גֶּרֶם
𐤂𐤓𐤌
gerem
H1634 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Rigid structural bone, particularly as the anatomical component of a body; by extension (rare and poetic), essence or inner substance of a person. May denote the skeleton or bones collectively, or a particular prominent bone or structural feature in physical and metaphorical senses.
Semantic Range
bone, the skeletal system, prominent bone or bony structure, the inner framework or essence (poetic, rare), substance, structural mass (post-biblical)
Root / Etymology
From the root גָּרַם (g-r-m), which conveys the sense of 'to gnaw, to be bare, to diminish, to become thin.' The noun גֶּרֶם (gerem) arises from this root, signifying 'bone' as the hard, bare structure beneath the flesh.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical Hebrew, גֶּרֶם is used infrequently and is less common than the more widely used עֶצֶם (ʿetsem) for 'bone.' It appears in poetic and rare contexts (notably Ezekiel 37:4, 7, 11, in the vision of the valley of dry bones), where it emphasizes the rigid, structural, or bare nature of bones. Unlike עֶצֶם, which can also mean 'self' or 'essence' in personal identity, גֶּרֶם generally refers to the physical, skeletal aspect, and is used in collective or structural imagery. Its usage did not develop into personal identity language in Israelite culture the way עֶצֶם did. Later in Hebrew, גֶּרֶם acquires expanded senses such as 'substance' or 'object with structural mass,' but in the Hebrew Bible its meaning remains confined to the anatomical and metaphorical language of skeletal structure. English translations may render גֶּרֶם simply as 'bone,' or (less precisely) 'body,' but these do not always capture the word's nuance of rigid, structural framework, especially in poetic passages.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּרַם; a bone (as the skeleton of the body); hence, self, i.e. (figuratively) very; bone, strong, top.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גרם (g-r-m) — to gnaw, to be bare, to diminish, to become thin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1633 | גָּרַם | they stripped to bone |
| H1635 | גֶּרֶם | their bones |
| H1636 | גַּרְמִי | the Garmite |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1634-01 |
גָּ֑רֶם | garem | HNcmsa |
bones | bone | 3 |
H1634-03 |
גֶּ֣רֶם | gerem | HNcmsc |
the bare | bone of | 1 |
H1634-02 |
גְּ֝רָמָ֗י/ו | geramayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his limbs | his bones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1634-01 |
Genesis 49:14 | גָּ֑רֶם | garem | HNcmsa |
strong | bone |
H1634-03 |
2 Kings 9:13 | גֶּ֣רֶם | gerem | HNcmsc |
the bare | bone of |
H1634-01 |
Proverbs 17:22 | גָּֽרֶם | garem | HNcmsa |
bones | bone |
H1634-01 |
Proverbs 25:15 | גָּֽרֶם | garem | HNcmsa |
the bone | bone |
H1634-02 |
Job 40:18 | גְּ֝רָמָ֗י/ו | geramayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his limbs | his bones |