Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, forests are often depicted as significant geographical and symbolic elements. They are mentioned in various passages throughout the Bible, serving as settings for events, sources of resources, and metaphors for spiritual truths.
Geographical Significance:Forests in the Bible are primarily located in the regions of Lebanon, Bashan, and Carmel. The "cedars of Lebanon" are particularly renowned for their grandeur and strength. These trees were highly valued for construction, including the building of Solomon's Temple. In
1 Kings 5:6, Solomon requests timber from Lebanon, saying, "So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay you for your servants according to whatever you say."
The forests of Bashan are also noted for their mighty oaks.
Isaiah 2:13 references these trees: "against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; against all the oaks of Bashan."
Symbolic and Spiritual Significance:Forests often symbolize abundance and provision. In the prophetic literature, they can represent nations or peoples. For example, in
Isaiah 10:18-19, the destruction of a forest symbolizes the judgment and reduction of a nation: "The splendor of his forest and his fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away. And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down."
Forests also serve as places of refuge and solitude. David sought refuge in the forest of Hereth (
1 Samuel 22:5), and Absalom met his demise in the forest of Ephraim (
2 Samuel 18:6-8).
Resources and Economy:Forests provided essential resources in biblical times. Timber from forests was used for building and crafting. The cedars of Lebanon were particularly prized for their quality and durability.
Ezekiel 27:5 describes the use of these cedars in shipbuilding: "They made all your timbers of juniper from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you."
Metaphorical Usage:In biblical poetry and prophecy, forests are often used metaphorically to convey messages of growth, strength, and sometimes judgment. In
Isaiah 44:23, the forest is called to rejoice: "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and will display His glory in Israel."
Judgment and Restoration:Forests can also symbolize judgment and restoration. In
Isaiah 32:15, the transformation of a forest into a fertile field symbolizes the outpouring of the Spirit and the resulting renewal: "until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest."
In summary, forests in the Bible are rich in both literal and symbolic meaning. They are depicted as sources of material wealth, settings for historical events, and symbols of spiritual truths, reflecting the multifaceted role they play in the biblical narrative.
Greek
4297. prokope -- progress... obstacles . [This root () is also used in antiquity of and -- clearing away
(chopping down)
forests in order to reach their destination.].
...Strong's Hebrew
7157. Qiryath Yearim -- "city offorests," a city given to Judah...Qiryath Yearim or Qiryath Arim. 7156, 7157. Qiryath Yearim or Qiryath Arim. 7158 .
"city of
forests," a city given to Judah, then to Benjamin. Transliteration
...3293a. yaar -- wood, forest, thicket
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition wood, forest, thicket NASB Word Usage
forest (51),forests (2), Jaar (1), thickets (1), woodland (1), woods (2)....
3297. Yearim -- a mountain in Palestine
... NASB Word Usage Jearim (1). Jearim. Plural of ya'ar;forests; Jearim, a place in
Palestine -- Jearim. Compare Qiryath y'ariym. see HEBREW ya'ar....
Library
Thus, Look at Every Free People, from the Mountains of Helvetia to...
... XVII. Thus, look at every free People, from the mountains of Helvetia
to theforests of? Thus, look at every free People, from...
Psalm CXXXII.
... A place for the Lord. "We heard of it at Ephrata: and found it in the plains
of theforests." [5592] Did he hear it where he found it?...
The Bereavements of the Christian Home. [A]
... Some separate for another world; some are borne by the winds and waves to distant
lands; others enter the deepforests of the West, and are heard of no more...
Elijah
... Consider his strange and wild life, wandering about inforests and mountains, suddenly
appearing, and suddenly disappearing again, so that no man knew where to...
But, Says My Opponent, if He was not a God...
... what if it swam across it? what if it hid itself in the denseforests?... [5007] Here
the ms. and both Roman edd. insert the last clause, "what...forests."....
The Savanna of Aripo
... 'The northern chain of mountains, covered nearly everywhere with denseforests,
is intersected at various angles by numbers of valleys presenting the most...
God, the All-Seeing One
... of the wild waves"the thousands who have perished in battle unnumbered and unnoticed"
the many who have died alone amid drearyforests, frozen seas, and...
The Death of Cyrus.
... by savage tribes, who lived on roots and herbs, and who were elevated very little,
in any respect, above the wild beasts that roamed in theforests around them...
God, the All-Seeing One
... of the wild waves"the thousands who have perished in battle, unnumbered and
unnoticed"the many who have died alone, amid drearyforests, frozen seas, and...
National Wealth
... small yeomen; to till miserable little patches of corn, of which we should be now
ashamed, and to feed cattle on the moors, and swine in theforests"and that...
Thesaurus
Forests (12 Occurrences)...Forests (12 Occurrences).
... (See NIV). 2 Chronicles 27:4 Moreover he built cities in
the hill country of Judah, and in the
forests he built castles and towers.
...Discover (28 Occurrences)
... discovereth theforests," where the Revised Version (British and American) reads,
"strippeth theforests bare," ie "strippeth theforests of their leaves...
Forest (67 Occurrences)
... Thus all the great primevalforests of Syria (Ecclesiastes 2:6; Isaiah 44:14; Jeremiah
5:6; Micah 5:8). The most extensive was the trans-Jordanic forest of...
Armenia (2 Occurrences)
... In early Babylonian legends Armenia figures as an almost unknown land far to the
North, full of high mountains and denseforests, containing the entrance to...
Cyprus (12 Occurrences)
... intended. The chief source of the island's wealth, however, lay in its
mines andforests. Silver is mentioned by Strabo (loc. cit...
Phoenicians
... with cedar, oak, and pine trees, which are still found in considerable numbers,
but by far the larger part of the mountain has been denuded offorests, and the...
Phoenicia (6 Occurrences)
... with cedar, oak, and pine trees, which are still found in considerable numbers,
but by far the larger part of the mountain has been denuded offorests, and the...
Cattle (277 Occurrences)
... This is a forest-dwelling species and is now confined to theforests of
Lithuania and the Caucasus. It was formerly more widely...
Botany
... evident. Not only in smallforests such as those mentioned, but also in
isolated groups all over the land they may be found. Their...
Kirjath-jearim (17 Occurrences)
... City of jaars; ie, of woods orforests, a Gibeonite town (Joshua 9:17) on the
border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned (18:15, 28)....
Resources
How can I recognize and understand biblical symbolism? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did Moses send twelve spies into the Promised Land? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible mean when it refers to a remnant? | GotQuestions.orgForests: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
