Hebrew word · H6108

עֹ֫צֶם

ve'otzem

strength

Might or forcefulness, and possibly "frame" or "bones". It comes from the root ʿ-ṣ-m, "to be strong, mighty, numerous", which is also the source of ʿetsem, "bone". It occurs only three times: Deut 8:17, Job 30:21 and Ps 139:15 (where ʿotsmi means "my frame").

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) power, bones, might

1a) might

1b) bones

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Deuteronomy 8:17

Range of meaning

Might or forcefulness, and possibly "frame" or "bones". It comes from the root ʿ-ṣ-m, "to be strong, mighty, numerous", which is also the source of ʿetsem, "bone". It occurs only three times: Deut 8:17, Job 30:21 and Ps 139:15 (where ʿotsmi means "my frame").

Against the English

English versions give "might" (KJV, WEB, YLT) or "strength" (BSB). This is accurate, though it loses the earthy, bodily feel of the word.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 30:21 has the same phrase, "the might (ʿotsem) of your hand," there used of God's crushing power. The related verb is used of Israel growing "mighty" in Egypt (Exod 1:7, 1:20).

From the study of Psalm 139:15

Range of meaning

Usually 'might, strength' (Deut 8:17 'the might of my hand'; Job 30:21; Isa 40:29). Here it means 'bones, frame, skeleton'. It is closely related to ʿetsem, 'bone', which also carries the sense 'self, essence' ('this very day' is literally 'the bone of this day').

Against the English

BSB/WEB/NIV/ESV/NASB 'frame'; KJV/YLT 'substance'. 'Frame' is accurate and concrete. 'Substance' is more abstract and in modern English sounds like 'material' or even 'wealth'.

How it drifted

KJV 'substance' probably reflects the Latin tradition (Vulgate 'substantia', from the Greek hypostasis in the second half of the verse) and the older sense of 'what a thing is made of'.

Used elsewhere in the period

The 'bones' sense of the root is everywhere in the Hebrew Bible (Gen 2:23 'bone of my bones'). Eccl 11:5 uses ʿatsamim of bones forming 'in the womb of a pregnant woman', a mystery humans cannot see. The Septuagint here reads 'my bone' (to ostoun mou).

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 8:17 וְעֹ֣צֶם and [the] might of

    You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”

    Here: A rare word for raw might. It is related to the word for "bone" and the idea of being massive or numerous. Paired with koach, it piles up the boast: my strength, and the sheer force of my hand.

Job · 1

  1. Job 30:21 בְּעֹ֖צֶם with [the] might of

    You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 139:15 עָצְמִ֗י bone[s] my

    My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

    Here: 'My frame.' It is related to ʿetsem, 'bone', which can also mean 'self, very being'. It points to the skeleton as the structure of the body, and so to the person's whole physical makeup.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.