Fir Tree
“Fir, cypress, or pine tree”
Summary
A coniferous tree, probably the Aleppo pine or similar species, valued for its timber in construction, shipbuilding, and making musical instruments.
☩Identification
The Hebrew word berosh, translated 'fir tree,' probably refers to the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) or possibly includes cypress and juniper. This tree was almost as large as the cedar, growing abundantly on Lebanon in ancient times. The translation 'fir' follows the Vulgate (abietes); however, the exact species remains uncertain, as the term may have covered several coniferous trees.
☩Uses in Construction
Fir wood was extensively used in building Solomon's Temple. The floors were made of fir (1 Kings 6:15), and fir wood was used alongside cedar in various structural elements (1 Kings 5:8, 10). It was also used for house beams (Song of Solomon 1:17). Shipbuilders at Tyre made their decks of fir from the isles of Chittim (Ezekiel 27:5).
☩Musical Instruments
David and all Israel played instruments made of fir wood before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:5). Dr. Burney notes that fir wood, 'soft in its nature and sonorous in its effects,' was preferred by ancients and moderns alike for constructing musical instruments, especially the sounding boards upon which tone chiefly depends—as in harps, lutes, guitars, harpsichords, and violins.
Related Verses20 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.Richard Watson, "Fir Tree," in A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (John Mason, 1831).
- 2.Edwin W. Rice, "Fir Tree," in The People's Dictionary of the Bible (American Sunday-School Union, 1893).