---
title: עֶצֶם — bone · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עֶצֶם (6106), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 126 times: bone. BDB 1906: n.f. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עֶצֶם

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«עֶצֶם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **bone** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 126 times · **Key:** 6106 · **BDB:** עֶ֫צֶם

### Glosses

bones (60); the.substance (20); the.bones (16)

### Meaning (OSHB)

bone [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6106/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6106/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. ψ 35:10; Jb 19:20 (c. pron. masc. Ez 37:5, 6 etc., cf. Albr.ZAW xvi (1896), 73) bone, substance, self;—abs. ע׳ Gn 2:23 +; עָ֑צֶם Pr 15:30; 16:24; cstr. עֶצֶם Ex 24:10 +; sf. עַצְמִי Jb 19:20 +, etc.; pl. עֲצָמוֹת 2 K 23:16 +; cstr. עַצְמוֹת Jos 24:22 +; sf. עַצְמֹתַי Jb 4:14 +, etc.; also עֲצָמִים Ez 24:4 +, sf. עֲצָמַי Gn 2:23 +, etc.;— bone: of living pers. Mi 3:2, 3 (hyperb.), Jb 10:11; 19:20 La 4:8 ψ 102:6; Ec 11:5 +; fig. of close relationship †עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי Gn 2:23, cf. 29:14 (both J), Ju 9:2; 2 S 5:1 = 1 Ch 11:1; 2 S 19:13, 14 (all + בָּשָׂר). ע׳ + בָּשָׂר = body, Jb 2:5; pl. = bodily frame Je 20:9 (sim.), limbs, members, לַעֲצָמֶיהָ Ju 19:29 i.e. limb by limb (GFM); as seat of vigour Jb 20:11, etc. (poet.) as seat of disease and pain Jb 30:17, 30 and (especially of personif. Isr.) ψ 22:15; 31:11; 102:4; La 1:13; Hb 3:16 +. pl. as representing entire person = one’s whole being, (especially of personif. Isr.) ψ 6:3 (‖ נֶפֶשׁ v 4), 35:10 (‖ נֶפֶשׁ v 9), Is 66:14; of individ. (incl. physical and moral) Pr 3:8; 14:30; 15:30; 16:24. sg. = external body La 4:7 Ew Th al., but dub.; Bi Bu bones (= branches) of coral (פְּנִינִים); Löhr עוֹרָם their skin. f. especially of dead Nu 19:16, 18 (P), Ez 37:1 +; often (pl.) = remains Am 6:10; Gn 50:25; Ex 13:19(×2); Jos 24:32 (all E) 2 S 21:12, 13 +. bone of animal Ex 12:46 Nu 9:12 (both P); Ez 24:4, 5 (symbol.); of (living) hippopot. Jb 40:18. sg. substance, self (cf. גֶּרֶם 3): כְּע׳ הַשָּׁמַיִם Ex 24:10 (JE), like the substance of the sky = the sky itself; בְּע׳ תֻּמּוֹ Jb 21:23 i.e. full prosperity; especially אֶת־ע׳ הַיוֹם הַזֶּה Ez 24:2 this selfsame day, בְּע׳ וגו׳ 24:2; 40:1; Gn 7:13; 17:23, 26; Ex 12:17, 41, 51; Lv 23:21, 28, 29, 30 Dt 32:48; Jos 5:11 (all P) Ez 40:1, עַד־ע׳ וגו׳ Ez 2:3; Lv 23:14 (P), Jos 10:27 (R).—Ez 24:5a read הָעֵצִים (Bö Ew al.); v 10 del. הָעֲצָמוֹת (Co Toy); Jb 7:15 read מֵעַצְּבוֹתָ֑י (Reiske Me Bu Du al.); ψ 53:6 read perhaps מֵעֲצַת (cf. ‖ ψ 14:6 Bae; v. Hup Che al.); 69:5 read מֵעַצְמוֹתַי (for MT מַצְמִיתַי), 𝔖 Ol Che Bae al.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 72 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עֶצֶם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6106/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 51:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.51.10/)

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תַּ֭שְׁמִיעֵנִי שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה תָּ֝גֵ֗לְנָה עֲצָמ֥וֹת דִּכִּֽיתָ׃

*Word for word:* you will.make.me.hear joy and gladness let.them.rejoice \[the\].bones \[which\].you.have.crushed

*JPS 1917:* Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast crushed may rejoice.

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[Proverbs 14:30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.14.30/)

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חַיֵּ֣י בְ֭שָׂרִים לֵ֣ב מַרְפֵּ֑א וּרְקַ֖ב עֲצָמ֣וֹת קִנְאָֽה׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].the.life of.bodies a.heart of.health and.\[is\] rottenness of.bones jealousy

*JPS 1917:* A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; but envy is the rottenness of the bones.

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