BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
ʿĒṣ (עֵץ) — Tree / Wood in the Bible
ʿēṣ (עֵץ, H6086) is a common Hebrew noun meaning 'tree,' and by extension 'wood' or 'sticks,' used throughout the Old Testament for living trees and the material derived from them.
Meaning of the word
ʿēṣ primarily denotes a living tree—a woody plant with a trunk, branches, and fruit. In Genesis 1 it appears as one of the three classes of vegetation God brings forth on the third day: grass, herbs yielding seed, and 'fruit-trees (עֵץ פְּרִי) bearing fruit' (Gen 1:11–12). The noun thus covers individual species as well as trees collectively, and a phrase like 'every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed' (Gen 1:29) shows that the word itself names the plant while qualifying phrases specify the kind or purpose.
By extension ʿēṣ refers to the hard material obtained from a tree, i.e., wood, and in the plural to pieces of wood such as sticks or beams. The lexical note that it is 'from its firmness' connects the two senses: the tree is firm, and the wood cut from it is firm. The plural usage ('sticks') is a natural outgrowth of the same root idea.
In context ʿēṣ can carry symbolic weight simply by being identified or located, as with 'the tree of life in the midst of the garden' and 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Gen 2:9). The bare noun itself is neutral; significance comes from what is said about the specific tree.
Usage in Scripture
ʿēṣ appears very early in the Hebrew Bible, concentrated in the opening creation and Garden narratives. Its first uses describe the vegetation God commands the earth to produce (Gen 1:11, 12, 29) and then the specific trees God plants in Eden: 'every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food,' together with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9).
The word then anchors the divine command and the prohibition given to the first humans. Adam is told he may freely eat 'of every tree of the garden' (Gen 2:16) but not of 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Gen 2:17). The serpent's temptation in Gen 3:1 ('Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?') and the woman's reply distinguishing permitted trees from the forbidden one (Gen 3:2–3) all hinge on ʿēṣ. In these passages the word marks the boundary between obedience and death, framing the tree not merely as a plant but as a test point in the covenant relationship with God.
The word in detail
- H6086 ʿēṣ (עֵץ) is a common masculine noun meaning 'tree,' and by extension 'wood' or, in the plural, 'sticks/beams.' The lexical entry notes the root idea of firmness, tying the living tree to the hard material cut from it. In Genesis 1–3 it is the standard word for the fruit-bearing plants of creation and for the two named trees of Eden.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:11 ʿēṣ first appears here as 'fruit-trees (עֵץ פְּרִי)' among the vegetation God commands the earth to produce on day three, establishing the word as the standard term for fruit-bearing trees in creation.
- Genesis 1:29 Here ʿēṣ names the trees given to humanity for food: 'every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed,' pairing the word with the concept of seed-bearing fruit as God's provision.
- Genesis 2:9 ʿēṣ appears in two of the most theologically loaded phrases in the OT: 'the tree of life' and 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,' placed 'in the midst of the garden.'
- Genesis 2:16 God's permission to Adam, 'of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat,' uses ʿēṣ for the collective trees of Eden and sets up the contrast with the one forbidden tree in the next verse.
Common questions
What does ʿēṣ (H6086) mean in Biblical Hebrew?
It primarily means 'tree,' a living woody plant. By extension it also refers to 'wood' or, in the plural, 'sticks' or beams. The root idea is firmness, linking the standing tree to the hard material obtained from it.
Why is ʿēṣ important in Genesis 2–3?
In Genesis 2–3 ʿēṣ names the two trees at the center of the Eden narrative—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—and is the very term God and the serpent use when granting or disputing access to 'every tree of the garden.' The fall narrative turns on what is done with this tree.
Does ʿēṣ always mean a living tree?
No. While its basic meaning is a living tree, ʿēṣ can also refer to cut wood or pieces of wood such as sticks and beams, derived from the same root idea of firmness. Context determines whether the sense is 'tree' or 'wood.'