Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, meadows were significant as places of natural beauty and provision, often associated with pastoral life and the sustenance of livestock. The term "meadow" is not frequently used in the Bible, but the concept is present in various passages that describe fertile lands and grazing areas.
Biblical References:1.
Genesis 41:2 · In the account of Pharaoh's dream, meadows are indirectly referenced. The Berean Standard Bible states: "And behold, seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds." While the term "meadow" is not explicitly used, the imagery of cows grazing suggests a lush, fertile area akin to a meadow.
2.
Isaiah 30:23 · This verse speaks of God's blessing upon the land, which would result in abundant pastures. The BSB reads: "Then He will give rain for the seed you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in wide open pastures." The "wide open pastures" can be understood as meadows, emphasizing God's provision and the prosperity of the land.
3.
Song of Solomon 6:2 · The imagery of a garden or meadow is used metaphorically to describe beauty and abundance. The BSB states: "My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and gather lilies." Here, the garden or meadow is a place of delight and abundance, symbolizing love and fertility.
Cultural and Theological Significance:In the ancient Near East, meadows were vital for the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites. They provided necessary grazing land for sheep, cattle, and other livestock, which were central to the economy and daily life. The presence of meadows indicated a land blessed with fertility and divine favor, as they were dependent on adequate rainfall and favorable conditions.
Theologically, meadows can be seen as symbols of God's provision and care for His people. Just as a shepherd leads his flock to green pastures, God leads His people to places of spiritual nourishment and rest. This imagery is echoed in
Psalm 23:2, where the psalmist declares, "He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters."
Symbolism in Scripture:Meadows, with their lush greenery and tranquility, often symbolize peace, prosperity, and divine blessing. They are places where God's creation flourishes, reflecting His goodness and the abundance of life He provides. In prophetic literature, the restoration of meadows can symbolize the renewal and restoration of God's people and land.
In summary, while the term "meadow" may not frequently appear in the biblical text, the concept is woven throughout Scripture, representing God's provision, the beauty of creation, and the sustenance of life.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Meadow- In (Genesis 41:2,18) meadow appears to be an Egyptian term meaning some kind of flag or waterplant, as its use in (Job 8:11) (Authorized Version "flag") seems to show.
- In (Judges 20:33) the sense of the Hebrew word translatedmeadow is doubly uncertain. The most plausible interpretation is that of the Peshito-Syriac, which by a slight difference in the vowel-points makes the wordmearah , "the cave."
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1.) Hebrews ha'ahu (Genesis 41:2, 18), probably an Egyptain word transferred to the Hebrew; some kind of reed or water-plant. In the Revised Version it is rendered "reed-grass", i.e., the sedge or rank grass by the river side.
(2.) Hebrews ma'areh (Judges 20:33), pl., "meadows of Gibeah" (R.V., after the LXX., "Maareh-geba"). Some have adopted the rendering "after Gibeah had been left open." The Vulgate translates the word "from the west."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A tract of low or level land producing grass which is mown for hay; any field on which grass is grown for hay.
2. (n.) Low land covered with coarse grass or rank herbage near rives and in marshy places by the sea; as, the salt meadows near Newark Bay.
3. (a.) of or pertaining to a meadow; of the nature of a meadow; produced, growing, or living in, a meadow.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MEADOWmed'-o:
(1) `aroth, "the meadows (the King James Version "paper reeds") by the Nile" (Isaiah 19:7); ma`areh-gabha`, the King James Version "meadows of Gibeah," the Revised Version (British and American) "Maareh-geba," the Revised Version margin "the meadow of Geba, or Gibeah" (Judges 20:33); from `arah, "to be naked"; compare Arabic ariya, "to be naked," `ara'a', "a bare tract of land." `Aroth and ma`areh signify tracts bare of trees.
(2) 'achu, in Pharaoh's dream of the kine, the King James Version "meadow," the Revised Version (British and American) "reed grass" (Genesis 41:2, 18). 'Achu is found also inJob 8:11, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "flag," the Revised Version margin "reed-grass." According to Gesenius, achu is an Egyptian word denoting the vegetation of marshy ground.
(3) 'abhel keramim, "Abel-cheramim," the Revised Version margin "The meadow of vineyards," the King James Version "the plain (the King James Version margin, "Abel") of the vineyards" (Judges 11:33); "Abel-beth-maacah" (1 Kings 15:202 Kings 15:29; compare2 Samuel 20:14, 15, 18); "Abel-shittim" (Numbers 33:49; compareNumbers 25:1Joshua 2:1;Joshua 3:1Judges 7:22Joel 3:18Micah 6:5); "Abel-meholah" (Judges 7:221 Kings 4:12;1 Kings 19:16); "Abel-maim" (2 Chronicles 16:4); "Abel-mizraim" (Genesis 50:11); "stone," the King James Version "Abel," the Revised Version margin "Abel," that is "a meadow" (1 Samuel 6:18); compare Arabic 'abal, "green grass," and 'abalat, "unhealthy marshy ground," from wabal, "to rain."
Alfred Ely Day
VINEYARDS, MEADOW (PLAIN) OF THE
(Judges 11:33).
SeeABEL-CHERAMIM;MEADOW.
Strong's Hebrew
2261. chabatstseleth --meadow saffron or crocus... chabatstseleth. 2262 .
meadow saffron or crocus. Transliteration: chabatstseleth
Phonetic Spelling: (khab-ats-tseh'-leth) Short Definition: crocus.
...66. Abel Mayim -- "meadow of water"
Abel Mayim. 65, 66. Abel Mayim. 67 . "meadow of water". Transliteration: Abel
Mayim Phonetic Spelling: (aw-bale' mah'-yim) Short Definition: Abel-maim....
58. abel -- "meadow," part of a place name
... 57, 58. abel. 59 . "meadow," part of a place name. Transliteration:
abel Phonetic Spelling: (aw-bale') Short Definition: plain....
67. Abel Mitsrayim -- "meadow of Egypt," a place East of the...
... "meadow of Egypt," a place East of the Jordan. Transliteration: Abel Mitsrayim Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-bale' mits-rah'-yim) Short Definition: Abel-mizraim....
59. Abel -- "meadow," two places in Palestine
... 58, 59. Abel. 60 . "meadow," two places in Palestine. Transliteration:
Abel Phonetic Spelling: (aw-bale') Short Definition: Abel....
5116c. navah -- pasture,meadow
... 5116b, 5116c. navah. 5117 . pasture,meadow. Transliteration: navah Short
Definition: pastures. Word Origin from the same as naveh...
260. achu -- reeds, rushes
... flag,meadow. Of uncertain (perhaps Egyptian) derivation; a bulrush or any marshy
grass (particularly that along the Nile) -- flag,meadow. 259, 260....
3733. kar -- basket-saddle
... From karar in the sense of plumpness; a ram (as full-grown and fat), including a
battering-ram (as butting); hence, ameadow (as for sheep); also a pad or...
65. Abel Mecholah -- Elisha's birthplace in Palestine
... Abel-meholah. From 'abel and mchowlah;meadow of dancing; Abel-Mecholah, a place
in Palestine -- Abel-meholah. see HEBREW 'abel. see HEBREW mchowlah. 64, 65....
62. Abel Beth-maakah -- a city in Northern Israel
... From 'abel and bayith and Ma'akah;meadow of Beth-Maakah; Abel of Beth-maakah, a
place in Palestine -- Abel-beth-maachah, Abel of Beth-maachah,....
Library
The House of the GreenMeadow
... CHAPTER XLIV THE HOUSE OF THE GREENMEADOW. THE five friends did not live
together after the manner of monks, for they had no rules...
The Chariot of Fire
... from the mountain are very difficult to sift from the strange, wild, and senseless
legends which were preserved in the House of the GreenMeadow, and called by...
The Angel of Death
... making in camp, of tremendous excitement, heightening of zeal and vast meetings
after nightfall, when he had withdrawn to a far-offmeadow to sleep in the grass...
Wesley Opposed by Mayor and Minister
... However, it is a borough townl Between twelve and one I began preaching in
ameadow, to a numerous congregation. While we were singing...
Psalm XXXVII.
... neither be envious against the workers of iniquity" (ver.1). "For they shall soon
wither like the grass, and shall fade like the herbs of themeadow" (ver.2...
Commendation of those who came to Hear after Taking a Meal. ...
... of animals,"in the sea, or on the land; of those that swim, and those that traverse
the air; the mountains, the forests, the groves; themeadow below, and...
Of Removing Tithes.
... But wheremeadow grounds have paid tithe of hay the same year, they are not liable
to an agistment tithe for cattle depastured on the after crop.2 Gwill.613....
Chapter l
... Therefore they called its namemeadow ('abhel) of the Egyptians, which is
across the Jordan.... "Mourning" is '??bhel;"meadow" is 'abhel....
The Preaching of Nature.
... where he can worship the Creator, and where ten thousand voices teach him to "look
through Nature up to Nature's God." When he stands in themeadow grass, or...
Summer Song.
... her cleft the dove so shy, And seeks the woodland shadow; The nightingale with song
so rare Delights and fills the ev'ning air O'er mountain, vale, andmeadow....
Thesaurus
Meadow (8 Occurrences)... 3. (a.) of or pertaining to a
meadow; of the nature of a
meadow; produced, growing,
or living in, a
meadow. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
MEADOW.
...Abel-meholah (3 Occurrences)
...Meadow of dancing, or the dancing-meadow, the birth-place and residence of the prophet
Elisha, not far from Beth-shean (1 Kings 4:12), in the tribe of Issachar...
Abelmeholah (3 Occurrences)
...Meadow of dancing, or the dancing-meadow, the birth-place and residence of the prophet
Elisha, not far from Beth-shean (1 Kings 4:12), in the tribe of Issachar...
Abel (22 Occurrences)
... Abel (Hebrews `abhel), a grassy place, ameadow.... MO Evans. ABEL (2). a'-bel ('abhel,
"meadow"): A word used in several compound names of places....
Kine (24 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Genesis 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored
kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in ameadow. (KJV JPS ASV DBY YLT)....
Flag (30 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews, or rather Egyptian, ahu, Job 8:11), rendered
"meadow" in Genesis 41:2, 18; probably the Cyperus esculentus, a species of...
Fatfleshed (2 Occurrences)
... Fatfleshed (2 Occurrences). Genesis 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river
seven well favored kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in ameadow. (KJV)....
Favored (19 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS). Genesis 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well
favored kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in ameadow. (KJV ASV WBS)....
Esdraelon
... The Greek form of the Hebrew "Jezreel," the name of the great plain (called by the
natives Merj Ibn Amer; ie, "themeadow of the son of Amer") which stretches...
Abel-beth-maachah (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible DictionaryMeadow of the house of Maachah, a city in the north of
Palestine, in the neighbourhood of Dan and Ijon, in the tribe of Naphtali....
Resources
What is the significance of Shittim in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? | GotQuestions.orgMeadow: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
