Topical Encyclopedia
The myrtle is a fragrant evergreen shrub or small tree that holds significant symbolism and practical uses in biblical texts. Known for its aromatic leaves and white flowers, the myrtle is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. In the Bible, the myrtle is mentioned in several contexts, often symbolizing peace, prosperity, and divine blessing.
Biblical References:1.
Nehemiah 8:15 : "So they proclaimed this message in all their cities and in Jerusalem: 'Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.'" In this passage, the myrtle is one of the branches used in the construction of booths for the Feast of Tabernacles, a festival commemorating the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and God's provision during that time.
2.
Isaiah 41:19 : "I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees; I will set pines in the desert, together with cypress and boxwood." Here, the myrtle is part of a prophetic vision of restoration and transformation, where barren lands are turned into lush, fruitful areas. The inclusion of the myrtle signifies the renewal and flourishing that comes from God's intervention.
3.
Isaiah 55:13 : "Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up; they will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed." This verse contrasts the myrtle with the thornbush and brier, symbolizing the replacement of desolation with beauty and abundance. The myrtle represents the joy and peace that accompany God's redemptive work.
Symbolism and Significance:In biblical symbolism, the myrtle often represents peace and divine favor. Its evergreen nature and fragrant aroma make it a fitting symbol of life and vitality. The myrtle's presence in prophetic literature underscores themes of renewal and hope, as it is associated with the transformation of wastelands into gardens.
The myrtle also holds eschatological significance, as it is used in visions of the future restoration of Israel. Its inclusion in these visions highlights the comprehensive nature of God's promise to restore and bless His people.
Cultural and Historical Context:In ancient Israel, the myrtle was valued not only for its beauty and fragrance but also for its practical uses. The leaves and branches were used in various religious and cultural ceremonies, including the Feast of Tabernacles. The myrtle's aromatic qualities made it a popular choice for use in perfumes and other scented products.
The myrtle's enduring presence in biblical texts and its continued use in Jewish tradition, particularly during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), reflect its lasting significance as a symbol of God's provision and blessing.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Myrtlea plant mentioned in (Nehemiah 8:15;Isaiah 41:19;55:13;Zechariah 1:8,10,11) The modern Jews still adorn with myrtle the booths and sheds at the feast of tabernacles. Formerly, as we learn from Nehemiah, (Nehemiah 8:15) myrtles grew on the hills about Jerusalem. "On Olivet." says Dean Stanley, "nothing is now to be seen but the olive and the fig tree:" on some of the hills near Jerusalem, however, Hasselquist observed the myrtle. Dr. Hooker says it is not uncommon in Samaria and Galilee. TheMyrtus communis is the kind denoted by the Hebrew word. (It is a shrub or low tree sometimes ten feet high, with green shining leaves, and snow-white flowers bordered with purple, "which emit a perfume more exquisite than that of the rose." The seeds of the myrtle, dried before they are ripe, form our allspice. --ED.)
ATS Bible Dictionary
MyrtleA beautiful and fragrant evergreen tree, growing wild throughout the southern parts of Europe, the north of Africa, and the temperate parts of Asia; principally on the seacoast. The leaves are of a rich and polished evergreen; the flowers white, with sometimes a tinge of red externally; and the berries are of the size of a small pea, violet or whitish, sweetish, and with the aromatic flavor which distinguishes the whole plant. These are used for spices in the Levant. It furnishes a useful tonic medicine,Nehemiah 8:15;Isaiah 41:19; 55:13;Zechariah 1:8,10,11.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(
Isaiah 41:19;
Nehemiah 8:15;
Zechariah 1:8), Hebrew hadas, known in the East by the name as, the Myrtus communis of the botanist. "Although no myrtles are now found on the mount (of Olives), excepting in the gardens, yet they still exist in many of the glens about Jerusalem, where we have often seen its dark shining leaves and white flowers. There are many near Bethlehem and about Hebron, especially near Dewir Dan, the ancient Debir. It also sheds its fragrance on the sides of Carmel and of Tabor, and fringes the clefts of the Leontes in its course through Galilee. We meet with it all through Central Palestine" (Tristram).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) A species of the genus Myrtus, especially Myrtus communis. The common myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem, eight or ten feet high. Its branches form a close, full head, thickly covered with ovate or lanceolate evergreen leaves. It has solitary axillary white or rosy flowers, followed by black several-seeded berries. The ancients considered it sacred to Venus. The flowers, leaves, and berries are used variously in perfumery and as a condiment, and the beautifully mottled wood is used in turning.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MYRTLEmur'-t'-l (hadhac; mursine (Isaiah 41:19;Isaiah 55:13Nehemiah 8:15Zechariah 1:8, 10 f); also as a name in Hadassah inEsther 2:7, the Jewish form of ESTHER (which see)): The myrtle, Myrtus communis (Natural Order Myrtaceae), is a very common indigenous shrub all over Palestine. On the bare hillsides it is a low bush, but under favorable conditions of moisture it attains a considerable height (compareZechariah 1:8, 10). It has dark green, scented leaves, delicate starry white flowers and dark-colored berries, which are eaten. In ancient times it was sacred to Astarte. It is mentioned as one of the choice plants of the land (Isaiah 41:19). "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree" (Isaiah 55:13), is one of the prophetic pictures of God's promised blessings. It was one of the trees used in the Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 8:15): "the branches of thick trees" (which see) are interpreted in the Talmud (Cuk. 3 4; Yer Cuk. 3, 53rd) as myrtle boughs; also (id) the "thick trees" ofNehemiah 8:15 as "wild myrtle." Myrtle twigs, particularly those of the broadleaved variety, together with a palm branch and twigs of willow, are still used in the ritual of the Feast of Tabernacles. For many references to myrtle in Jewish writings see Jewish Encyclopedia, IX, 137.
E. W. G. Masterman
Strong's Hebrew
1918. hadas --myrtle (tree)... 1917, 1918. hadas. 1919 .
myrtle (tree). Transliteration: hadas Phonetic
Spelling: (had-as') Short Definition:
myrtle. Word Origin
...1919. Hadassah -- "myrtle," Esther's Jewish name
... 1918, 1919. Hadassah. 1920 . "myrtle," Esther's Jewish name. Transliteration:
Hadassah Phonetic Spelling: (had-as-saw') Short Definition: Hadassah....
Library
October 4. "Instead of the Brier, theMyrtle Tree" (Isa. Lv. 13).
... OCTOBER 4. "Instead of the brier, themyrtle tree" (Isa. lv. 13). "Instead
of the brier, themyrtle tree" (Isaiah 55:13). God's...
The Morning Breaketh
... chapter of Zechariah the eighth to the eleventh verses, "I saw by night, and behold
a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among themyrtle trees that...
But I First Say a Word Also About the Crown Itself. ...
... In like manner Claudius teaches; when he tells us that soldiers are wont
too to be wreathed inmyrtle. For themyrtle belongs to...
The Outcast
... The glory of Lebanon was not there,. Nor the shittah normyrtle sweet;... Thou carest
not that the rose should bloom,. Nor themyrtle where we must tread;...
The Greatness of the Subject, and Our Duty to those on their...
... who is called Bona Dea, whom Sextus Clodius, in his sixth book in Greek on the gods,
declares to have been scourged to death with rods ofmyrtle, because she...
How it was Brought About that the Greeks Speak of Three Hypostases...
... So three several laurels we also call three trees; but a laurel, and amyrtle, and
an olive, we call only three trees, or three substances, or three natures...
'Concerning the Crown'
... the meed of mighty conquerors'; and plaited oak leaves were laid upon the brows
of citizens who had deserved well of their country, andmyrtle sprays crowned...
On the Use of Ointments and Crowns.
... rose:". "For thou dost not share in roses from Pieria.". They say, too, that
Here delights in the lily, and Artemis in themyrtle. For...
The Incarnation and Birth of Christ
... There is a passage in Zechariah which teaches us a lesson:"lt is said that
the man on the red horse stood among themyrtle-trees....
The Thunderbolt Averted
... He was wreathed with olive andmyrtle, and carried a branch of olive in his hand,
and the people knew that he must be the bearer of good news....
Thesaurus
Myrtle (7 Occurrences)... (n.) A species of the genus Myrtus, especially Myrtus communis. The common
myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem, eight or ten feet high.
...MYRTLE.
...Myrtle-trees (3 Occurrences)
Myrtle-trees.Myrtle-tree,Myrtle-trees. Myself . Multi-Version
ConcordanceMyrtle-trees (3 Occurrences). Zechariah...
Myrtle-tree (1 Occurrence)
Myrtle-tree. Myrtles,Myrtle-tree.Myrtle-trees . Multi-Version
ConcordanceMyrtle-tree (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 55:13...
Myrtle-branches (1 Occurrence)
Myrtle-branches.Myrtle,Myrtle-branches. Myrtles . Multi-Version
ConcordanceMyrtle-branches (1 Occurrence). Nehemiah...
Trees (179 Occurrences)
... A citron is now carried in the synagogue by every orthodox Jew in one hand, and
the lalabh (ofmyrtle, willow, and palm branch) in the other, on each day of...
Pine (28 Occurrences)
... and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount,
and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, andmyrtle branches, and palm...
Fir-tree (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 41:19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and themyrtle,
and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box...
Esther (48 Occurrences)
... She was a Jewess named Hadas'sah (themyrtle), but when she entered the royal harem
she received the name by which she henceforth became known (Esther 2:7). It...
Myrtles (4 Occurrences)
... in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: 'Go forth unto the mount, and fetch
olive branches, and branches of wild olive, andmyrtle branches, and palm...
Cypress (17 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 41:19 I will put in the waste land the cedar, the acacia, themyrtle, and
the olive-tree; and in the lowland will be planted the fir-tree, the plane...
Resources
Who was Hadassah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Unity Church / Unity School of Christianity? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the meanings of the various visions in the book of Zechariah? | GotQuestions.orgMyrtle: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
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