Topic
Flowers
38 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1896–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Job 14:2Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE OF — Shortness of man's life
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
- Psalms 103:15Easton · ISBE · Torrey Wild in fields
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
- Song of Songs 2:12Easton · ISBE · Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Appear in spring
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
- Isaiah 28:1Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE OF — Kingdom of Israel
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
- Matthew 6:28Easton · ISBE · Torrey MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE — The lily
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
- James 1:10Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE OF — Rich men
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
- Exodus 25:31ISBE · Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Golden candlestick
¶ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
- 1 Kings 6:18ISBE · Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Wood work of the temple
And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
- Song of Songs 6:2Easton · Torrey Cultivated in gardens
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
- Isaiah 40:6Easton · ISBE
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
- James 1:11ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE OF — Rich men
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
- 1 Peter 1:24ISBE · Torrey MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE — Of the grass
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
Show 26 more
- Genesis 40:10 ISBE
- Exodus 9:31 ISBE
- Exodus 25:33 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Golden candlestick
- Numbers 17:8 ISBE
- 1 Kings 6:29 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Wood work of the temple
- 1 Kings 6:33 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Wood work of the temple
- 1 Kings 6:35 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Wood work of the temple
- 1 Kings 7:26 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Sea of brass
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Sea of brass
- 2 Chronicles 4:21 Torrey REPRESENTATIONS OF, ON THE — Golden candlestick
- Job 15:33 ISBE
- Psalms 103:16 Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Evanescent
- Song of Songs 2:1 Torrey MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE — The lily of the valley
- Song of Songs 4:16 Easton
- Song of Songs 5:13 Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Sweet
- Song of Songs 6:3 Torrey Cultivated in gardens
- Isaiah 5:24 ISBE
- Isaiah 18:5 ISBE
- Isaiah 28:4 ISBE
- Isaiah 35:1 Torrey MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE — The rose
- Isaiah 40:8 Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Evanescent
- Hosea 14:5 Torrey MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE — The lily
- Nahum 1:4 ISBE
- Matthew 6:29 Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Beautiful
- Luke 12:27 ISBE
- Acts 14:13 Torrey Garlands of, used in worship of idols
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 9 references
Very few species of flowers are mentioned in the Bible although they abounded in Palestine. It has been calculated that in Western Syria and Palestine from two thousand to two thousand five hundred plants are found, of which about five hundred probably are British wild-flowers. Their beauty is often alluded to (Cant. 2:12; Matt. 6:28). They are referred to as affording an emblem of the transitory nature of human life (Job 14:2; Ps. 103:15; Isa. 28:1; 40:6; James 1:10). Gardens containing flowers and fragrant herbs are spoken of (Cant. 4:16; 6:2).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 25 references
flou'-erz (BLOOM, BLOSSOM, etc.):
(1) gibh`ol, literally, "a small cup," hence, calyx or corolla of a flower (Ex 9:31, "The flax was in bloom").
(2) nets (Ge 40:10, nitstsah, "a flower" or "blossom";Job 15:33; Isa 18:5). These words are used of the early berries of the vine or olive.
(3) nitstsan, "a flower"; plural only, nitstsanim (So 2:12, "The flowers appear on the earth").
(4) perach, root to "burst forth" expresses an early stage of flowering; "blossom" (Isa 5:24; 18:5); "flower" (Na 1:4, "The flower of Lebanon languisheth"). Used of artificial flowers in candlesticks (Ex 25:31 ff).
(5) tsits, "flower" (Isa 40:6); plural tsitstsim, flowers as architectural ornaments (1Ki 6:18); tsitsah, "the fading flower of his glorious beauty" (Isa 28:1,4; also Nu 17:8; Job 14:2, etc.).
(6) anthos, in Septuagint equivalent of all the Hebrew words (Jas 1:10,11; 1Pe 1:24).
The beauty of the profusion of flowers which cover Palestine every spring receives but scant reference in the Old Testament; So 2:12 is perhaps the only clear reference. It is noticeable that the native of Syria thinks little of flowers unless it be for their perfume. our Lord's reference to the flowers ("lilies") is well known (Mt 6:28; Lu 12:27). For details of the flowers of modern Palestine, see BOTANY. The aptness of the expression "flower of the field" for a type of the evanescence of human life (Job 14:2; Ps 103:15; Isa 40:6; Jas 1:10) is the more impressive in a land like Palestine where the annual display of wild flowers, so glorious for a few short weeks, is followed by such desolation. The fresh and brilliant colors fade into masses of withered leaves (not uncommonly cleared by burning), and then even these are blown, away, so that but bare, cracked and baked earth remains for long months where once all was beauty, color and life.
E.W.G. Masterman
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 0 references, grouped by sub-topic
- → See BOTANY
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896); Torrey's New Topical Textbook (1897), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.