Branch ;Bough

bransh: Represented by very many words in the Hebrew.

(1) zemorah used especially of a vine branch. The spies "cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes" (Nu 13:23). See also Eze 15:2; Na 2:2. "They put the branch to their nose" (Eze 8:17), refers to some unknown idolatrous practice, as does also Isa 17:10, "thou plantest pleasant plants, and settest it with strange slips," or "vine slips of a strange (god)" the Revised Version, margin.

(2) yoneqeth, literally "a sucker." "The tender branch thereof will not cease" (Job 14:7). Used figuratively of Israel, Ps 80:11 (the Revised Version (British and American) "shoots"); Eze 17:22 the King James Version; Ho 14:6, and of the wicked, Job 8:16 (the Revised Version (British and American) "shoots"), Job 15:30.

(3) kippah, Job 15:32. Isa 9:14; 19:15, the Revised Version (British and American) has "palm-branch," "Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day" (Isa 9:14).

(4) netser (of the same Hebrew root, according to many commentators, as Nazareth), literally "a little shoot springing from the root" ("out of a shoot from her roots," Da 11:7), which may be planted out to grow (Isa 11:1; 60:21), or may be rooted out and thrown away (Isa 14:19).

(5) tsemach. The "branch" of Messianic prophecy. See PROPHECY. "In that day shall the branch (m "shoot" or "sprout") of Yahweh be beautiful and glorious" (Isa 4:2); "a shoot out of the stock of Jesse" (Isa 11:1); "a righteous branch" (Jer 23:5; 33:15): "my servant the Branch" (Zec 3:8); "the man whose name is the Branch" (Zec 6:12).

(6) qanah, is used for the "branches" of the golden candlesticks (Ex 25:32; 37:18 ff). Literally, qanah means a "reed."

There are a number of words, less frequently used, meaning "branch":

(7) baddim (plural only used; Eze 17:6; 19:14).

(8) dalith (plural only used; Jer 11:16).

(9) maTTeh (Eze 19:11).

(10) ca`iph (Isa 18:5; ce`appah (plural) (Eze 31:6); car`appah (Eze 31:5).

(11) `anaph (Mal 4:1; Ps 80:11); `anaph (Da 4:14,21); `eneph (Eze 36:8).

(12) pu'rah, "a bough" (Isa 10:33); po'roth (pl. only) (Eze 31:5,8).

(13) tsammereth, "foliage" or "boughs of trees," literally "locks" or "fleece" of trees (Eze 17:3; 31:3).

(14) qatsir (collective) (Job 14:9), "boughs" (Ps 80:11), "branches."

(15) shibbeleth, the two olive branches of Zec 4:12.

(16) soqch, root meaning "to interweave" (Jg 9:49); sokhah (Jg 9:48), "boughs."

(17) sarigh (pl. only, sarighim), "branches" (of the vine) (Ge 40:10; Joe 1:7).

Represented in Greek in the New Testament:

(1) baion (Joh 12:13), "a palm branch."

(2) klados (Mt 13:32; 21:8; 24:32; Mr 4:32; 13:28; Lu 13:19; Ro 11:16-17,18-19,21).

(3) klema, a slip or cutting of the vine, especially one cut off to be grafted into another plant (Joh 15:2,4-5,6).

(4) stibos (= stoibas), a "twig" or "bough" (Mr 11:8).

E. W. G. Masterman