### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **yâbêsh**, represented by `{{H3002}}`, means **dry** or **dried**. It is derived from the root `{{H3001}}` and appears **9 times** in **9 unique verses**. This term is used to describe a state of being without moisture, vitality, or life, applying to both physical objects and metaphorical conditions of hopelessness and barrenness.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H3002}}` illustrates conditions of lifelessness and despair. Its most prominent use is in Ezekiel's vision of the valley of bones, which were "very **dry**," signifying Israel's seemingly hopeless state before God's promise of restoration ([[Ezekiel 37:2]], [[Ezekiel 37:4]]). The term also depicts barrenness, as when the eunuch laments, "Behold, I am a **dry** tree" [[Isaiah 56:3]]. In contrast, God's sovereignty is shown by His power to make the **dry** tree flourish [[Ezekiel 17:24]]. The word is also used literally, as in the Nazirite vow which forbids eating "moist grapes, or **dried**" [[Numbers 6:3]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning and context of `{{H3002}}`:
* `{{H3001}}` **yâbêsh**: This primitive root means to **dry up** or **wither**. As the verb form from which `{{H3002}}` is derived, it describes the action of becoming dry, such as when God has "dried up the green tree" [[Ezekiel 17:24]] or when grass "withereth" [[Isaiah 40:8]]. It can also mean to be confounded or ashamed.
* `{{H3892}}` **lach**: Meaning **fresh**, **green**, or **moist**, this word serves as a direct antonym to `{{H3002}}`. This contrast is seen clearly in passages that distinguish between the "**green** tree" and the "**dry** tree" ([[Ezekiel 17:24]], [[Ezekiel 20:47]]) or "**moist** grapes" and "**dried**" ones [[Numbers 6:3]].
* `{{H7179}}` **qash**: This word for **stubble** or dry straw is often described as `{{H3002}}`. The wicked are devoured "as stubble fully **dry**" [[Nahum 1:10]], and Job describes himself as being pursued like "**dry** stubble" [[Job 13:25]], emphasizing frailty and worthlessness.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3002}}` is centered on its use as a powerful symbol for spiritual states.
* **Symbol of Hopelessness and Barrenness:** The "very **dry**" bones in Ezekiel's vision represent a state of spiritual death, utterly devoid of life and hope [[Ezekiel 37:2]]. Similarly, the Israelites' complaint that their "soul is **dried away**" expresses their deep despair in the wilderness [[Numbers 11:6]].
* **Object of Divine Judgment:** God’s judgment is shown to consume both the green and the **dry** tree, indicating its comprehensive reach [[Ezekiel 20:47]]. The wicked are compared to "**dry** stubble" ready to be devoured by fire, signifying their imminent and complete destruction [[Nahum 1:10]].
* **Emblem of God's Restorative Power:** The word is crucial in demonstrating God's sovereignty over life and death. His promise to make the "**dry** tree to flourish" [[Ezekiel 17:24]] is a profound statement of His ability to bring life from barrenness and to reverse what seems to be a final, irreversible state.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3002}}` **yâbêsh** is more than a simple descriptor of a physical state. While it can refer to literal dryness, its primary significance lies in its metaphorical power. It vividly portrays conditions of spiritual death, barrenness, and judgment, yet it also serves as the backdrop against which God's ultimate power to restore and bring life from death is magnificently displayed.
TRV