עֵצָה
𐤏𐤑𐤄
ʻêtsâh
H6097 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A piece of wood prepared for use, timber, log, plank; collective term for wood or timber as a material, especially as it has been worked or processed for construction, implements, or ritual use. Distinguished from living trees by reference to wood already cut or designated for human use. Can also refer more generally to blocks or beams of wood.
Semantic Range
timber, wood prepared for construction, log, plank, block (of wood), processed wood as a material
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root ע-צ-ה (עצה), closely related to עֵץ (tree, wood), with the feminine ending -ָה. Indicates 'thing made of wood' or 'wooden material.' The word developed as a specification for wood that has been felled and prepared, not simply a growing tree.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, עֵצָה appears rarely and almost exclusively in contexts referring to wooden materials rather than living trees, with emphasis on their use in construction or manufacture. Usage is largely post-exilic or in later Hebrew (e.g., rabbinic), where the feminine form distinguishes processed timber (עֵצָה) from the more general term for tree or wood (עֵץ). English translations often render as 'timber' or 'wood,' though in the Hebrew Bible this specific form is limited. Care should be taken not to confuse עֵצָה (H6097, timber) with עֵצָה (H6098, 'counsel'), which derives from a different root. The shift from living tree (עֵץ) to processed wood (עֵצָה) parallels development in other Semitic languages. Later translations and rabbinic commentaries sometimes employ the term to refer to wooden beams or planks, emphasizing their utility rather than their botanical origin.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of עֵץ; timber; trees.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יעץ (y-ʿ-ts) — to advise, to counsel, to deliberate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3263 | יְעוּץ | Counselor |
| H3272 | יְעַט | they took counsel together |
| H3289 | יָעַץ | to the advising one |
| H4156 | מוֹעֵצָה | in their deliberations |
| H6098 | עֵצָה | counsel of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6097-01 |
עֵצָ֔ה | etsah | HNcfsa |
trees | her counsel | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6097-01 |
Jeremiah 6:6 | עֵצָ֔ה | etsah | HNcfsa |
trees | her counsel |