### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **zᵉmôwrâh**, represented by `{{H2156}}`, refers to a **twig (as pruned)**, **vine**, **branch**, or **slip**. It appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible. The term derives from a root meaning "to prune," highlighting its identity as a cutting taken from a larger vine.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The usage of `{{H2156}}` varies significantly, illustrating both divine blessing and judgment. In its first appearance, it represents the bounty of the promised land, where spies cut down a **branch** heavy with a cluster of grapes [[Numbers 13:23]]. However, it is also used to symbolize worthlessness when detached from its purpose, as when Ezekiel asks what a vine **branch** is worth compared to the wood of other trees [[Ezekiel 15:2]]. The term takes on a negative connotation when associated with idolatry, as in the planting of "strange **slips**" by those who have forgotten God [[Isaiah 17:10]] and the abominable act of putting "the **branch** to their nose" [[Ezekiel 8:17]]. Finally, it signifies ruin when the LORD's judgment mars the "vine **branches**" of Israel [[Nahum 2:2]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the agricultural and symbolic context of a branch or slip:
* `{{H1612}}` **gephen** (a vine): This is the source plant from which a `{{H2156}}` branch is cut. The health of the **vine** determines the quality of its branches and fruit [[Jeremiah 2:21]].
* `{{H5194}}` **neṭaʻ** (a plant): This term is used alongside `{{H2156}}` to describe things planted. In Isaiah, the "pleasant **plants**" are contrasted with the "strange **slips**," connecting the act of planting to spiritual fidelity or unfaithfulness [[Isaiah 17:10]].
* `{{H6025}}` **ʻênâb** (a grape): This is the fruit that a healthy vine branch is expected to bear. The branch from Eshcol was significant specifically because of its cluster of **grapes** [[Numbers 13:23]].
### Theological Significance
The symbolic weight of `{{H2156}}` is tied to its relationship with its source and its purpose.
* **Symbol of Promise:** The branch carried by the spies from the brook of Eshcol serves as tangible evidence of the land's extraordinary fruitfulness and the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel [[Numbers 13:23]].
* **Representation of Israel:** The "vine branches" in Nahum directly represent the people of Israel, whose ruin is depicted as a marred vineyard, emptied out by invaders as an act of judgment [[Nahum 2:2]].
* **Instrument of Idolatry:** The term is used to describe objects of apostasy. The "strange **slips**" represent foreign, unholy influences being planted by a people who have forgotten God [[Isaiah 17:10]], and the **branch** in Ezekiel is part of a profane ritual that provokes God to anger [[Ezekiel 8:17]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2156}}` is more than just an agricultural term. While it literally means a twig or vine branch, its biblical usage portrays a sharp duality. It can represent God's abundant blessing and the fruitfulness of His promises, but it also serves as a potent symbol of judgment, apostasy, and worthlessness when separated from its life-giving source and purpose.