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בְּרוֹשׁ

𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤔

bᵉrôwsh

H1265 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain tree, conifer, evergreen (core meaning unknown; denotes a type of woody evergreen)

Definition

A species of coniferous tree, likely the cypress or juniper, valued for its durable timber and aromatic wood. In the Hebrew Bible, בְּרוֹשׁ (bᵉrôwsh) primarily denotes a tree known for its firm, straight wood, often used in construction and, by extension, objects made from its timber.

Semantic Range

a coniferous tree (likely cypress or juniper); its wood or timber; objects (e.g., beams, lances, or instruments) made from the wood

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. The word בְּרוֹשׁ does not have a securely identified Semitic root, making its original etymology unclear. It is a loan or archaic form in Hebrew, possibly related to similar terms in other ancient Near Eastern languages for evergreen trees, but no direct cognates are securely attested.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical texts, בְּרוֹשׁ is consistently mentioned among lists of valuable building materials—especially for temple or palace construction (e.g. Isaiah 14:8; Ezekiel 27:5; 31:8). The identification as 'cypress' is based on later tradition, but some scholars have suggested Mediterranean juniper or a kind of pine, owing to flora native to the Levant. The term was at times understood more generically as any high-quality conifer, reflected in LXX and later translations (which sometimes use Greek κυπάρισσος, 'cypress'). KJV and many English Bibles translate as 'fir,' though this is botanically inaccurate according to modern identification. In later rabbinic Hebrew, the identification tended toward the Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). Some rabbinic sources also offered different identifications (e.g. pine or juniper). The use of the wood for musical instruments or lances is inferred from the strength and resonance of the timber, but this is attested only by association with the tree's properties, not through explicit biblical usage. No ethnic or religious connotations are attached to the term in the biblical period, being entirely botanical in usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; a cypress (?) tree; hence, a lance or a musical instrument (as made of that wood); fir (tree).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ברש (b-r-sh) — conifer, evergreen tree, durable timber

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1265-03 בְּרוֹשִֽׁים beroshim HNcmpa fir trees conifer trees 7
H1265-07 בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים veroshim HNcmpa cypresses conifer trees 5
H1265-01 בְּר֛וֹשׁ berosh HNcmsa the fir tree at the head of 3
H1265-02 בְּרֹשָׁ֔י/ו beroshayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms fir trees his conifers 2
H1265-06 בְר֔וֹשׁ verosh HNcmsa cypress and head of 1
H1265-04 כִּ/בְר֣וֹשׁ kiverosh HR/Ncmsa like a cypress conifer tree 1
H1265-05 וְ/הַ/בְּרֹשִׁ֖ים vehaberoshim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the cypresses and the cypress trees 1

Occurrences in Scripture

20 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1265-07 2 Samuel 6:5 בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים veroshim HNcmpa cypress wood conifer trees
H1265-07 1 Kings 5:22 בְרוֹשִֽׁים veroshim HNcmpa cypresses conifer trees
H1265-07 1 Kings 5:24 בְרוֹשִׁ֖ים veroshim HNcmpa cypresses conifer trees
H1265-03 1 Kings 6:15 בְּרוֹשִֽׁים beroshim HNcmpa of cypress conifer trees
H1265-07 1 Kings 6:34 בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים veroshim HNcmpa cypress conifer trees
H1265-07 1 Kings 9:11 בְרוֹשִׁ֛ים veroshim HNcmpa cypresses conifer trees
H1265-02 2 Kings 19:23 בְּרֹשָׁ֔י/ו beroshayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms fir trees his conifers
H1265-03 Isaiah 14:8 בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים beroshim HNcmpa the cypress trees conifer trees
H1265-02 Isaiah 37:24 בְּרֹשָׁ֔י/ו beroshayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its fir trees his conifers
H1265-01 Isaiah 41:19 בְּר֛וֹשׁ berosh HNcmsa cypress at the head of
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