Lexical Summary
tidhar: Pine tree, cypress
Original Word:תִּדְהָר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tidhar
Pronunciation:tid-har
Phonetic Spelling:(tid-hawr')
KJV: pine (tree)
NASB:box, box tree, tree
Word Origin:[apparently fromH1725 (דָּהַר - galloping)]
1. enduring
2. a species of hard-wood or lasting tree (perhaps oak)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
blow
Apparently fromdahar; enduring; a species of hard-wood or lasting tree (perhaps oak) -- pine (tree).
see HEBREWdahar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
daharDefinition(name of a tree) probably elm
NASB Translationbox (1), box tree (1), tree (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, probably
(Syriac
(or
PS) LagBN 130 Löw71; Arabic
Lane864 Dozyi. 432 (alsoash, see Dozyib.); so Symm &Isaiah 41:19; compare Di, where also other views, e.g.plane-tree (Rabb Che), orpine; — √dubious; GesIsaiah 41:19 Thes derives fromendure inferred from Arabic
time, but this questionable; perhaps a loan-word),Isaiah 41:19 =Isaiah 60:13.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewתִּדְהָר (tidhar) designates a stately hardwood that appears twice in Isaiah’s prophecies to picture God’s transforming grace. Whether rendered “plane,” “elm,” or “pine,” the term evokes a tall, enduring tree known for its straight trunk, broad canopy, and resilient wood—qualities that make it an apt emblem of strength, beauty, and permanence.
Biblical References
Isaiah 41:19;Isaiah 60:13
Historical Identification
Ancient writers describe the plane tree (Platanus orientalis) flourishing beside Middle-Eastern watercourses and prized for shade in royal gardens. Others propose an evergreen species such as the stone pine or Aleppo pine, both common on Lebanon’s heights and long valued for beams and ship-masts. Whichever precise species Isaiah had in view, the tree was notable, recognizable, and associated with Lebanon’s famed forests.
Symbolism inIsaiah 41
To a people weary of exile, the Lord promises a new creation in the barren places:
“I will set in the wasteland the cypress, plane, and pine together” (Isaiah 41:19).
Here tidhar stands among seven trees miraculously planted in desert soil. The list combines fragrant, fruit-bearing, and construction trees, emphasizing the completeness of God’s renewal. Tidhar’s stature underscores that the coming restoration will be visible and undeniable—“that they may see and recognize…that the hand of the LORD has done this” (Isaiah 41:20).
Symbolism inIsaiah 60
“The glory of Lebanon will come to you—its cypress, plane, and pine together—to adorn the place of My sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of My feet” (Isaiah 60:13).
Here tidhar is freighted with temple imagery. Imported cedars once framed Solomon’s House (1 Kings 5:6–10); future tidhar will line Messiah’s millennial sanctuary. The tree thus anticipates eschatological worship, linking Israel’s past, present hope, and ultimate fulfillment when the nations stream to Zion.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Reversal: Tidhar growing in wastelands testifies that God brings life from desolation, echoing Genesis creation and foreshadowing New-Creation promises (Revelation 21:5).
2. Covenantal Faithfulness: Both passages appear in sections that reaffirm the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Tidhar adds a tangible sign of God’s unbroken commitment.
3. Mission to the Nations:Isaiah 60 sees Gentile wealth and flora converging on Jerusalem. The inclusion of tidhar signals the conversion of cultural resources to sacred service (Romans 11:12).
Practical Ministry Insights
• Restoration Hope: Like tidhar in the desert, believers facing spiritual drought can expect God’s planted grace to flourish (Psalm 1:3).
• Worship Enrichment: Tidhar adorning the sanctuary models giving our best materials, skills, and affections to glorify God (Colossians 3:17).
• Environmental Stewardship: Isaiah’s tree imagery invites care for creation while keeping ultimate hope in God’s final renewal (2 Peter 3:13).
Christological Foreshadowing
As a towering evergreen amid dryness, tidhar hints at the Messiah who is “a tender shoot…a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2). The One who bore a wooden cross will one day preside over a sanctuary decorated with redeemed wood, uniting suffering and glory.
Cross-References
Psalm 92:12-15;Ezekiel 17:22-24;Matthew 13:31-32;Revelation 22:1-2
Summary
תִּדְהָר functions as more than a botanical footnote; it signals God’s power to transform wastelands into worship centers, roots Israel’s hope in Lebanon’s grandeur, and points forward to a universal, Christ-centered restoration where the created order itself becomes an ornament of divine glory.
Forms and Transliterations
תִּדְהָ֥ר תדהר tiḏ·hār tidHar tiḏhār
Links
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