גֶּרֶם
a bone
Definition
The Hebrew noun גֶּרֶם (gerem) primarily means 'a bone' or 'skeleton'. In its single biblical occurrence, it refers to the physical bones of a human body. This Aramaic-derived term corresponds directly to the more common Hebrew word for bone, גֶּרֶם (gerem, H1634), used throughout the Old Testament. The word denotes the literal, structural part of a creature, as seen when Daniel's accusers are devoured before their bones even hit the ground (Daniel 6:24).
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in the Aramaic portion of the book of Daniel. It appears in Daniel 6:24, describing the fate of Daniel's accusers: they were thrown into the lions' den and destroyed before their bodies even reached the bottom. The context is one of swift and complete judicial punishment, where the destruction is so total that their bones are shattered. This singular usage aligns with the common semantic field of the word found in its Hebrew counterpart.
Etymology
The word גֶּרֶם (gerem, H1635) is an Aramaic noun that corresponds to the Hebrew noun גֶּרֶם (gerem, H1634). Both share the same root (ג־ר־ם) and fundamental meaning of 'bone'. Its appearance in Daniel reflects the Aramaic sections of the book (Daniel 2:4b–7:28). The root conveys the sense of something hard, structural, or essential to a body's framework.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, bones were often seen as representing the essence or core of a person, sometimes connected to concepts of life, strength, or even a person's lineage. The complete shattering of bones, as described in Daniel 6:24, symbolized utter and irreversible destruction, leaving nothing intact. This would have communicated a powerful message of divine judgment and the finality of the punishment executed.
עֶצֶם ('etsem, H6106) — Another common Hebrew word for 'bone', also used for 'self' or 'substance', carrying a stronger connotation of essence or very self. גֶּרֶם (gerem, H1634) — The direct Hebrew equivalent, used frequently in poetic and narrative texts.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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