Various Plants and Flowers

From: Bible Handbook: Old Testament By: Walter Biggar Scott

• 3 min. read • grade level: 9

The Bay Tree of Scripture is a native of Palestine. It was a tree of rapid growth and of speedy decay, of thick foliage and wide-spread branches (Psa. 37:35³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. (Psalm 37:35)).

Bitter Herbs were eaten at the Passover Supper (Ex. 12). Repentance and self-judgment were to accompany the memorial of redemption. There are many native plants of a bitter kind, as wild lettuce, chicory, etc.

Bramble, Briers, Thorns, Thistle, Pricks, Nettles. There are about 20 Hebrew words denoting various prickly plants, emblematic of the curse, and which abound in Palestine. The references in Scripture to these plants are numerous.

Bulrush, Rushes, Flags, Reeds, etc. These various words signify the papyrus plant of Egypt, now extinct, and from which the earliest paper was derived. This plant is still found in certain marshy places in Palestine.

Cockle was a destructive weed and exceedingly offensive to the smell. It must have been a well-known Arabian plant (Job 31:40⁴⁰Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. (Job 31:40)); it is translated "wild grapes" in Isa. 5:2,4²And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:2)
⁴What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? (Isaiah 5:4).

The Elm Tree (Hosea 4:13¹³They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. (Hosea 4:13),) is elsewhere translated "teil tree," under the spreading branches of which idolatrous rites were performed.

Gall and Wormwood are the names of two poisonous plants; the latter was eaten, and the former yielded a drink, while both are used as the expression of Divine judgment Jer. 8:14¹⁴Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord. (Jeremiah 8:14), etc.

Grass is used as the expression of what is transitory and perishable (Isa. 40:6-8⁶The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: ⁷The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. ⁸The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:6‑8), etc). The grasses of Palestine are more numerous than in any other country.

Hemlock, an exceedingly bitter and poisonous plant (Hos. 10:4⁴They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. (Hosea 10:4)). Hay, cut or dried grass, as food for cattle was unknown among the Hebrews; it simply signifies full grown grass (Prov. 27:25²⁵The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. (Proverbs 27:25)).

Hyssop was employed in the sprinkling of blood (Exod. mi.), and in the purification of the Leper (Lev. 14) What plant was used cannot be determined with certainty. It is frequently employed as the expression of nature in its lowest and worst forms.

The Lily of Palestine, of which their are several species, has been pronounced by travelers to be exquisitely beautiful. This fair and lovely flower is frequently referred to in the Scriptures.

The Mulberry Trees of 2 Sam. 5:23, 24²³And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. ²⁴And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. (2 Samuel 5:23‑24) cannot be identified, but the reference in the text is evidently to a grove of trees whose tall branches would convey the rustling sound intended by Jehovah.

The Pine Tree is twice referred to by Isaiah, chapters 41:19; 60:13. "It is quite unknown to what tree this term applied."-Sir Joseph Hooker.

The Poplar was used by Jacob (Gen. 30:37³⁷And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. (Genesis 30:37)), and under its pale and abundant foliage idolatrous rites were anciently practiced (Hos. 4:13¹³They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. (Hosea 4:13)).

The Rose of Palestine is twice referred to in Scripture (Isa. 35 and Song of Sol. 2:1¹I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. (Song of Solomon 2:1)). What particular flower is indicated by the "Rose" and "Lily" cannot be determined. Beauty and fragrance are however characteristics of the Palestine roses.

Tares are mentioned only in Matt. 13:24-30²⁴Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: ²⁵But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ²⁶But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. ²⁷So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? ²⁸He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? ²⁹But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:24‑30). The seeds of this wheat-like grass are poisonous to man and beast and hurtful to all cereals.

The age and durability of some of these trees are very remarkable,, and are referred to by the grandest of the prophets (Isaiah) in illustration of the long ages of Jehovah's earthly people in the millennium. Here is a list of a few well-known trees and their ages, extracted from Dr. Dunn's valuable book on "Biblical Natural Science,"Vol 2, page 497:

YEARS.

YEARS

Elm, -

335

Olive, -

700

Cypress. -

350

Cedar, -

800

Ivy, -

450