Juniper
“Probably from binding, as the twigs were used for tying bundles”
Summary
The Hebrew rothem, translated 'juniper' in older versions, actually refers to a species of broom (Retama raetam) common in desert regions that provided shade for travelers including Elijah.
☩Botanical Identification
The Hebrew word rothem, translated 'juniper' in older versions, quite certainly refers to the Arabic ratam (Retama raetam), a variety of broom which is one of the most characteristic shrubs of the deserts of Southern Palestine and southward to Egypt. Now identified as Genista monosperma (Spanish broom), it is described as a very handsome shrub remarkable for its numerous snow-white flowers with purple streaks. The plant is an erect shrub with no main trunk but many wand-like, slender branches, sometimes reaching twelve feet high, and is very useful in stopping the sand in desert regions.
☩Biblical Usage
The rothem is mentioned as affording shade to Elijah in his flight to Horeb (1 Kings 19:4-5), where he lay down and slept under its shelter. Though the shade it affords is scanty, in the absence of other shrubs it is frequently used by desert travelers as a refuge from the sun's scorching rays. In Job 30:4, its roots are mentioned in connection with desperate poverty, though whether they were eaten for food or used for fuel is debated by scholars. In Psalm 120:4, reference is made to 'coals of juniper,' as the root yields excellent charcoal giving out much heat—an apt metaphor for the burning punishment of a false tongue.
See Also
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Juniper," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Juniper," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Juniper," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Juniper," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).