Topical Encyclopedia
Thistles are a type of plant mentioned several times in the Bible, often symbolizing desolation, curse, and the consequences of sin. These prickly plants are typically associated with wastelands and neglected areas, serving as a vivid metaphor for spiritual barrenness and divine judgment.
Biblical References:1.
Genesis 3:18 · In the aftermath of the Fall, God pronounces a curse upon the ground as a consequence of Adam's sin: "Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field." Here, thistles represent the toil and hardship that humanity would face as a result of disobedience to God. The presence of thistles is a direct result of the curse, symbolizing the brokenness of creation and the struggle inherent in human labor.
2.
Hosea 10:8 · The prophet Hosea uses thistles to depict the desolation that will come upon Israel due to their idolatry and unfaithfulness: "The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, 'Cover us!' and to the hills, 'Fall on us!'" Thistles here are a sign of judgment, indicating the abandonment of once-sacred places due to the people's sin.
3.
Isaiah 34:13 · In a prophecy against Edom, Isaiah describes the land's desolation: "Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her fortresses. She will become a haunt for jackals, a dwelling for ostriches." Thistles, along with other wild plants, illustrate the complete devastation and abandonment of the land, emphasizing the severity of God's judgment.
4.
Matthew 7:16 · In the New Testament, Jesus uses thistles in a metaphorical sense to teach about discernment: "By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" Here, thistles symbolize false prophets and the impossibility of producing good fruit from a corrupt source. This teaching underscores the importance of evaluating the true nature of individuals by their actions and teachings.
Symbolism and Interpretation:In biblical literature, thistles are often used to symbolize the consequences of sin and the resulting separation from God. They are a reminder of the curse that came upon the earth due to human disobedience and the ongoing struggle against the fallen nature of the world. Thistles also serve as a metaphor for spiritual neglect and the desolation that follows when people turn away from God.
The imagery of thistles is powerful in its ability to convey the harsh realities of life in a fallen world, as well as the hope for redemption and restoration through faithfulness to God. The presence of thistles in biblical narratives calls believers to reflect on their own spiritual condition and the fruit they produce in their lives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
THISTLESthis'-'-lz.
SeeTHORNS.
Greek
5146. tribolos -- a thistle... Definition: a thistle. Word Origin from treis and belos Definition a thistle
NASB Word Usage
thistles (2). brier, thistle. From treis
...Strong's Hebrew
7057. qimmos -- perhapsthistles... 7056, 7057. qimmos. 7058 . perhaps
thistles. Transliteration: qimmos
Phonetic Spelling: (kim-moshe') Short Definition: nettles.
...1863. dardar --thistles
... 1862, 1863. dardar. 1864 .thistles. Transliteration: dardar Phonetic
Spelling: (dar-dar') Short Definition: thistle. Word Origin...
5621. sarab -- perhaps thorns
... 5620, 5621. sarab. 5622 . perhaps thorns. Transliteration: sarab Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-rawb') Short Definition:thistles. Word...
2336. choach -- briar, bramble, hook, ring, fetter
... Origin of uncertain derivation Definition briar, bramble, hook, ring, fetter NASB
Word Usage briars (1), hook (1), hooks (1), thickets (1),thistles (1), thorn...
Library
Forgiveness and Retribution.
... Suppose I send my hired man to sow wheat. When it grows up, there arethistles mixed
with the wheat.... "Do you know anything about thethistles in the field?"....
Of the Two Classes of Voluptuous Men, and of their Death, Falling...
... from the young shepherd, those, viz., that were rioting and luxuriating, but not
leaping; and he cast them into a precipitous place, full ofthistles and thorns...
Preface.
... That, remember, cannot mean any alteration in the laws of nature by which man's
labour should only produce for him henceforth thorns andthistles....
Whether the Particular Punishments of Our First Parents are...
... Again it belongs to the nature of the earth "to bring forth thorns andthistles,"
and this would have occurred even had there been no sin....
On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 52, "Therefore Every...
... Do men gather grapes of thorns, and figs ofthistles?" [2536] The Scribes and Pharisees
of the Jews therefore were thorns andthistles, and notwithstanding...
It is Related that when Pilate Would Fain have Released Him all...
... from the curse, which it had received through the sin of the first man, when the
Lord said "Cursed be the earth in thy labours: thorns: andthistles shall it...
The Unchangeable One
... common notion that, because the earth was cursed for Adam's sake, therefore it is
cursed now; that because it was said to him, Thorns andthistles shall it...
Explanation of the Phrase: "For I Delight in the Law of God after...
... by that fault of his, against which there was uttered this sentence by the most
just Judge: "Cursed is the ground in thy works; thorns andthistles shall it...
Whether it was Fitting that the Production of Plants Should Take...
... But the words of Gn.3:17, "Cursed is the earth in thy work, thorns andthistles
shall it bring forth to thee," show that by the production of certain plants...
Concerning Peaceableness
... disposition. When God cursed the ground for man's sake, the curse was that
it should bring forth thorns andthistles' (Genesis 3:18)....
Thesaurus
Thistles (9 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
THISTLES. this'-'-lz.
... Multi-Version Concordance
Thistles (9 Occurrences). Matthew 7:16 By their fruits you will know them.
...Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... Any pedestrian in Palestine must be familiar with the ubiquitous and
troublesome thorny shrubs andthistles which abound there....
Flesh (468 Occurrences)
... Any pedestrian in Palestine must be familiar with the ubiquitous and
troublesome thorny shrubs andthistles which abound there....
Thorns (56 Occurrences)
... Matthew 7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns,
or figs fromthistles? (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)....
Nettle (2 Occurrences)
... This word has been regarded as denoting thorns,thistles, wild camomile; but probably
it is correctly rendered "nettle," the Urtica pilulifera, "a tall and...
Bramble (7 Occurrences)
... and Vulgate render by rhamnus, a thorny shrub common in Palestine, resembling the
hawthorn. (2.) Hebrew hoah, Isaiah 34:13 (RV "thistles"); "thickets" in 1...
Cockle (1 Occurrence)
... Version margin "stinking weeds," the Revised Version, margin "noisome weeds";
bo'shah, from Hebrew root ba'ash, "to stink"; batos): "Letthistles grow instead...
Thistle (3 Occurrences)
Nettles (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 34:13 Thorns will come up in its palaces, nettles andthistles in its fortresses;
and it will be a habitation of jackals, a court for ostriches....
Noisome (7 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS). Job 31:40 Letthistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle
instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. (See JPS)....
Resources
What does it mean that you will know them by their fruit in Matthew 7:16? | GotQuestions.orgIs it wrong for a woman to get an epidural and/or other pain relievers during childbirth? | GotQuestions.orgWhy is life so hard? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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