Bible Dictionary
TREE
TREE
The Holy Scriptures describe to us a flora corresponding to the subtropical regions. In Palestine aridity alternates with fertility.
The most fertile regions of the biblical lands were the plain of Sharon along the coast (Is. 35:2), the pine and cedar forests of Lebanon and Hermon, and the valleys near Jericho (Ex. 9:25 ), the plain of Esdraelon in Galilee and certain regions beyond the Jordan.
The trees known to the biblical authors were of the woody types, shrubs and resinous wood trees. Trees are used, in addition to their natural uses, to teach various truths. Thus, they symbolize the righteous man (Ps. 1:3), who “is like a tree planted by the stream of water”; he will bear good fruit in his due season.
Whoever trusts in the Lord is like the tree that will have abundant foliage and that will not fear the heat because its roots will be sunk in the water that will preserve its greenness (Jer. 17:8). Whoever puts his trust in another man becomes like a tamarind tree in the steppe, which lives in arid and dry places and never prospers (Jer. 17:6). The same analogy also applies to towns (Hos. 14:6-8).
Sometimes trees are personified in poetic figures that praise and celebrate the works of God; thus, in Isaiah they applaud (Is. 55:12); in the Psalms they rejoice and are satisfied by the generosity of the Creator (Ps. 96:12; 104:16); They understand the works of the Lord in Ezekiel (Ez. 17:24).
(a) AT:
Some trees in the Old Testament have a special meaning in the history of God’s people, since some event of special significance took place near them; thus: the oak of More in Hebron, where the Lord appeared twice to Abraham (Gen. 12:6-7; 18:1); the oak forest of Mamre in Hebron, where Abraham built an altar (Gen. 13:8); the terebinth of Bethel; the oak of Jabez, where the inhabitants of the vicinity buried Saul and his sons; the oak of Ophra, where the Lord appeared to Gideon; the valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath; the tamarisk of Beersheba, where Abraham, after establishing an alliance with Abimelech, built an altar to the Lord; the tamarisk of Gibeah, where Saul received the news that David had been discovered; Deborah’s palm tree, where she used to sit and where the Israelites went up together for judgments; the pomegranate tree of Migron, where Saul was sitting when Jonathan attempted to cross the enemy ranks of the Philistines (Gen. 12:6-7; 18:1; Gen. 13:8; 1 Kings 13:14; 1 Chron. 10: 12; Judges 6:11; 1 Sam. 17:2; Gen. 21:23-33; and 1 Sam. 22:6; Judges 4:5; 1 Sam. 14:2).
These passages and many others indicate to us the extent to which trees enjoy a privileged, if accidental, character in the actions of God’s people. The prophets and laws order the destruction of every tree that may be, even indirectly, an object of veneration or worship that should only be rendered to the Lord (Deut. 12:2-3; 16:21; Jer. 2:20).
(b) NT:
In the New Testament the tree is mentioned in the general sense of vegetation, or as in the case of Jesus’ parables: when he compares the kingdom of God to a leafy tree in which all men have shelter; or when he compares it to the mustard seed (Mt. 13:22; Luke 13:19); or when he teaches to discern good men from bad ones by their fruits (Mt. 7:17-19); The new shoots of the fig tree herald summer (Mt. 24:32; Luke 21:29).
The tree also serves to symbolize the final reprobation of the people who did not receive Christ, in the gestures and words of the Baptist, when the ax is already placed at the root to cut it down and throw it into the fire (Mt. 3:10; Lk. 3 :9). Finally, barren trees indicate the curse that prevents them from bearing good fruit (Mt. 34:32; Luke 21:29). In relation to the different trees, see the respective articles.
exc, TREE (A.T.)
tip, FLOWER
Some trees in the Old Testament have a special meaning in the history of God’s people, since some event of special significance took place near them; thus: the oak of More in Hebron, where the Lord appeared twice to Abraham (Gen. 12:6-7; 12:18-1); the oak forest of Mamre in Hebron, where Abraham built an altar (Gen. 13:8); the terebinth of Bethel; the oak of Jabez, where the inhabitants of the vicinity buried Saul and his sons; the oak of Ophra, where the Lord appeared to Gideon; the valley of Elah, (means the valley of the Oak or, valley of the Oak), where David killed Goliath; the tamarisk of Beersheba, where Abraham, after establishing an alliance with Abimelech, built an altar to the Lord; the tamarisk of Gibeah, where Saul received the news that David had been discovered; Deborah’s palm tree, where she used to sit and where the Israelites went up together for judgments; the pomegranate tree of Migron, where Saul was sitting when Jonathan attempted to cross the enemy ranks of the Philistines (Gen. 12:6-7; 18:1; Un. 13:8; 1 Kings 13:14; 1 Chron. 10: 12; Judges 6:11; 1 Sam. 17:2; Gen. 21:23-33; and 1 Sam. 22:6; Judges 4:5; 1 Sam. 14:2).
These passages and many others indicate to us the extent to which trees enjoy a privileged, if accidental, character in the actions of God’s people. The prophets and laws order the destruction of every tree that may be, even indirectly, an object of veneration or worship that should only be rendered to the Lord (Deut. 12:2-3; 16:21; Jer. 2:20).
BETHEL
is the name of a Canaanite city in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the center of the land of Canaan, northwest of Ai on the road to Shechem, 30 kilometers south of Shiloh and about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Bethel is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. Some identify it with the Palestinian village of Beitin and others with the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Bethel was the place where Abraham built his altar when he first arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). And at Bethel Jacob saw a vision of a ladder whose top touched heaven and the angels ascended and descended (Genesis 28:10-19).
For this reason Jacob was afraid, and said, “How terrible is this place! It is nothing other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven »and he called Bethel the place that was known as «Light» (Genesis 35-15).
Bethel was also a sanctuary in the days of the prophet Samuel, who judged the people there (1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3). And it was the place where Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was buried.
Bethel was the birthplace of Hiel, who sought to rebuild the city of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
When Bethel did not yet belong to the people of Israel, Joshua had to battle against the king of Bethel and other kings and defeated them (Joshua 12-16).
When the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land, in the division by tribes it was assigned to the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18-22), but in later times it belonged to the Tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:19).
It was one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant remained, a symbol of the presence of God.
In Bethel the prophet Samuel judged the people.
Then the prophet Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: “Go up, bald man; Come up, bald! When he looked back and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two boys” (2 Kings 2:23).
After the division of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, king of Israel, had a golden calf raised at Bethel (1 Kings 21:29) which was destroyed by Josiah, king of Judah, many years later (2 Kings 23:15). .
Bethel was also a place where some of the Babylonian exiles who returned to Israel in 537 BC gathered. (Ezra 2:28).
The prophet Hosea, a century before Jeremiah, refers to Bethel by another name: “Bet-Aven” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5-8), which means ‘House of Iniquity’, ‘House of Nothingness’, ‘House of Vanity’, ‘House of Nullity’, that is, of idols.
In Amos 7: 12-13 the priest Amaziah tells the prophet Amos that he flee to Judah and no longer prophesy in Bethel because it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
The prophet Jeremiah states that “the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel” (Jeremiah 48:13), because of their idolatry and, specifically, the worship of the golden calf.
PUTEOLI
(lat.: “small fountains”).
Two days after arriving in Rhegium, the ship carrying Paul arrived at Puteoli, which was then an important maritime city.
The apostle found Christians there, and enjoyed their hospitality (Acts 28:13).
It was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples, near the site of present-day Pouzzoles.
The entire surrounding region is volcanic, and the Solfatare crater rises behind the city.
PUT
Name of a nation related to the Egyptians and neighbors of their country (Gen. 10:6).
Put is mentioned with Egypt and other African countries, especially Libya (Nah. 3:9) and Lud (Ez. 27:10; Is. 66:19 in the LXX. Put appears between Cush and Lud in Jer. 46:9; Ez. 30:5).
In the LXX he is translated as Libyans in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Josephus also identifies it with Libya (Ant. 1:6, 2), but in Nah. 3.9 is distinguished from the Libyans.
Current opinion is divided between Somalia, Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia (Perfume Coast).
PURPLE
A coloring substance that is extracted from various species of mollusks. The ancient Tyrians used two types of them: the “Murex trunculus”, from which the bluish purple was extracted, and the “Murex brandaris”, which gave the red.
The ink of its coloring matter varies in color depending on the region in which it is fished.
Piles of murex shells, artificially opened, have been discovered in Minet el-Beida, port of ancient Ugarit (Ras Shamra), which gives evidence of the great antiquity of the use of this purple dye (see UGARIT).
Due to its high price, only the rich and magistrates wore purple (Est. 8:15, cf. the exaltation of Mordecai, v. 2, Pr. 31:22; Dan. 5:7; 1 Mac. 10 :20, 62, 64; 2 Mac. 4:38; cf. v 31; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4).
The rulers adorned themselves in purple, even those of Midian (Judg. 8:26). Jesus was mocked with a purple robe (Mark 15:17).
Great use had been made of purple-dyed fabrics for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36) and for the high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:5, 6, 15, 33; 39: 29). The Jews gave symbolic value to purple (Wars 5:5, 4).
PURIM
(Heb., plural of “luck”).
Haman cast lots to determine a day of good omen for the destruction of the Jews.
As Haman’s designs were undone, the liberation of the Jews was marked by an annual festival (Est. 3:7; 9:24-32) on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar.
This festival is not mentioned by name in the NT, although there are exegetes who assume that it is the one referred to in Jn. 5:1.
This festival continues to be celebrated within Judaism: the book of Esther is read, and curses are pronounced on Haman and his wife, blessings are pronounced on Mordecai and the eunuch Harbonah (Est. 1:10; 7: 9).
PURIFICATION, PURITY
In the Mosaic Law four ways to purify oneself from contamination were indicated:
(a) Purification of contamination contracted by touching a dead person (Num. 19; cf. Num. 5:2, 3),
(b) Purification from impurity due to bodily emissions (Lev. 15; cf. Num. 5:2, 3).
(c) Purification of the woman in labor (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:21-24).
(d) Purification of the leper (Lev. 14).
To this, the scribes and Pharisees added many other purifications, such as washing hands before eating, washing vessels and dishes, showing great zeal in these things, while inside they were full of extortion and iniquity (Mark 7: 2-8).
In Christianity the necessary purification extends:
to the heart (Acts 15:9; James 4:8),
to the soul (1 Pet. 1:22), and
to the conscience through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).
Poetry of Praise and Redemptive Mission
The Praise that Unites All
Praise Resounds Throughout Creation
True Worship that Pleases the Lord
From Heavenly Greatness to Inexhaustible Love
The Gift of Himself
Healing Time
A Personal Promise
-
Christian Quotes8 months agoSteven Furtick Quotes
-
Christian Quotes8 months agoJohn MacArthur Quotes
-
OUR DAILY DEVOTIONAL | My Daily Bread8 months agoGod’s Power, Our Strength
-
Christian Quotes8 months agoPriscilla Shirer Quotes
-
Christian Quotes8 months agoAnthony George Quotes
-
Bible Dictionary8 months ago
BETHEL