Original Word: צְרִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsriy
Pronunciation: tso-ree
Phonetic Spelling: (tser-ee')
KJV: balm
NASB: balm
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to crack (as by pressure), hence, to leak]

1. distillation, i.e. balsam

balm

Or tsoriy {tsor-ee'}; from an unused root meaning to crack (as by pressure), hence, to leak; distillation, i.e. Balsam -- balm.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
(a kind of) balsam
NASB Translation
balm (6).

צֳרִי and (Genesis 37:25) (וּ)צְרִי noun [masculine] a kind of balsam, as merchandise Genesis 37:25 (J), Ezekiel 27:17, gift Genesis 43:11 (J), medicament Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 46:11; Jeremiah 51:8 (for national disaster, in fig,); — ThDyerM'Lean in Ency. Bib.^Balm think a resin, like (not necess.=) gum of mastic-tree, pistacia lentiscus (otherwise Post^{Hastings DB}).

Definition and Scope

צְרִי denotes the precious resin customarily rendered “balm” or “balsam.” Scripture confines the term to six verses, yet those occurrences span the patriarchal age, the monarchy, and the exile, allowing the word to serve as a thread that ties together commerce, medicine, prophecy, and ultimately the hope of redemption.

Botanical and Economic Context

Ancient writers such as Pliny and Josephus describe a low‐growing tree or shrub native to the limestone hills of Gilead, whose fragrant sap hardened into beads prized throughout the Near East. Because the resin exudes only after deliberate incision, its harvest demanded care and skill. Limited supply and superior quality combined to make balm one of Israel’s signature exports. Camels bearing “spices, balm, and myrrh” (Genesis 37:25) reflect an established caravan route from Gilead down to Egyptian markets. Centuries later Ezekiel 27:17 records Judah and Israel bartering “wheat … honey, oil, and balm,” showing that the product retained commercial value even as international trade expanded under Phoenician influence.

The Balm of Gilead in the Patriarchal Narratives

In Genesis 37:25 balm appears in the context of Joseph’s betrayal, while Genesis 43:11 lists it among the “best products in the land” that Jacob sends as a diplomatic gift to Egypt. These early references portray the resin as a luxury commodity that could open doors or curry favor with foreign powers. The theological undercurrent is providence: what appears to facilitate ordinary commerce ultimately advances God’s redemptive plan for Jacob’s family.

Jeremiah’s Lament: From Medicine to Metaphor

Jeremiah raises the plant from mere merchandise to a symbol of national healing. His recurring question—“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22)—laments the moral and spiritual disease of Judah. By Jeremiah 46:11, Egypt is told, “Go up to Gilead and get balm … but in vain you multiply remedies; there is no healing for you.” In Jeremiah 51:8 a similar verdict falls on Babylon. Thus the prophet universalizes the image: the nations’ real sickness is sin, and no earthly medicament can cure it when the Great Physician is rejected.

Trade and International Relations

Ezekiel 27:17 situates balm within Tyre’s vast mercantile network, underscoring how Israel’s land and labor contributed to global commerce. At the same time, the prophet’s lament over Tyre’s impending downfall (Ezekiel 27) intimates that even the finest products cannot secure a nation that opposes the Lord.

Typology and Christological Significance

Balm functions typologically in at least two ways:

1. Healing: The resin’s reputed power over wounds and inflammation anticipates the Messiah who “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Jeremiah’s cry creates a rhetorical vacuum that only Christ fills.
2. Fragrance: As a costly aromatic, balm foreshadows the surpassing worth of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Just as the resin was obtained through incision, the Savior’s side was pierced that cleansing might flow (John 19:34).

Geographical Associations and Theological Message

Gilead’s rugged uplands lie east of the Jordan—a borderland often representing transition or exile. By locating balm there, Scripture subtly links healing with a call to cross over, to leave the comfort of compromise and enter covenant fidelity. Jeremiah’s summons to go “up to Gilead” implies repentance; the answer to Judah’s plight is not political stratagem but a return to the God who alone provides true restoration.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Balm illustrates the insufficiency of human solutions and the sufficiency of God’s grace.
• Counseling: The image encourages believers that their deepest wounds are accessible to divine healing, reinforcing hope amid despair.
• Missions: As balm was exported far beyond its native hills, so the gospel is meant for all nations.
• Worship: Hymns and prayers that invoke the “balm of Gilead” invite congregations to seek Christ’s restorative work.

Summary

צְרִי threads its way through Scripture as an emblem of commerce, cure, and consolation. From the camel caravans of Genesis to the prophetic laments of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, balm testifies that every temporal good points beyond itself to the ultimate remedy found in the Lord. The ancient resin’s rarity and worth mirror the inestimable value of redemption, urging every generation to seek the true Physician who alone can heal the wounds of sin.

הַצֳרִי֙ הצרי וָצֹ֔רִי וּצְרִ֣י וצרי צֳרִ֔י צֳרִי֙ צרי ha·ṣo·rî haṣorî hatzoRi ṣo·rî ṣorî tzoRi ū·ṣə·rî ūṣərî utzeRi vaTzori wā·ṣō·rî wāṣōrîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts