Jump to: Smith's • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Definition and Description:Balm, often referred to as "balm of Gilead," is a fragrant resin used for medicinal purposes in ancient times. It is derived from certain trees and plants, particularly those found in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. The balm was highly valued for its healing properties and aromatic qualities. Biblical References: 1. Genesis 37:25 · The earliest mention of balm in the Bible occurs in the account of Joseph. As Joseph's brothers plotted against him, a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by, carrying spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt. This indicates the trade and value of balm in ancient commerce: "As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, and they were on their way down to Egypt." 2. Jeremiah 8:22 · The prophet Jeremiah uses balm metaphorically to express the spiritual and physical healing needed by the people of Israel. He laments the lack of healing for the nation, asking, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?" 3. Jeremiah 46:11 · In this passage, the futility of seeking healing from Egypt is highlighted, as the balm of Gilead is contrasted with the ineffective remedies of the Egyptians: "Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you." 4. Ezekiel 27:17 · Balm is listed among the goods traded by Judah and Israel with Tyre, showcasing its economic importance: "Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and Pannag, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise." Cultural and Historical Context: The balm of Gilead was renowned in the ancient Near East for its soothing and healing properties. It was often used in the treatment of wounds and as a perfume. The region of Gilead, known for its fertile land and abundant resources, was a significant source of this valuable commodity. The balm was extracted from the resin of trees such as the balsam tree, which thrived in the area. Symbolism and Theological Significance: In the Bible, balm symbolizes healing, restoration, and the hope of divine intervention. The rhetorical question posed by Jeremiah, "Is there no balm in Gilead?" underscores the deep yearning for spiritual and physical healing that only God can provide. This imagery has been embraced in Christian hymnody and literature, often representing Christ as the ultimate healer and source of comfort. Modern Usage: The phrase "balm of Gilead" has transcended its biblical origins to become a metaphor for any source of healing or solace. It is frequently used in religious and literary contexts to evoke the idea of divine comfort and restoration. Easton's Bible Dictionary Contracted from Bal'sam, a general name for many oily or resinous substances which flow or trickle from certain trees or plants when an incision is made through the bark.(1.) This word occurs in the Authorized Version (Genesis 37:25; 43:11; Jeremiah 8:22; 46:11; 51:8; Ezek. 27:17) as the rendering of the Hebrew word tsori_ or _tseri, which denotes the gum of a tree growing in Gilead (q.v.), which is very precious. It was celebrated for its medicinal qualities, and was circulated as an article of merchandise by Arab and Phoenician merchants. The shrub so named was highly valued, and was almost peculiar to Palestine. In the time of Josephus it was cultivated in the neighbourhood of Jericho and the Dead Sea. There is an Arab tradition that the tree yielding this balm was brought by the queen of Sheba as a present to Solomon, and that he planted it in his gardens at Jericho. (2.) There is another Hebrew word, basam_ or _bosem, from which our word "balsam," as well as the corresponding Greek balsamon, is derived. It is rendered "spice" (Cant. 5:1, 13; 6:2; margin of Revised Version, "balsam;" Exodus 35:28; 1 Kings 10:10), and denotes fragrance in general. Basam also denotes the true balsam-plant, a native of South Arabia (Cant. l.c.). Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) An aromatic plant of the genus Melissa.2. (n.) The resinous and aromatic exudation of certain trees or shrubs. 3. (n.) Any fragrant ointment. 4. (n.) Anything that heals or that mitigates pain. 5. (v. i.) To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal. Hence: To soothe; to mitigate. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia BALMbam (tseri, tsori; Septuagint rhetine): The name of an odoriferous resin said to be brought from Gilead by Ishmaelite Arabs on their way to Egypt (Genesis 37:25). It is translated "balm" in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), but is called "mastic," the Revised Version, margin. In Genesis 43:11 it is one of the gifts sent by Jacob to Joseph, and in Ezekiel 27:17 it is named as one of the exports from Judea to Tyre. The prophet Jeremiah refers figuratively to its medicinal properties as an application to wounds and as a sedative (Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 46:11; Jeremiah 51:8). The name is derived from a root signifying "to leak," and is applied to it as being an exudation. There is a sticky, honeylike gum resin prepared at the present day at Jericho, extracted from the Balanites Aegyptiaca grown in the Ghor, and sold to travelers in small tin boxes as "Balm of Gilead," but it is improbable that this is the real tscori and it has no medicinal value. The material to which the classic authors applied the name is that known as Mecca balsam, which is still imported into Egypt from Arabia, as it was in early times. This is the exudation from the Balsamodendron opobalsamum, a native of southern Arabia and Abyssinia. The tree is small, ragged-looking and with a yellowish bark like that of a plane tree, and the exudation is said to be gathered from its smaller branches. At the present day it grows nowhere in Palestine. Dr. Post and other botanists have sought for it on the Ghor and in Gilead, and have not found it, and there is no trace of it in the neighborhood of Jericho, which Pliny says is its only habitat. Strabo describes it as growing by the Sea of Galilee, as well as at Jericho, but both these and other ancient writers give inconsistent and incorrect descriptions of the tree evidently at second hand. We learn from Theophrastus that many of the spices of the farther East reached the Mediterranean shore through Palestine, being brought by Arab caravans which would traverse the indefinitely bounded tract East of Jordan to which the name Gilead is given, and it was probably thus that the balm received its local name. Mecca balsam is an orange-yellow, treacly fluid, mildly irritating to the skin, possibly a weak local stimulant and antiseptic, but of very little remedial value. BALM OF GILEAD The people of Jericho today prepare for the benefit of pilgrims a "Balm of Gilead" from the zaqqum (Balanites Aegyptiaca), but this has no serious claims to be the balm of antiquity. If we are to look beyond the borders of modern Palestine we may credit the tradition which claims that Mecca balsam, a product of Balsamodendron Gileadense and B. opobalsamum, was the true "balm," and Post (HDB, I, 236) produces evidence to show that these plants were once grown in the Jordan valley. Yet another suggestion, made by Lagarde, is that the tsori = sturax, and if so then "balm" would be the inspissated juice of the Storax-tree (Stytax officinalis), a common inhabitant of Gilead. GILEAD, BALM OF See BALM OF GILEAD. Strong's Hebrew 6875. tsori -- (a kind of) balsam... tsori or tseri or tsori. 6876 . (a kind of) balsam. Transliteration: tsori or tseri or tsori Phonetic Spelling: (tser-ee') Short Definition: balm. ... balm. ... /hebrew/6875.htm - 6k Library December 8. "Is There no Balm in Gilead; is There no Physician ... Balm in Gilead. Whether Chrism is a Fitting Matter for this Sacrament? How Our Saviour's Loving Attractions Assist and Accompany us to ... Healing for the Wounded On Confirmation How St Francis Commanded Brother Leo to Wash the Stone How the vine of the Priest of Rieti, Whose House St Francis ... Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity Ciii. Zacch??us. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem. Thesaurus Balm (7 Occurrences)... There is an Arab tradition that the tree yielding this balm was brought by the queen of Sheba as a present to Solomon, and that he planted it in his gardens at ... /b/balm.htm - 14k Gilead (130 Occurrences) Embalm (4 Occurrences) Gum (3 Occurrences) Medicine (4 Occurrences) Balsam (10 Occurrences) Aromatic (6 Occurrences) Spicery (2 Occurrences) Spices (64 Occurrences) Myrrh (22 Occurrences) Resources What is the balm of Gilead? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of the land of Gilead in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Miscellaneous Bible Questions (All) | GotQuestions.org Balm: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Balm (7 Occurrences)Genesis 37:25 Genesis 43:11 2 Chronicles 28:15 Jeremiah 8:22 Jeremiah 46:11 Jeremiah 51:8 Ezekiel 27:17 Subtopics Related Terms |
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