Balm

Balm is a healing resin, and in the Bible it comes out of Gilead. Traders carry “spicery and balm and myrrh” past Joseph’s brothers in Genesis 37:25, and Jacob later sends a little balm as a gift to the man in Egypt. Jeremiah asks the question most people remember: “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?” His people are hurt and not recovered. Elsewhere the prophet says even good medicine will fail for Egypt, and Babylon is told to take balm for her pain. Read Jeremiah 8:18-22 and ask what kind of healing the prophet is longing for.

6 verses

Genesis

Genesis 37:25

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Genesis 43:11

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:22

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Jeremiah 46:11

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

Jeremiah 51:8

Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:17

Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Contracted from Bal’sam, a general name for many oily or resinous substances which flow or trickle from certain trees or plants when an incision is made through the bark.

(1.) This word occurs in the Authorized Version (Gen. 37:25; 43:11; Jer. 8:22; 46:11; 51:8; Ezek. 27:17) as the rendering of the Hebrew word tsori_ or _tseri, which denotes the gum of a tree growing in Gilead (q.v.), which is very precious. It was celebrated for its medicinal qualities, and was circulated as an article of merchandise by Arab and Phoenician merchants. The shrub so named was highly valued, and was almost peculiar to Palestine. In the time of Josephus it was cultivated in the neighbourhood of Jericho and the Dead Sea. There is an Arab tradition that the tree yielding this balm was brought by the queen of Sheba as a present to Solomon, and that he planted it in his gardens at Jericho.

Read the full entry

(2.) There is another Hebrew word, basam_ or _bosem, from which our word “balsam,” as well as the corresponding Greek balsamon, is derived. It is rendered “spice” (Cant. 5:1, 13; 6:2; margin of Revised Version, “balsam;” Ex. 35:28; 1 Kings 10:10), and denotes fragrance in general. Basam also denotes the true balsam-plant, a native of South Arabia (Cant. l.c.).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(from balsam , Heb. tzori, tezri) occurs in (Genesis 37:25; 43:11; Jeremiah 8:22; 46:11; 51:8; Ezekiel 27:17) (It is an aromatic plant, or the resinous odoriferous sap or gum which exudes from such plants.) It is impossible to identify it with any certainty. It is impossible to identify it with any certainty. It may represent the gum of the Pistacia lentiscus , or more probably that of the Balsamodendron opobalsamum , allied to the balm of Gilead , which abounded in Gilead east of the Jordan. The trees resembled fig trees (or grape vines), but were lower, being but 12 to 15 feet high. It is now called the BALM OF GILEAD, or Meccabalsam , the tree or shrub being indigenous in the mountains around Mecca. [INCENSE; SPICE, SPICES] Hasselquist says that the exudation from the plant "is of a yellow color, and pellucid. It has a most fragrant smell, which is resinous, balsamic and very agreeable. It is very tenacious or glutinous, sticking to the fingers, and may be drawn into long threads." It was supposed to have healing as well as aromatic qualities.