a primitive root; to be spare or skeleton-like; used only as a denominative from גֶּרֶם; (causative) to bone, i.e. denude (by extensive, craunch) the bones; gnaw the bones, break.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **gâram**, represented by `{{H1633}}`, is a primitive root defined as to be spare or skeleton-like. It is used causatively to mean to bone, gnaw the bones, or break. This specific term appears **3 times** in **3 unique verses** within the Bible, indicating its focused and intense application.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H1633}}` is used to depict acts of complete and often violent consumption or destruction. In the prophecy concerning Israel, it is said that the nation will **break** the bones of its enemies as part of a total victory [[Numbers 24:8]]. The word also appears metaphorically to describe the corrupt judges of Jerusalem, who are compared to evening wolves that leave nothing behind, not even bones to **gnaw** on until the next day [[Zephaniah 3:3]]. In a vivid image of judgment, Ezekiel uses the term to describe a person who will drink a cup of wrath and then **break** its sherds, an act of utter desolation [[Ezekiel 23:34]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the intense actions associated with `{{H1633}}`:
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat): Often used alongside `{{H1633}}`, this word describes consumption that can be literal or figurative, from eating fruit to devouring enemies [[Numbers 24:8]]. It signifies the initial act that leads to the bone-gnawing of `{{H1633}}`.
* `{{H4272}}` **mâchats** (to dash asunder): This term denotes violent destruction, crushing, and piercing. It is paired with `{{H1633}}` to describe the complete overthrow of enemies, where bones are broken and bodies are pierced through [[Numbers 24:8]].
* `{{H4680}}` **mâtsâh** (to suck out): This word implies draining something completely. In a prophecy of judgment, it is used with `{{H1633}}` to illustrate the act of drinking a cup of wrath to the very dregs and then breaking the vessel itself [[Ezekiel 23:34]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1633}}` is found in its portrayal of ultimate consequences and judgment.
* **Irreversible Judgment:** The word is used to illustrate the severity of divine judgment. In Zephaniah, the rapacious leaders who act like wolves are judged, and in Ezekiel, the act of breaking the sherds of a cup of wrath symbolizes a final, self-inflicted desolation from which there is no recovery ([[Zephaniah 3:3]], [[Ezekiel 23:34]]).
* **Complete Annihilation of Enemies:** In the context of conquest, `{{H1633}}` signifies the total destruction of God's enemies by His people. The act of breaking bones is not just about victory, but about the complete and utter eradication of an opposing force [[Numbers 24:8]].
* **Symbol of Utter Consumption:** The imagery of gnawing or breaking bones serves as a powerful symbol for complete consumption. Whether it describes the greed of corrupt judges or the desperation of one facing judgment, it conveys an action taken to its absolute limit, leaving nothing behind ([[Zephaniah 3:3]], [[Ezekiel 23:34]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1633}}` **gâram** is a highly specific and potent word. Though used only three times, it consistently conveys a sense of finality and utter destruction. Whether describing the breaking of an enemy's bones in conquest, the rapaciousness of corrupt leaders, or the desolate end of one facing divine judgment, it paints a vivid picture of an action carried to its most extreme conclusion, leaving nothing but a skeleton-like emptiness.
TRV