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BALM

A resinous plant exudate obtained through incisions in the bark (Heb. ṣĕrî/ṣŏrî). The Ishmaelites trade it with Egypt (Gen. 37:25), and Joseph receives it as a gift from Jacob (43:11). It also appears in a list of Judean exports to Tyre (Ezek. 27:17). While these references highlight the commercial value of balm as a perfuming oil, the references in Jeremiah (Jer. 8:22; 46:11; 51:8) highlight its medicinal value and its association with Gilead. Gilead apparently was famous for both its physicians and, especially, the healing properties of the unguent, whose aroma perhaps counteracted the odor of infected wounds (Jer. 8:22).

Suggested identifications for “balm” include storax, balsam, and mastic, but none of these plants is indigenous to Palestine. Its association with Gilead may reflect the commercial importance of that region in trade. Recent excavations in the Judean desert (Tel Goren/Tell el-Jurn; 187097) have unearthed a possible production center for perfume (identified as balm).

Rick R. Marrs






Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

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