Lexical Definition

‎עֶצֶם‎ ʻetsem (eh'tsem) bone ^H:N-F
from ‎עָצַם‎

body, bone, [idiom] life, (self-) same, strength, [idiom] very.

• a bone (as strong)
• by extension, the body
• figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame

1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self

See Greek: εἶδος · καιρός · κράτος · ὀστέον · πλευρά

Extended Information

• : bone/limb

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎עֶ֫צֶם‎₁₂₅ noun feminine^{Ps 35:10} (with pronoun masculine Ezek 37:5; Ezek 37:6 etc., compare Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896). 73}) bone, substance, self; — absolute ‎׳‎‎י‎ Gen 2:23 +; ‎עָ֑צֶם‎; Prov 15:30; Prov 16:24 construct ‎עֶצֶם‎ Exod 24:10 +; suffix ‎עַצְמִי‎ Job 19:20 +, etc.; plural ‎עֲצָמוֺת‎ 2Kgs 23:16 +; construct ‎עַצְמוֺת‎ Josh 24:22 +; suffix ‎עַצְמֹתַי‎ Job 4:14 +, etc.; also ‎עֲצָמִים‎ Ezek 24:4 +, suffix ‎עֲצָמַי‎ Gen 2:23 +, etc.; —

1. bone:
a. of living person Mic 3:2; Mic 3:3 (hyperbole), Job 10:11; Job 19:20; Lam 4:8; Ps 102:6*; Eccl 11:5 +; figurative of close relationship ‎עֶצָם מֵעֲצָמַי‎ Gen 2:23, compare Gen 29:14 (both J), Judg 9:2; 2Sam 5:1 = 1Chr 11:1; 2Sam 19:13*; 2Sam 19:14* (all + ‎בָּשָׂר‎).
b. ‎׳‎‎ע‎ + ‎בָּשָׂר‎ = body, Job 2:5, plural = bodily frame Jer 20:9 (simile), limbs, members, ‎לַעֲצָמֶיהָ‎ Judg 9:29 i.e. limb by limb (GFM); as seat of vigour Job 20:11, etc.
c. (poetry) as seat of disease and pain Job 30:17; Job 30:30 and (especially of personified Israel) Ps 22:15*; Ps 31:11*; Ps 102:4*; Lam 1:13; Hab 3:16 +.
d. plural as representing entire person = one's whole being, (especially of personified Israel) Ps 6:3* (|| ‎נֶפֶשׁ‎ vPs 6:4*), Ps 35:10 (|| ‎נֶפֶשׁ‎ vPs 35:9), Isa 66:14 of individual (including physical and moral) Prov 3:8; Prov 14:30; Prov 15:30; Prov 16:24.
e. singular = external body Lam 4:7 Ew Th and others, but dubious; Bi Bu bones (= branches) of coral (‎פְּנִינִים‎); Löhr ‎עוֺרָם‎ their skin. feminine especially of dead Num 19:16; Num 19:18 (P), Ezek 37:1 +; often (plural) = remains Amos 6:10; Gen 50:25; Exod 13:19 (twice in verse); Josh 24:32 (all E) +.

2. bone of animal Exod 12:46; Num 9:12 (both P); Ezek 24:4; Ezek 24:5 (symbolic); of (living) hippopotamus Job 40:18.

3. singular substance, self (compare ‎גֶּרֶם‎ 3): ‎הַשָּׁמַיִם‎ ‎׳‎‎כְּע‎ Exod 24:10 (JE), like the substance of the sky = the sky itself; ‎תֻּמּוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎בְּע‎ Job 21:23 i.e. full prosperity; especially ‎׳‎‎אֶתעֿ‎ ‎הַיּוֺם הַזֶּה‎ Ezek 24:2 this selfsame day, ‎׳‎‎וגו‎ ‎׳‎‎בְּע‎ Ezek 24:2; Ezek 40:1; Gen 7:13; Gen 17:23; Gen 17:26; Exod 12:17; Exod 12:41; Exod 12:51; Lev 23:21; Lev 23:28; Lev 23:29; Lev 23:30; Deut 32:48; Josh 5:11 (all P), ‎׳‎‎וגו‎ ‎׳‎‎עַדעֿ‎ Ezek 2:3; Lev 23:14 (P), Josh 10:27 (R). — Ezek 24:5a read ‎הָעֵצִים‎ (Bö Ew and others); vEzek 24:10 strike out ‎הָעֲצָמוֺת‎ (Co Toy); Job 7:15 read ‎מֵעַצְּבוֺתָ֑י‎ (Reiske Me Bu Du and others); Ps 53:6* read perhaps ‎מֵעֲצַת‎ (compare || Ps 14:6 Bae; see Hup Che and others); Ps 69:5* read ‎מֵעַצְמוֺתַי‎ (for ᵑ0 ‎מַצְמִיתַי‎), ᵑ6 Ol Che Bae and others

Brown-Driver-Briggs References