WOOD
The Hebrew “‘es” is said for living wood (tree) and for dead wood:
building wood (Hag. 1:8),
wood for the fire (e.g. Lev. 1:7),
wood for furniture (e.g., Deut. 10:1),
also with the meaning of pole (Gen. 40:19; Deut. 21:22; Jos. 21:26; Est. 5:23),
mango (2 Samuel 21:19),
handle of an ax (Deut. 19:5). Likewise the Greek “sÃlon”.
The New Testament knows the contrast between green wood and dry wood, also known in later Jewish literature: Jesus is the living, green wood that is not so easily attacked by fire; Israel, the dry wood (Luke 23:31). In addition, it is also spoken:
of building wood (1 Cor. 3:12),
of a club (Mt. 26:47, 55),
of a stocks (Acts 16:24).
Due to the dishonorable meaning that the word “wood” acquired in profane Greek “as an instrument of punishment”, the meaning of “cross” arose, characteristic of the New Testament (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; 1 Peter 2:24); Thus the cross is called the wood of a curse (Gal. 3:13; cf. Deut. 21:23). Rev. 2:7; 22:2; 14:19 refers to the Old Testament idea of the tree of life.
The Old Testament knows the wood of acacia, cedar, cypress, pine, oak, sycamore, as well as, according to current interpretation, sandalwood. Rev. 18:12 mentions thuja wood, from North Africa.
The carpenters (literally: craftsmen [in wood, in stone, in metal]) learned their trade, in part, from the Phoenicians (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kings 5:16), and it seems that, under the king Josiah, already did work independently (2 Kings 12:12; cf., also, Is. 40:20).
Among the most esteemed woods is acacia, or “Sitim wood”, also called “incorruptible wood.” Its trunk exudes an odorous liquid that is the well-known gum arabic.
Its wood (highly appreciated for its resistance, strength and lightness) was used by Moses for the construction of the Ark (Ex. 25:10), the table of shewbread (Ex. 25:23), the altar of the burnt offerings (Ex. 27:1), the altar of perfumes (Ex. 30:1), the planks that were to build the solid part of the tabernacle (Ex. 26:15) and everything else that made up the portable sanctuary of Jehovah.