Tree – Ets – Genesis 1:11

And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed,

and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind,

wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so.

Genesis 1:11

Genesis 1:11 
HEB: מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע עֵ֣ץ פְּרִ֞י עֹ֤שֶׂה
NAS: [and] fruit trees on the earth
KJV: [and] the fruit tree yielding
INT: yielding seed trees fruit bearing

JPS Tanakh 1917 (top of page)

http://biblehub.com/texts/genesis/1-11.htm

Genesis 1:11

First mention of trees in the bible.

This painting shows the word "Etz" which is Hebrew for "tree." 

The language is read right to left, so the right-most and middle forms 
are the word tree, and the left-most form is, well, a tree. 

Hebrew word:  TREE
ets: tree, trees, wood

Original Word: עֵץ

Transliteration: ets [ehts, etz]

Phonetic Spelling: (ates)

Short Definition: wood

http://biblehub.com/hebrew/6086.htm

Audio: http://hebrewword.org/Share-the-Hebrew-Word/tree-in-hebrew/

Olive Tree Hebraic School - https://www.pinterest.com/hebraicschool/

עֵץ  / ets / etz

עֵ - Hebrew letter Ayin - This letter evolved into the ע in the Modern Hebrew script.

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/alphabet_letters_ayin.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayin

ץ - In modern Hebrew, the letter's name is Tsadi or Ṣadi. The word tsad means "side," but is also related to the idea of a stronghold, which is often built on the side of a mountain.

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/alphabet_letters_tsade.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsade

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=h6086

Tree (עץ eyts, Strong's # 6086: When we think of a tree an image comes to mind but, when the Hebrews who wrote the Bible think of a tree an action comes to mind. This is one of the foundational differences between Ancient Hebrew and Modern Western thought. The Hebrew word eyts represents a tree but more the action of lifting up with support, the function of the trunk and branches of the tree. Other words related to this one also have this same active meaning. The word atseh ^[str:6096] is the spine, eytsah ^[str:6098] is a council and etsem ^[str:6106] is the word for bones.

Counsel (עצה eytsah, Strong's #6098): The word eytsah, meaning counsel, is the feminine form of the masculine word eyts ^[str:6086] meaning a tree. Counsel is the giving of advice, encouragement or guidance. Within the family or the community this would be an elder, one filled with years of wisdom and experience. In the Hebrew mind this elder, or counselor, and his counsel is seen as the support to the community in the same way that the trunk of a tree supports the branches of the tree.

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/vocabulary_picture.html

The Bible mentions by name TWO trees that were planted in the Garden of Eden:

“The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9)

The first tree is ‘the tree of life’ which appears in the original Hebrew as ‘Etz Ha-Cha’yim’ {עץ החיים} and the second is known in Hebrew as ‘Etz Ha-Da’at.’ {עץ הדעת}

The original Hebrew syntax of this verse suggests that the two trees are in fact opposites – or at least, one stands in contrast to the other.

In other words, from the Hebrew syntax of this verse, one can learn that man had to choose between living eternal life OR receiving the gift of knowledge. To live for all eternity and to possess the gift of knowledge does not
appear to be a contradiction at all – so why it is presented as a conflict between two opposite things?

Well, according to one very interesting interpretation, the perspective should be applied for ALL mankind – because with great positive knowledge (which can make our lives better) comes also negative destructive knowledge which can easily damage it.

When man chose ‘knowledge’ he ultimately ruined his chances for having eternal life because of what is attached to the ‘knowledge.’

Here is an interesting anecdote before we conclude this post. The original Hebrew word for ‘tree’ is ‘Etz’ {עץ} which is spelled and pronounced almost identically as the Hebrew word ‘Etzah’ {עצה} – which means ‘advice.’

When one reads this part in the original Hebrew, one cannot ignore the double meaning of the Hebrew word ‘Etz’ which sounds like both ‘tree’ and ‘advice.’ The ‘tree of life’ and ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ sounds also very much like ‘the advice of life’ and ‘the advice of knowledge of good and evil.’

https://www.hebrewversity.com/single-post/2017/01/11/Advice-for-Life-%E2%80%93the-Hebrew-Meaning-of-the-Biblical-Tree-of-Life

 

There are two words for tree in Hebrew.

עץ (etz) or אילן (ilan).

Plural: עצים (etzim) or אילנות (ilanot).

 Living Word in 3D - Hebrew Explained

Amazing Hebrew Meaning of 1st Verse of Bible REVEALED!

https://youtu.be/W2-o0WI_qz8

Hebrew Word of the Day: Tree

Israeli almond trees - Almond blossoms in January

Plants of the Bible - http://natureisrael.com/plants2002.html

There are at least three wild species of almond tree in Israel. Come the midwinter festival of Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish new year for trees, their blossoms adorn rural hillsides and town gardens alike, dotting the landscape with pink-white puffs. Israel is believed to be one of the regions where the tree was domesticated and indeed almonds are still grown commercially here to this day.

Etz Chayim (Tree of Life)

Modern Hebrew tends to prefer Biblical over Mishnaic Hebrew, and so we generally use the word etz for tree (except when talking about Tu B'Shvat.)

http://www.balashon.com/2007/01/etz-and-ilan.html

Psalm 119 has sections highlighting Ayin & Tsadhe!

http://www.basicsofthebible.org/psalm119/

  Psalm 119:121-128 – Ayin

  Psalm 119:137-144 – Tsadhe/Tzadi

Shevat 15 - Tu B'Shvat New Year for Trees

Jan. 31/Feb 1 - https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month_cdo/jewish/Jewish-Calendar.htm

(calendar does not rely on new moon sighting)

Feb. 1/2 - http://torahcalendar.com/Calendar.asp?YM=Y2017M11

(month begins after sighting of new moon)

http://tammyjdub.blogspot.com/2017/12/january-2018-events.html

Sources:

https://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/2013/07/hebrew-words-with-pictures.html

http://www.ferociouspixie.com/blog/2016/5/14/etz-chaiim

https://www.hebrewversity.com/single-post/2017/01/11/Advice-for-Life-%E2%80%93the-Hebrew-Meaning-of-the-Biblical-Tree-of-Life

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/vocabulary_picture.html

http://natureisrael.com/plants2002.html

http://lightoftorah.net/files/*Genesis/Gen1.1-2.4.pdf
http://nurturinglifeministry.blogspot.com/2017/10/ps119blessed-by-harmonizing-hearts.html

More about Trees:
http://tammyjdub.blogspot.com/2018/01/hazelnut-trees-helmet.html
http://tammyjdub.blogspot.com/2018/02/tu-bshvat-new-year-for-trees.html