עֶ֫צֶם
e.tsem (H6106G)
bone
AI Word Study
# עֶצֶם (E.tsem): Bone in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *e.tsem* literally denotes "bone," the hard skeletal material of bodies. With 105 occurrences throughout the biblical text, it represents a frequently used anatomical term in Hebrew Scripture. The consistency of this high usage frequency suggests that bones held concrete importance in biblical discourse—whether describing physical anatomy, discussing remains, or employing skeletal imagery in metaphorical contexts. The word's prevalence across 105 biblical passages indicates its functional necessity in Hebrew expression. Rather than appearing as an obscure or specialized term, *e.tsem* served as the standard vocabulary for referring to bones in everyday communication as well as in theological and narrative contexts. This frequency pattern reflects how fundamental the concept of skeletal structure was to biblical writers when describing bodies, mortality, covenant ceremonies, and physical restoration. Without access to the specific contextual examples within those 105 occurrences, the data confirms only that *e.tsem* maintained a consistent meaning—"bone"—across its diverse biblical applications. The word's reliability as a basic anatomical reference point made it suitable for literal descriptions, symbolic language, and religious practice throughout Hebrew Scripture.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.”
Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” Jacob stayed with him for a month.
Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
It must be eaten in one house. You shall not carry any of the meat outside of the house. Do not break any of its bones.
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the children of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you.”
They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.
“Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
A clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, and on him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave.
God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
“Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
When he had come into his house, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
You are my brothers. You are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’
Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually instead of Joab.’ ”
So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
He cried against the altar by Yahweh’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! Yahweh says: ‘Behold, a son will be born to David’s house, Josiah by name. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones on you.’ ”
After he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.
As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a band of raiders; and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
He broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones.
As Josiah turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to Yahweh’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.
He said, “Let him be! Let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.
He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.
all the valiant men arose, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”
so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust.
One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
He is chastened also with pain on his bed, with continual strife in his bones,
His flesh is so consumed away that it can’t be seen. His bones that were not seen stick out.
His bones are like tubes of bronze. His limbs are like bars of iron.
Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint. Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me.
I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.
For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.
Showing 1--50 of 88 occurrences