Thorns; Thistles

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

No less than eighteen Hebrew words embrace the thistle, thorn, brier, and bramble species, which is prolific in Palestine

(Gen. 3:18¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (Genesis 3:18)). Figurative for desolation (Prov. 24:31³¹And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. (Proverbs 24:31); Isa. 5:6⁶And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:6); Hos. 2:6⁶Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (Hosea 2:6)); providential visitation (Num. 33:55⁵⁵But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. (Numbers 33:55); Judg. 2:3³Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. (Judges 2:3); 2 Cor. 12:7⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7)); hindrance (Prov. 15:19¹⁹The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. (Proverbs 15:19)); troubles (Prov. 22:5⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. (Proverbs 22:5)). “Crown of thorns,” both punishment and derision (Matt. 27:29²⁹And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

There are about a dozen different words translated “thorns,” and “thistles,” showing how, plentiful these results of the curse are in this sin-stained world. The different species cannot be identified with most of the Hebrew words. The thistle is used to signify a worthless person in the parable of Jehoash, king of Israel (2 Kings 14:9⁹And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. (2 Kings 14:9)). Thorns are often mentioned as growing up in places given to desolation.

The Hebrew word atad, translated “thorns” in Psalm 58:9⁹Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. (Psalm 58:9), and “bramble” in Judges 9:14-15¹⁴Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. ¹⁵And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. (Judges 9:14‑15), has been identified with the Lycium Europaeum, this and the L. afrum are both found in Palestine. Its identification seems to be confirmed by the Arabs calling the plant atad, but it is also known by the name of ausej.

In the millennium, “instead of the thorn shall come up the myrtle tree” (Gen. 3:18¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (Genesis 3:18); Isa. 32:13¹³Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city: (Isaiah 32:13); Isa. 55:13¹³Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. (Isaiah 55:13)). See CROWN OF THORNS.

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Lycium Europaeum

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Psalm 58:9⁹Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. (Psalm 58:9). Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind.

There is a great variety of thorny shrubs and plants abounding in Palestine. These the people gladly gather and use for fuel. They make a quick, hot fire, which kindles easily and soon expires. The idea conveyed in the text is that of swift destruction. The wicked are to be destroyed quicker than the heat from a fire of thorns could reach the cooking vessels.

A similar figure is used in the prophecy of Isaiah: “And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire” (Isa. 33:12¹²And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. (Isaiah 33:12)). It has been supposed from this text that thorns may have been used in lime-kilns.

Allusion to the use of thorns for fuel is also made in 2 Samuel 23:6-7⁶But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: ⁷But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. (2 Samuel 23:6‑7); Psalm 118:12¹²They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. (Psalm 118:12); Eccl 7:6; Isaiah 9.18; 10:17; Nahum 1:10¹⁰For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. (Nahum 1:10).

See note on 1 Kings 17:10¹⁰So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. (1 Kings 17:10) (#304) and also on Matthew 6:30³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matthew 6:30) (#646).

Thorns; Thistles

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Concise Bible Dictionary:

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

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