← H6085 H6087 →

עֵץ

𐤏𐤑

ʻêts

H6086 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Tree; also by extension, wood as a material, or a piece of wood, stick, timber, or log. The term primarily denotes a growing tree, but in many contexts refers to wood in general or to objects made of wood. Its semantic range includes living trees, wooden structures or instruments, carved wooden objects, and the material itself.

Semantic Range

tree, trees; wood (material); piece of wood, stick, staff, log, plank, timber; wooden object; object made of wood; gallows; pole; sometimes metaphorical for idolatry or in allegorical uses

Root / Etymology

From the root עץ (ע-ץ), which in its verbal form (not attested in biblical Hebrew) seems to mean 'to be firm, hard.' The noun עֵץ carries the idea of something firm or strong, hence denoting a tree as a symbol of firmness, and by extension, the material (wood) or objects fashioned from wood. The root is consistent across Semitic languages with similar meanings related to trees or wood.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֵץ regularly refers to trees in both literal and figurative senses. It denotes trees as living plants, significant in genealogical and agricultural contexts, as in the 'tree of life' (עֵץ הַחַיִּים) or 'tree of knowledge' (עֵץ הַדַּעַת). The term is also widely used for wood as a material, either as timber for construction, fuel for burning, or for making tools, staffs, weapons, idols, and ritual objects. In legal and ritual texts, distinctions are sometimes made between different species of trees (fruit-bearing or not), but the generic עֵץ often functions in contrast to other materials such as stone, metal, or earth. In later periods (Second Temple and beyond), עֵץ retains broad usage while more specific terms for types of trees or wood develop. Though the KJV and other English translations often render עֵץ as 'tree' or 'wood,' such renderings may overlook its broader application to anything made from wood, including gallows, staffs, or wooden idols. Notably, in Esther 5–7, עֵץ is used for the structure upon which Haman is hanged—translated as 'gallows,' though literally 'wood' or 'timber.' The term does not indicate a particular tree species unless specified in context. It should not be confused with other terms like לֶבֶן (poplar), אֶרֶז (cedar), or שָׁקֵד (almond tree), which specify types of trees. Some later traditions and translations render it in ways reflecting their own historical contexts, such as 'cross,' 'gallows,' or 'staff,' but the basic sense remains unchanged in biblical usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "tree" 42 occurrences

The Hebrew עֵץ most fundamentally denotes a living tree, and in Biblical usage many extended senses (gallows/pole, wooden object, timber) are still naturally referred to as a ‘tree’ (e.g. ‘the tree’ as a pole or wooden structure). While “wood” is common as a material sense, choosing “tree” preserves the primary, concrete meaning and yields the most natural, readable renderings across contexts (pluralizable to “trees” where needed, and still idiomatic for figurative uses). This gives the most consistent, typical English equivalent for H6086.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):
"wood-tree of" (5x) "wood" (2x) "wooden vessels" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָצָה; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks); [phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עץ (ʻêts) — to be firm, to be strong, to be wood

Root עץ to be firm, to be strong, to be wood

Word Forms

34 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6086-07 עֵ֖ץ ets HNcmsa tree wood-tree of wood-tree of 109
H6086-01 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc trees of trees of trees of 58
H6086-15 הָ/עֵץ֙ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree 31
H6086-16 הָֽ/עֵצִים֒ haetsim HTd/Ncmpa the trees the trees the trees 30
H6086-14 עֵצִ֑ים etsim HNcmpa wood trees trees 28
H6086-31 וְ/עֵ֣ץ veets HC/Ncmsc and tree and tree and tree 15
H6086-02 בַּ/עֲצֵ֥י baatsey HR/Ncmpc among the trees trees of trees of 8
H6086-29 וַ/עֲצֵ֣י vaatsey HC/Ncmpc and trees of and trees of and trees of 6
H6086-21 לָ/עֵצִ֛ים laetsim HRd/Ncmpa for the wood to the trees for the wood 4
H6086-33 וְ/עֵצִ֤ים veetsim HC/Ncmpa and wood and trees and trees 4

Occurrences in Scripture

330 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6086-07 Genesis 1:11 עֵ֣ץ ets HNcmsc tree wood-tree of tree
H6086-31 Genesis 1:12 וְ/עֵ֧ץ veets HC/Ncmsa and tree and tree and tree
H6086-15 Genesis 1:29 הָ/עֵ֛ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa tree the tree the tree
H6086-07 Genesis 1:29 עֵ֖ץ ets HNcmsa of a tree wood-tree of wood-tree of
H6086-07 Genesis 2:9 עֵ֛ץ ets HNcmsa tree wood-tree of wood-tree of
H6086-31 Genesis 2:9 וְ/עֵ֤ץ veets HC/Ncmsc and the tree and tree and tree
H6086-31 Genesis 2:9 וְ/עֵ֕ץ veets-2 HC/Ncmsc and the tree and tree and tree
H6086-07 Genesis 2:16 עֵֽץ ets HNcmsc tree wood-tree of tree
H6086-25 Genesis 2:17 וּ/מֵ/עֵ֗ץ umeets HC/R/Ncmsc but from the tree and from wood of and from the tree
H6086-07 Genesis 3:1 עֵ֥ץ ets HNcmsc tree wood-tree of tree
H6086-07 Genesis 3:2 עֵֽץ ets HNcmsc of the tree wood-tree of tree of
H6086-15 Genesis 3:3 הָ/עֵץ֮ haets HTd/Ncmsa of the tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Genesis 3:6 הָ/עֵ֨ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Genesis 3:6 הָ/עֵץ֙ haets-2 HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-07 Genesis 3:8 עֵ֥ץ ets HNcmsc the trees wood-tree of wood-tree of
H6086-15 Genesis 3:11 הָ/עֵ֗ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Genesis 3:12 הָ/עֵ֖ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Genesis 3:17 הָ/עֵ֔ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-24 Genesis 3:22 מֵ/עֵ֣ץ meets HR/Ncmsc from the tree from tree from tree
H6086-07 Genesis 3:24 עֵ֥ץ ets HNcmsc of the tree wood-tree of the tree
H6086-01 Genesis 6:14 עֲצֵי atsey HNcmpc of trees of trees of
H6086-15 Genesis 18:4 הָ/עֵֽץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Genesis 18:8 הָ/עֵ֖ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa the tree the tree the tree
H6086-01 Genesis 22:3 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Genesis 22:6 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc wood trees of trees of
H6086-34 Genesis 22:7 וְ/הָ֣/עֵצִ֔ים vehaetsim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the wood and the trees and the wood
H6086-16 Genesis 22:9 הָ/עֵצִ֑ים haetsim HTd/Ncmpa the wood the trees the trees
H6086-21 Genesis 22:9 לָ/עֵצִֽים laetsim HRd/Ncmpa the wood to the trees the wood
H6086-15 Genesis 23:17 הָ/עֵץ֙ haets HTd/Ncmsa the trees the tree the tree
H6086-07 Genesis 40:19 עֵ֑ץ ets HNcmsa a tree wood-tree of a tree
H6086-27 Exodus 7:19 וּ/בָ/עֵצִ֖ים uvaetsim HC/Rd/Ncmpa both in vessels of wood and in the trees and in wooden vessels
H6086-07 Exodus 9:25 עֵ֥ץ ets HNcmsc tree of wood-tree of wood-tree of
H6086-15 Exodus 10:5 הָ/עֵ֔ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa tree the tree the tree
H6086-15 Exodus 10:15 הָ/עֵ֔ץ haets HTd/Ncmsa of the tree the tree of the tree
H6086-03 Exodus 10:15 בָּ/עֵ֛ץ baets HRd/Ncmsa on the tree in the tree in the tree
H6086-07 Exodus 15:25 עֵ֔ץ ets HNcmsa a tree wood-tree of a tree
H6086-29 Exodus 25:5 וַ/עֲצֵ֥י vaatsey HC/Ncmpc and shittim and trees of and trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 25:10 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of acacia trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 25:13 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 25:23 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 25:28 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 26:15 עֲצֵ֥י atsey HNcmpc trees of trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 26:26 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 27:1 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 27:6 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc wood trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 30:1 עֲצֵ֥י atsey HNcmpc of woods trees of trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 30:5 עֲצֵ֣י atsey HNcmpc of acacia trees of trees of
H6086-07 Exodus 31:5 עֵ֑ץ ets HNcmsa wood wood-tree of wood-tree of
H6086-29 Exodus 35:7 וַ/עֲצֵ֥י vaatsey HC/Ncmpc and acacia and trees of and trees of
H6086-01 Exodus 35:24 עֲצֵ֥י atsey HNcmpc acacia trees of trees of
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