אֵשׁ (H784) — Hebrew Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

אֵשׁ

𐤀𐤔

ʼêsh

H784 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A physical phenomenon characterized by visible flames, heat, and combustion; used literally to denote the element of fire as a natural force or as a substance. Also used metaphorically and symbolically to express concepts such as destruction, purification, divine presence, or intense emotion. In cultic and ritual contexts, denotes the fire of sacrifices and offerings, often signifying the acceptance or presence of a deity. Includes figurative uses relating to judgment, divine wrath, and intense experience.

Semantic Range

literal fire, flame, burning phenomenon, sacrificial/cultic fire, fire as divine manifestation, agent of destruction or judgment, instrument of purification, metaphor for passion or wrath

Root / Etymology

Root: אשׁ. The root אשׁ conveys the notion of burning or fire. אֵשׁ is the regular noun form for 'fire,' and its derivation appears directly from the base root meaning 'to burn' or 'fire,' making it an ancient, fundamental term in Semitic languages. No clear root verbs occur in Hebrew, suggesting it is a basic or primary noun.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term אֵשׁ occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible in narratives, legal texts, poetry, and ritual prescriptions. In pre-monarchic and patriarchal contexts, fire often signifies the mundane phenomenon (used for cooking, warmth, etc.), while in legal and ritual contexts, it plays a central role in burnt offerings and sacrifices (e.g., Leviticus). It frequently marks divine encounters (God’s self-manifestation, e.g., burning bush, fire on Sinai, fire from heaven in Elijah narratives), often as a symbol of both destructive and purifying power. In prophetic literature, fire is a metaphor of judgment or purification. Sometimes it appears in poetic parallelism with other consuming or purifying agents (e.g., water). In later periods, its metaphorical uses expanded, but the fundamental sense as literal fire remained stable. Standard English translations render the term as "fire," but may not capture all symbolic or metaphoric connotations, particularly relating to divine or cultic presence. Care should be taken not to interpret every figurative use as spiritualized; many contexts stress material power, destruction, or transformation.

Translation Consistency

primary "fire" 50 occurrences

The lemma is a noun denoting the element/phenomenon of fire in both literal and metaphorical senses. Almost all existing renderings (354 of 378) use "fire," and that single, natural English noun covers literal flames, sacrificial/cultic fire, divine presence/judgment, and metaphorical uses (wrath, purification, passion) better than alternatives like "flame" or "burning." Using "fire" ensures clear, consistent, and idiomatic translation for every form of אֵשׁ.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אשׁ (ʼêsh) — to burn, fire, heat

Root אשׁ to burn, fire, heat

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H787	אֹשׁ	the foundations
H801	אִשָּׁה	the fire-offering

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H784-03`	אֵשׁ	esh	`HNcbsc`	fire	fire	fire	154
`H784-01`	בָּ/אֵֽשׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire	90
`H784-05`	הָ/אֵ֔שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire	43
`H784-16`	בָ/אֵשׁ֙	vaesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	fire	with fire	32
`H784-17`	וְ/אֵ֖שׁ	veesh	`HC/Ncbsa`	and fire	fire	and fire	16
`H784-08`	כְּ/אֵ֥שׁ	keesh	`HR/Ncbsa`	like fire	like fire	like fire	9
`H784-02`	בְּ/אֵ֥שׁ	beesh	`HR/Ncbsc`	in fire	in fire	in fire	8
`H784-09`	כָ/אֵשׁ֙	khaesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	like fire	like fire	like fire	4
`H784-10`	לָ/אֵ֔שׁ	laesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	to-fire	to fire	to fire	4
`H784-07`	כָּ/אֵשׁ֙	kaesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	like fire	like fire	like fire	3
`H784-11`	לְ/אֵ֔שׁ	leesh	`HR/Ncbsa`	a fire	to fire	to fire	3
`H784-18`	וְ/הָ/אֵ֗שׁ	vehaesh	`HC/Td/Ncbsa`	and the fire	and the fire	and the fire	3
`H784-06`	אִשּׁ֣/וֹ	isho	`HNcbsc/Sp3ms`	His fire	his fire	his fire	2
`H784-12`	מֵ/אֵ֖שׁ	meesh	`HR/Ncbsa`	from fire	from fire	from fire	2
`H784-04`	אֶשְׁ/כֶ֗ם	eshekhem	`HNcbsc/Sp2mp`	your fire	your fire	your fire	1
`H784-13`	מֵ/הָ/אֵ֣שׁ	mehaesh	`HR/Td/Ncbsa`	from the fire	from the fire	from the fire	1
`H784-14`	וּ/בָ/אֵ֕שׁ	uvaesh	`HC/Rd/Ncbsa`	and-in-fire	and in fire	and in fire	1
`H784-15`	וּ/בְ/אֵשׁ֙	uveesh	`HC/R/Ncbsc`	and in fire	and in fire	and in fire	1
`H784-19`	וְ/אִשָּׁ/ם֙	veisham	`HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp`	and-their-fire	and their fire	and their fire	1

Occurrences in Scripture

378 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H784-03`	Genesis 15:17	אֵ֔שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	of fire	fire	fire
`H784-16`	Genesis 19:24	וָ/אֵ֑שׁ	vaesh	`HC/Ncbsa`	and fire	fire	and fire
`H784-05`	Genesis 22:6	הָ/אֵ֖שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-05`	Genesis 22:7	הָ/אֵשׁ֙	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 3:2	אֵ֖שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 3:2	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire,	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 9:23	אֵ֖שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-17`	Exodus 9:24	וְ/אֵ֕שׁ	veesh	`HC/Ncbsa`	and fire	fire	and fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 12:8	אֵ֣שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	with fire	fire	fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 12:9	אֵ֔שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 12:10	בָּ/אֵ֥שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 13:21	אֵ֖שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-05`	Exodus 13:22	הָ/אֵ֖שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	of the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 14:24	אֵ֖שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	of fire	fire	fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 19:18	בָּ/אֵ֑שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 22:5	אֵ֜שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-08`	Exodus 24:17	כְּ/אֵ֥שׁ	keesh	`HR/Ncbsa`	like fire	like fire	like fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 29:14	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 29:34	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Exodus 32:20	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in the fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-16`	Exodus 32:24	בָ/אֵ֔שׁ	vaesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	into the fire	fire	into the fire
`H784-03`	Exodus 35:3	אֵ֔שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-17`	Exodus 40:38	וְ/אֵ֕שׁ	veesh	`HC/Ncbsa`	and fire	fire	and fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 1:7	אֵ֖שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 1:7	הָ/אֵֽשׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 1:8	הָ/אֵ֔שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 1:12	הָ/אֵ֔שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 1:17	הָ/אֵ֑שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 2:14	בָּ/אֵשׁ֙	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in the fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 3:5	הָ/אֵ֑שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 4:12	בָּ/אֵ֑שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-17`	Leviticus 6:2	וְ/אֵ֥שׁ	veesh	`HC/Ncbsc`	and-the fire	fire	and fire
`H784-05`	Leviticus 6:3	הָ/אֵ֛שׁ	haesh	`HTd/Ncbsa`	the fire	the fire	the fire
`H784-18`	Leviticus 6:5	וְ/הָ/אֵ֨שׁ	vehaesh	`HC/Td/Ncbsa`	and-the-fire	and the fire	and the fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 6:6	אֵ֗שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 6:23	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in-fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 7:17	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in the fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 7:19	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	with fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 8:17	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 8:32	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	with fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 9:11	בָּ/אֵ֔שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	with fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 9:24	אֵשׁ֙	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 10:1	אֵ֔שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 10:1	אֵ֣שׁ	esh-2	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 10:2	אֵ֛שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	fire	fire	fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 13:24	אֵ֑שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	of fire	fire	fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 13:52	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in the fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 13:55	בָּ/אֵ֖שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in the fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-01`	Leviticus 13:57	בָּ/אֵ֣שׁ	baesh	`HRd/Ncbsa`	in fire	in the fire	in the fire
`H784-03`	Leviticus 16:12	אֵ֞שׁ	esh	`HNcbsa`	of fire	fire	fire

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