 2. almond-tree Je 1:11 and (prob.) Ec 12:5.