Lexical Summary
berosh: Cypress, Fir, Pine
Original Word:בְּרוֹשׁ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:browsh
Pronunciation:beh-rosh
Phonetic Spelling:(ber-osh')
KJV: fir (tree)
NASB:cypress, cypresses, fir trees, juniper, cypress trees, fir
Word Origin:[of uncertain derivation]
1. a cypress (?) tree
2. (hence) a lance or a musical instrument (as made of that wood)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fir tree
Of uncertain derivation; a cypress (?) Tree; hence, a lance or a musical instrument (as made of that wood) -- fir (tree).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitioncypress or fir
NASB Translationcypress (11), cypress trees (1), cypresses (3), fir (1), fir trees (2), juniper (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hos 14:9 (Assyrian
burâšu COT
Glossary Aramaic ,
, compare below, see also Greek , Latin
bratum, cypress, juniper (PS); in favour of
cypress, also & so Thes; in favour of
fir or
pine, Rob in Rob-Ges (because cypress not now indigenous on Lebanon); compare also RS
Proph. iv. n. 20 who lays stress on Phoenician proper name, of a location (= ) = Greek i.e.
isle of firs; — see further Schroed
Phön. Spr. 99 Löw
No. 59 &Brathu as name of Hermon Philo Byblus in Euseb
Praep. Evang. i. 10) —
Hosea 14:9 4t.;
2 Samuel 6:5 + 11: t.,
Nahum 2:4,
Isaiah 37:24,
2 Kings 19:23; —
(literal) a noble tree, usually "" (except2 Samuel 6:5;1 Kings 6:34; 2Chronicles 3:5;Psalm 104:17;Isaiah 55:13;Hosea 14:9;Nahum 2:4); as standing and growingIsaiah 14:8;Isaiah 37:24 =2 Kings 19:23;Isaiah 41:19;Isaiah 55:13 ("" )Isaiah 60:13 ("" = )Psalm 104:17.
simile of luxuriance, statelinessEzekiel 31:8, productivenessHosea 14:9 (Now thinkscypress), figurative for spear-shaftsNahum 2:4 Hi-St, but ; figurative for mighty menZechariah 11:2.
(always plural), for building temple ()1 Kings 5:22;1 Kings 5:24;1 Kings 6:34; compare1 Kings 9:11; 2Chron 2:7; (singular) 2 Chronicles 3:5 (compare Baer's note);1 Kings 6:15; for ships (no )Ezekiel 27:5; —2 Samuel 6:5 apparently =with all musical instruments made of fir, but ""1 Chronicles 13:8 & so here We Dr.
Topical Lexicon
Botanical Profile and Cultural Esteemבְּרוֹשׁ designates a stately evergreen that thrives in the highlands of Lebanon and Bashan. Its straight trunk, aromatic wood, and resistance to decay made it a treasured resource in the ancient Near East, ranking alongside cedar in both durability and beauty. Israel’s poets and prophets often grouped it with the “cedars of Lebanon,” underscoring its lofty stature and symbolic value.
Material for Sacred Architecture
Solomon’s temple complex and royal palace prominently featured this timber. Solomon’s workmen, supplied by Hiram of Tyre, “brought cedar and cypress timber in abundance” (1 Kings 5:10). Walls, floors, and ceiling beams were lined with it (1 Kings 6:15), and the elaborately carved doors were “made of cypress wood” (1 Kings 6:34). After the dedication, the wood’s endurance became an ongoing testimony to the permanence of the worship established there. When Solomon later repaid King Hiram with “twenty towns in Galilee” (1 Kings 9:11), the wood stood as part of the royal exchange, showing its high commercial worth.
Instrumentation in Worship
When David transported the ark to Jerusalem, “David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of cypress wood” (2 Samuel 6:5). The choice of this timber for lyres, harps, and tambourines highlighted its acoustic excellence and placed it in the heart of Israel’s liturgical life.
Commerce and Maritime Construction
Tyre’s shipbuilders “constructed all their paneling of cypress from Senir” (Ezekiel 27:5). The same prophet notes that Egypt’s magnificent Assyrian-like cedar was unmatched even by the “cypresses in the garden of God” (Ezekiel 31:8), reflecting international demand. The Assyrian war machine used its color to describe parade shields: “The shields of his warriors are dyed red; the soldiers are clad in scarlet” (Nahum 2:3), possibly alluding to cypress-sheathed chariots newly stained by battle.
Symbol of Royal Splendor and Military Pride
Sennacherib boasted of felling “its tallest cedars, its choice cypresses” on his march to Lebanon (2 Kings 19:23;Isaiah 37:24). The prophets answer his arrogance by portraying the trees’ rejoicing at his fall: “Even the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you” (Isaiah 14:8). Thus the wood becomes a silent witness—first to human pride, then to divine retribution.
Habitat for God’s Creatures
Psalm 104:17 portrays creation’s harmony: “The birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the cypress trees.” What humans value for buildings and trade also serves God’s smaller creatures, reminding readers that the LORD sustains all life.
Token of Restoration and Messianic Blessing
In oracles of hope, the tree marks the reversal of exile’s curse. “I will plant in the wilderness the cypress” (Isaiah 41:19), and “Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress” (Isaiah 55:13). The climax comes in the pilgrimage vision: “The glory of Lebanon will come to you—its cypress, elm, and box—for the adornment of My sanctuary” (Isaiah 60:13). Hosea’s closing promise, “From Me comes your fruit. Your fame will be like the cypress” (Hosea 14:8), ties national restoration to personal fruitfulness in the LORD.
Voice in Prophetic Lament
Zechariah invites the forests to mourn: “Wail, you cypresses, for the cedars have fallen” (Zechariah 11:2). The tree thus shares in the grief of judgment, its fall echoing Israel’s own. Prophetic literature employs this timber as a barometer—standing tall in times of blessing, toppled or silenced in times of wrath.
Theological Reflections for Ministry Today
1. Endurance and Integrity: Its incorruptible grain urges believers toward lives of lasting holiness amid a decaying world.
2. Worship and Craftsmanship: Instruments fashioned from it remind the church that excellence in art and music honors the God of beauty.
3. Judgment and Humility: Assyrian arrogance met divine justice; modern pride must likewise yield to God’s sovereignty.
4. Hope and Renewal: The tree’s appearance in restoration prophecies fuels confidence that the Lord can turn barren wilderness into flourishing sanctuaries.
5. Hospitality of Creation: From storks nesting in its branches to pilgrims standing beneath the shade of Gospel promise, the cypress signals God’s comprehensive care.
From palace halls and temple courts to prophetic scrolls and songs of praise, בְּרוֹשׁ stands as a living parable of divine provision, judgment, and redemption—rooted in earth yet pointing to the enduring glory of the Lord.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּר֛וֹשׁ בְּרֹשָׁ֔יו בְּרוֹשִֽׁים׃ בְּרוֹשִׁ֔ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֗ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֣ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֤ים בְּרוֹשִׁ֥ים בְּרוֹשׁ֙ בְר֔וֹשׁ בְרוֹשִֽׁים׃ בְרוֹשִׁ֑ים בְרוֹשִׁ֖ים בְרוֹשִׁ֛ים ברוש ברושים ברושים׃ ברשיו וְהַבְּרֹשִׁ֖ים והברשים כִּבְר֣וֹשׁ כברוש bə·rō·šāw bə·rō·wō·šîm ḇə·rō·wō·šîm bə·rō·wōš ḇə·rō·wōš beRoosh bərōšāw beroShav beroShim beroVosh bərōwōš ḇərōwōš bərōwōšîm ḇərōwōšîm kiḇ·rō·wōš kiḇrōwōš kivRoosh vehabberoShim veRoosh veroShim wə·hab·bə·rō·šîm wəhabbərōšîm
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