Pine
Summary
The word 'pine' in English translations refers to various trees, though the identification of the original Hebrew terms remains uncertain.
☩Biblical Terms
The word 'pine' appears in English translations for different Hebrew words. In Nehemiah, the phrase 'ets shemen' is rendered 'pine-branches,' though it is generally understood to denote the wild olive tree. In Isaiah, the Hebrew word 'tidhar' is translated 'pine,' though interpreters have variously identified it as oak, beech, cypress, larch, elm, or Indian plane. The Septuagint wavers between different tree identifications across passages.
☩The Pine in Palestine
Several varieties of pines grow upon Mount Lebanon, the largest being the stone-pine (called 'snubar' by Arabs), which covers the sandy ridges of Lebanon and Hermon. Some scholars suggest that 'berosh,' usually translated 'fir,' should actually be rendered 'pine,' referring to this stone-pine. The pine serves as an emblem of the promised prosperity of the church in Isaiah's prophecy, where it appears alongside other noble trees in describing the transformation of the wilderness.
Related Verses7 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Pine-tree," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VIII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Pine," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.American Tract Society, "Pine," in American Tract Society Bible Dictionary (American Tract Society, 1859).