גָּרַם
𐤂𐤓𐤌
gâram
H1633 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cause to become bare or stripped, especially of flesh; to reduce something to bare bones, to denude, or to cause to be emaciated. In causative forms, to make bare (typically bones), to strip off flesh; to wear down until only the skeletal remains persist.
Semantic Range
to strip off flesh (leave only bones), to cause to be emaciated, to reduce to a skeletal state, to break or gnaw bones, to denude
Root / Etymology
From the root ג־ר־ם (garam), related to the noun גֶּרֶם (gerem, 'bone, skeleton'). The root's core meaning involves 'bone, skeleton,' and the verb derives in a denominative fashion, meaning 'to make into bones' or 'to reduce to skeletal form.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb גָּרַם occurs rarely in Biblical Hebrew and is mostly found in poetic or metaphorical contexts, with its usage primarily in causative (hiphil) constructions. Its primary sense is not simply 'to gnaw' or 'to crunch' but more broadly to cause something to be stripped or reduced to its bare, bony form, often as a metaphor for severe emaciation, devastation, or the aftermath of violence. The word draws its meaning from the noun גֶּרֶם (bone), and is part of a small semantic field relating to physical extremity, exposure, or reduction to the essential framework (see also חשף, 'to strip' and נבל, 'to wither'). In later Hebrew, the root is less common and is supplanted by other verbs for 'gnaw' or 'break.' Standard English translations often render this verb narrowly (e.g. 'gnaw the bones,' 'break the bones'), but this does not capture its full sense of rendering something skeletal or bare.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be spare or skeleton-like; used only as a denominative from גֶּרֶם; (causative) to bone, i.e. denude (by extensive, craunch) the bones; gnaw the bones, break.
Bantu Hebrew
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גרם (g-r-m) — bone, skeletal state, making bare
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1633-03 |
יְגָרֵ֖ם | yegarem | HVpi3ms |
in pieces | he will strip to the bone | 1 |
H1633-02 |
תְּגָרֵ֖מִי | tegaremi | HVpi2fs |
you-will-gnaw | you will strip to bones | 1 |
H1633-01 |
גָרְמ֖וּ | garemu | HVqp3cp |
they leave | they stripped to bone | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1633-03 |
Numbers 24:8 | יְגָרֵ֖ם | yegarem | HVpi3ms |
in pieces | he will strip to the bone |
H1633-02 |
Ezekiel 23:34 | תְּגָרֵ֖מִי | tegaremi | HVpi2fs |
you-will-gnaw | you will strip to bones |
H1633-01 |
Zephaniah 3:3 | גָרְמ֖וּ | garemu | HVqp3cp |
they leave | they stripped to bone |