besem · spice, balsam

What it means

besem (בֶּשֶׂם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “spice, balsam”.

Spices with a pleasing smell; balsam.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Sweet-smelling plants for perfumes.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• spices ×18
• balsam ×4
• balsams ×4
• fragrant ×2
• spice ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Exodus×6
• 1 Kings×4
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×2
• 2 Chronicles×6
• Esther×1
• Song of Songs×6
• Isaiah×2
• Ezekiel×1

• Exodus 25:6

  oil for the light, spices for the oil of anointing and for the fragrant incense;

• Exodus 30:23

  “And you, take for yourself the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty,

• Exodus 35:8

  and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense;

• Exodus 35:28

  and the spice and the oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.

• 1 Kings 10:2

  And she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, camels carrying spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was in her heart.

• 1 Kings 10:10

  And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones; never again came such spices in abundance as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

• 1 Kings 10:25

  And they were bringing, each his tribute: utensils of silver and utensils of gold, and cloaks, and weapons, and spices, horses and mules, what was due for a year, year by year.

• 2 Kings 20:13

  Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house: the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fine oil, and his armory, and all that was found in his treasuries; there was not a thing that Hezekiah did not show them in his house or in all his dominion.

• 1 Chronicles 9:29

  And some of them were appointed over the utensils, and over all the holy utensils, and over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices.

• 1 Chronicles 9:30

  And of the sons of the priests were those who prepared the blend of the spices.

• 2 Chronicles 9:1

  The queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon, and she came to test Solomon with riddles in Jerusalem, with a very great retinue and camels carrying spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; she came to Solomon and spoke with him all that was on her heart.

• 2 Chronicles 9:9

  She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones; there were no spices like those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

• 2 Chronicles 9:24

  They brought each his tribute: utensils of silver and utensils of gold, cloaks, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, what was due for the year, year by year.

• 2 Chronicles 16:14

  They buried him in his tombs that he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him on the bed that they had filled with spices and perfumes of various kinds blended as a perfumer’s work; and they made for him a very great burning.

• 2 Chronicles 32:27

  Hezekiah had very great riches and glory; and he made treasuries for himself for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable objects;

• Esther 2:12

  And when the turn of each young woman came to go in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of twelve months of her being according to the law of the women (for so the days of their ointments were completed: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and with the ointments of the women),

• Song of Songs 4:10

  How beautiful is your love, my sister, bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfumes than all balsams!

• Song of Songs 4:14

  nard and saffron, cane and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the finest balsams;

• Song of Songs 4:16

  Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, let its balsams flow. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat his choice fruits.

• Song of Songs 5:13

  His cheeks are like a garden bed of balsam, towers of aromas; his lips are lilies, dripping myrrh that flows.

• Song of Songs 6:2

  My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the garden beds of balsam, to pasture in the gardens and to gather lilies.

• Song of Songs 8:14

  Flee, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a fawn on the mountains of balsams.

• Isaiah 3:24

  And it will happen that instead of balsam there will be rot, and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of the work of hairdressing, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a binding of sackcloth; a burn instead of beauty.

• Isaiah 39:2

  Hezekiah was glad because of them, and showed them his treasure house: the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fine oil, and all his armory, and all that was found in his treasuries; there was not a thing that Hezekiah did not show them in his house or in all his dominion.

• Ezekiel 27:22

  The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders; with the best of all balsam and with every precious stone and gold they paid for your wares.

And 4 more times.