אוד

The word אוד appears three times in תנ”ך:

ישעיהו ז:ד
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵ֠לָיו הִשָּׁמֵ֨ר וְהַשְׁקֵ֜ט אַל־תִּירָ֗א וּלְבָבְךָ֙ אַל־יֵרַ֔ךְ מִשְּׁנֵ֨י זַנְב֧וֹת הָאוּדִ֛ים הָעֲשֵׁנִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה בָּחֳרִי־אַ֛ף רְצִ֥ין וַאֲרָ֖ם וּבֶן־ רְמַלְיָֽהוּ:

עמוס ד:יא
הָפַ֣כְתִּי בָכֶ֗ם כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֤ת אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־סְדֹ֣ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה וַתִּהְי֕וּ כְּא֖וּד מֻצָּ֣ל מִשְּׂרֵפָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְקֹוָֽק:

זכריה ג:ב
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְקֹוָ֜ק אֶל־הַשָּׂטָ֗ן יִגְעַ֨ר יְקֹוָ֤ק בְּךָ֙ הַשָּׂטָ֔ן וְיִגְעַ֤ר יְקֹוָק֙ בְּךָ֔ הַבֹּחֵ֖ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הֲל֧וֹא זֶ֦ה א֖וּד מֻצָּ֥ל מֵאֵֽשׁ:

and in each case it signifies a burning stick.

Last night at a lecture at the NYPL (http://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2016/01/13/prince-gates-seville-cross-cultural-exchange-medieval-spain?hspace=331705) I learned that the medieval stringed instrument, the “lute” derives in both name and origin, from the Arabic instrument called al-`ud (العود), which means “the wood”.  `ud in Arabic is עץ in Hebrew, which seems to have survived in the form אוד – seemingly specifically with regard to burning wood.

HALOT: Syr. stick with which to poke the fire; Arb. ‘ud wood: log

 

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