עשב

Hebrew

עשב

Etymology

Root
ע־שׂ־ב (ʿ-s-b)
1 term

Cognate with Aramaic עִשְׂבָּא (“herb”) and related to Arabic عُشْب (ʕušb, “herbs”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ(ʔ)esev/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

עֵשֶׂב • (ésev) m (plural indefinite עֲשָׂבִים, singular construct עֵשֶׂב־, plural construct עִשְׂבֵי־) [pattern: קֵטֶל]

1. herb, plant, grass; a herbaceous plant in contrast to shrubs or trees
   • Tanach, Genesis 3:18, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת־עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה׃

     Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

   • Tanach, Psalms 104:14, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     מַצְמִיחַ חָצִיר  לַבְּהֵמָה וְעֵשֶׂב לַעֲבֹדַת הָאָדָם לְהוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃

     Who causeth the grass to spring up for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; To bring forth bread out of the earth.

   • Tanach, Psalms 106:20, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת־כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר אֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב׃

     Thus they exchanged their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.

2. (slang) weed, cannabis

Usage notes

In Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew chiefly applied to plants used as food, that is, herbs for humans or pasturage for livestock.

Declension

Declension of עֵשֶׂב

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	עֵשֶׂב	first	עֶשְׂבִּי		עֶשְׂבֵּנוּ
	definite	הָעֵשֶׂב	second	עֶשְׂבְּךָ	עֶשְׂבֵּךְ	עֶשְׂבְּכֶם	עֶשְׂבְּכֶן
	construct	עֵשֶׂב־	third	עֶשְׂבּוֹ	עֶשְׂבָּהּ	עֶשְׂבָּם	עֶשְׂבָּן
plural	indefinite	עֲשָׂבִים	first	עשביי / עֲשָׂבַי		עֲשָׂבֵינוּ
	definite	הָעֲשָׂבִים	second	עֲשָׂבֶיךָ	עשבייך / עֲשָׂבַיִךְ	עִשְׂבֵיכֶם	עִשְׂבֵיכֶן
	construct	עִשְׂבֵי־	third	עֲשָׂבָיו	עֲשָׂבֶיהָ	עִשְׂבֵיהֶם	עִשְׂבֵיהֶן

Synonyms

• יָרָק (yarák, “plant, herb”)
• דֶּשֶׁא (déshe, “young, tender plant”)

Derived terms

• עֵשֶׂב שׁוֹטֶה (ésev shoté)

References

• H6212 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Klein, Ernest (1987), “עֵשֶׂב”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎^[1], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 488a
• Jastrow, Marcus (1903), A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature‎^[2], London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons, page 1124a
• “עשב” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• עשב on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Anagrams

• שבע