Topical Encyclopedia
Cinnamon is a fragrant spice derived from the inner bark of trees belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. In biblical times, cinnamon was highly valued for its aromatic properties and was used in various religious, medicinal, and domestic contexts. The Bible references cinnamon in several passages, highlighting its significance in ancient Hebrew culture and worship practices.
Biblical References:1.
Exodus 30:23-24 : "Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil." In this passage, cinnamon is listed as one of the key ingredients in the sacred anointing oil used in the Tabernacle. This oil was used to consecrate the tent of meeting, the Ark of the Covenant, and the priests, signifying the holiness and set-apart nature of these objects and individuals.
2.
Proverbs 7:17 : "I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon." Here, cinnamon is mentioned as part of a seductive setting, indicating its use in personal and intimate contexts. The verse reflects the spice's association with luxury and allure.
3.
Song of Solomon 4:14 : "nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices." In this poetic and romantic book, cinnamon is included among a list of exotic and precious spices, symbolizing beauty, love, and desire. The mention of cinnamon in this context underscores its value and appeal in the ancient world.
4.
Revelation 18:13 : "cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, and human souls." In this apocalyptic vision, cinnamon is listed among the luxurious goods traded by the merchants of Babylon. The passage highlights the opulence and eventual downfall of a society engrossed in material wealth and indulgence.
Cultural and Historical Context:Cinnamon was a rare and expensive commodity in the ancient Near East, often imported from distant lands such as India and Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka). Its high value made it a symbol of wealth and status. The spice was used not only in religious rituals but also in embalming, perfumery, and as a flavoring agent in food and drink.
In the religious context, the use of cinnamon in the anointing oil as described in Exodus underscores its role in the sacred practices of the Israelites. The oil's composition, including cinnamon, was divinely prescribed, indicating the importance of purity and holiness in worship.
Symbolism:Cinnamon's inclusion in biblical texts often carries symbolic meanings. It represents luxury, beauty, and divine approval. Its aromatic quality is associated with the pleasing nature of offerings to God, as well as the allure and attraction in human relationships.
Overall, cinnamon in the Bible serves as a testament to the interconnectedness of the material and spiritual worlds, where earthly goods are used to express devotion, love, and the pursuit of holiness.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Cinnamona well-known aromatic substance, the rind of theLaurus cinnamomum , calledKorunda-gauhah in Ceylon. It is mentioned in (Exodus 30:23) as one of the component parts of the holy anointing oil. In (Revelation 18:13) it is enumerated among the merchandise of the great Babylon.
ATS Bible Dictionary
CinnamonOne of the ingredients in the perfumed oil with which the tabernacle and its vessels were anointed,Exodus 30:23Proverbs 7:17 So 4:14. It is the inner bark of a tree growing about twenty feet high, and being peeled off in thin strips curls as it is found in market. It is of a dark red color, of a poignant taste, aromatic, and very agreeable. That of the finest quality comes from Ceylon,Revelation 18:13.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Hebrews kinamon, the Cinnamomum zeylanicum of botanists, a tree of the Laurel family, which grows only in India on the Malabar coast, in Ceylon, and China. There is no trace of it in Egypt, and it was unknown in Syria. The inner rind when dried and rolled into cylinders forms the cinnamon of commerce. The fruit and coarser pieces of bark when boiled yield a fragrant oil. It was one of the principal ingredients in the holy anointing oil (
Exodus 30:23). It is mentioned elsewhere only in
Proverbs 7:17; Cant. 4:14;
Revelation 18:13. The mention of it indicates a very early and extensive commerce carried on between Palestine and the East.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The inner bark of the shoots of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, a tree growing in Ceylon. It is aromatic, of a moderately pungent taste, and is one of the best cordial, carminative, and restorative spices.
2. (n.) Cassia.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
CINNAMONsin'-a-mun (qinnamon; kinnamomon): Mentioned, like cassia, as a perfume. InExodus 30:23 it is one of the ingredients of the "holy anointing oil"; inProverbs 7:17 it is, along with myrrh and aloes, a perfume for a bed; inSongs 4:14 it is a very precious spice. Cinnamon is (Revelation 18:13) part of the merchandise of "Babylon the great."
Cinnamon is the product of Cinnamomum zeylanicum, a laurel-like plant widely cultivated in Ceylon and Java. It has a profuse white blossom, succeeded by a nut from which the fragrant oil is obtained. The wood is the inner bark from branches which have reached a diameter of from 2 to 3 inches; the epidermis and pulpy matter are carefully scraped off before drying. In commerce the cheaper Cassia ligra of China is sometimes substituted for true cinnamon, and it is thought by some authorities that this was the true cinnamon of the ancients.
See , however, CASSIA.
E. W. G. Masterman
Greek
2792. kinamomon --cinnamon.... 2791, 2792. kinamomon. 2793 .
cinnamon.
... Word Origin variant reading for kinnamomon,
qv.
cinnamon. Of foreign origin (compare qinnamown);
cinnamon --
cinnamon...2796b. kinnamomon --cinnamon
...cinnamon. Transliteration: kinnamomon Short Definition:cinnamon. Word Origin of
Phoenician origin Definitioncinnamon NASB Word Usagecinnamon (1)....
Strong's Hebrew
7076. qinnamon --cinnamon... 7075, 7076. qinnamon. 7077 .
cinnamon. Transliteration: qinnamon Phonetic
Spelling: (kin-naw-mone') Short Definition:
cinnamon.
...Library
Spikenard and Saffron; Calamus andCinnamon with all the Trees of...
... CHAPTER IV. 14. Spikenard and saffron; calamus andcinnamon with all the trees
of Lebanon; myrrh and aloes with all the chief ointments....
Chapter iv.
... Cypress with spikenard.14. Spikenard and saffron; calamus andcinnamon with all
trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes with all the chief spices.14....
A Believer's Privilege at Death
... There is a far greater proportion of bitterness than pleasure in this life. I have
perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, andcinnamon.' Proverbs 7:77....
Visit to Ceylon and Return to Benares.
... At one timecinnamon was the most valuable export of the island, but by 1858 it
had so decreased in value by its being produced abundantly in lands still...
On Development in Religious Knowledge. ...
... God forbid that in that spiritual paradise from plants ofcinnamon and balsam,
darnel and wolfsbane should of a sudden shoot forth....
Wisdom and the Strange Woman
... I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn
of Egypt; I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, andcinnamon....
The Destruction of Babylon.
... thine wood, and all kinds of vessels of ivory, and all kinds of vessels of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, andcinnamon, and fragrant...
To-Morrow
... For this Thy hand has fashioned me,. Has made me meet for Him. The spikenard and
thecinnamon,. Trees pleasant in Thy sight,. Thy hand has planted for the Son,....
The virgin Mother to Her Child
... she had stolen. As for Joseph's Bride, not even his breath exhaled from
her garments, since she conceivedCinnamon. [479] A wall...
Of the Priesthood of Aaron.
... manner:"He commanded them to take five hundred shekels of choice myrrh, an equal
quantity of cassia, and half the foregoing weight ofcinnamon and calamus...
Thesaurus
Cinnamon (4 Occurrences)... There is no trace of it in Egypt, and it was unknown in Syria. The inner rind when
dried and rolled into cylinders forms the
cinnamon of commerce.
...CINNAMON.
...Spice-cinnamon (1 Occurrence)
Spice-cinnamon. Spice-cane, Spice-cinnamon. Spiced . Multi-Version
Concordance Spice-cinnamon (1 Occurrence). Exodus...
Cassia (3 Occurrences)
... 27:19). It is the inner bark of a tree resembling thecinnamon (qv), the Cinnamomum
cassia of botanists, and was probably imported from India. (2.) Hebrew pl....
Spice (25 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A vegetable production of many kinds, fragrant or aromatic and pungent to
the taste, as pepper,cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, cloves, etc...
Myrrh (22 Occurrences)
... Revelation 18:13 andcinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil,
fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people's bodies and souls....
Finest (23 Occurrences)
... Exodus 30:23 "Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and
of fragrantcinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant...
Calamus (5 Occurrences)
... Exodus 30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred
shekels, and of sweetcinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty...
Cane (11 Occurrences)
... Exodus 30:23 "Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and
of fragrantcinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant...
Spice-cane (1 Occurrence)
Spice-cane. Spice, Spice-cane. Spice-cinnamon . Multi-Version Concordance
Spice-cane (1 Occurrence).... Spice, Spice-cane. Spice-cinnamon . Reference Bible
Aloes (5 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Proverbs 7:17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, andcinnamon. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Resources
What does the Bible say about aromatherapy? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about anointing oil? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the sanctuary shekel? | GotQuestions.orgCinnamon: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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