אָע
𐤀𐤏
ʼâʻ
H636 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A tree or wood; in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, the term refers specifically to a tree or its wood, particularly as material used for construction, implements, or fuel. It does not denote a specific species but rather the general substance or object: wood, timber, or tree.
Semantic Range
tree, wood, timber, log, wood as construction material
Root / Etymology
This term derives from the root ע-צ-י (עֵץ, 'tree, wood') in Hebrew, but is used in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible such as Ezra and Daniel. The core root meaning refers to wood or a tree, and the lexical form in Aramaic reflects a dialectal variation rather than a distinct Hebrew word.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָע occurs only in Aramaic passages of the Tanakh, notably in the books of Ezra (e.g., Ezra 5:8) and Daniel. It functions as the standard Aramaic equivalent to the Hebrew עֵץ ('tree, wood') and appears mostly in administrative or descriptive contexts, particularly concerning building materials or inventories. English translations usually render it as 'timber' or 'wood,' accurately reflecting its reference to the material rather than the living organism. There is no significant theological or symbolic usage attached to this term, and it is not used to describe specific cultic or sacred trees as other Hebrew terms sometimes are. The distinction between אָע (Aramaic) and עֵץ (Hebrew) simply reflects the underlying language of the narrative section, not a qualitative difference in meaning.
Translation Consistency
'Wood' is the most natural, general English noun covering the semantic range (tree, timber, log, construction material). It matches the majority of existing renderings and avoids the narrower sense of 'beam' or the living-plant nuance of 'tree,' so it will render all occurrences consistently and naturally.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to עֵץ; a tree or wood; timber, wood.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
עצי (ʼâʻ) — to grow (as a tree), to be made of wood
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H636-01 |
אָ֣ע | a | ANcmsa |
beam | wood | wood | 2 |
H636-02 |
אָעָ֥/א | aa | ANcmsd/Td |
of wood | the wood | wood | 2 |
H636-03 |
וְ/אָ֖ע | vea | AC/Ncmsa |
and timber | wood | wood | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H636-02 |
Daniel 5:4 | אָעָ֥/א | aa | ANcmsd/Td |
of wood | the wood | wood |
H636-02 |
Daniel 5:23 | אָעָ֣/א | aa | ANcmsd/Td |
wood | the wood | wood |
H636-03 |
Ezra 5:8 | וְ/אָ֖ע | vea | AC/Ncmsa |
and timber | wood | wood |
H636-01 |
Ezra 6:4 | אָ֣ע | a | ANcmsa |
timber | wood | wood |
H636-01 |
Ezra 6:11 | אָע֙ | a | ANcmsa |
beam | wood | wood |