Lexical Summary shushan or shoshan or shoshannah: Lily Original Word: שׁוּשַׁן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Showshan, shoshanOr showshan {sho-shawn'}; or shoshan {sho- shawn'}; and (feminine) showshannah {sho-shan-naw'}; from suws; a lily (from its whiteness), as a flower of arch. Ornament; also a (straight) trumpet (from the tubular shape): lily, Shoshannim. see HEBREW suws NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition probably lily (or any lily-like flower) NASB Translation lilies (6), lily (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֺשָׁ֑ן noun masculine שׁוֺשַׁנָּה noun feminine usually lily, probably any lily-like flower (TristrNHB 462 ff. PostHast. DB LILY LöwNo. 323; Late Hebrew שׁוֺשַׁנָּה, Arabic Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Literary Settings The noun שׁוּשַׁן (shushan) appears fifteen times in canonical Scripture. Twelve of those uses are embedded in poetry and song (Psalms, Song of Songs, Hosea), while three describe architectural details of Solomon’s Temple complex (1 Kings 7:19, 22, 26; 2 Chronicles 4:5). Together they show how the lily moved from Israel’s fields into its sanctuary, music, and prophetic hope. Temple Ornamentation and Theology of Beauty The lily motif is carved into the capitals of Jachin and Boaz and etched along the rim of the great bronze basin (“Sea”). These decorative choices were not ornamental filler; they proclaimed that the place of sacrifice and covenant was also a garden of new creation. The sculpted lilies crowned what 1 Kings 7:22 calls “the work of the pillars,” visually linking heaven’s glory with earth’s worship. A sanctuary marked by purity, grace, and life previewed the holiness God requires and provides. Liturgical Use in Psalms Psalm headings twice read, “For the choirmaster. To the tune of ‘Lilies’ ” (Psalm 45:1; Psalm 69:1). The designation may indicate a well-known melody or a particular choir arrangement. Psalm 45 celebrates the royal wedding; Psalm 69 pleads for deliverance amid suffering. That both praise and lament were sung to “Lilies” suggests a versatile tune but also a theological note: the same God who ordains joyful union hears anguished cries. The floral title functions as a liturgical shorthand, guiding worshipers to a shared musical memory and reinforcing covenant continuity across life’s extremes. Imagery of Love and Covenant in Song of Songs No book uses shushan more than the Song of Songs, where it bursts with romantic and covenantal layers. • Mutual Delight. “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens” (Song of Songs 2:2). The beloved’s uniqueness stands out against a fallen backdrop—an echo of redeemed Israel among the nations. • Rest and Provision. “My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies” (2:16; 6:2-3). The shepherd motif entwines security, intimacy, and fruitful environment, prefiguring the Good Shepherd who “makes me lie down in green pastures.” • Fertility and Wholeness. Lilies frame images of breasts (4:5), lips (5:13), and a belly encircled with blossoms (7:2), highlighting covenantal fruitfulness that extends beyond mere sensuality to the blessing of posterity (Genesis 1:28). Prophetic Restoration in Hosea Hosea 14:5 promises, “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.” After chapters of marital unfaithfulness, the prophet closes with floral flourishing. The lily thus becomes an emblem of repentance answered by refreshing grace, rooting Israel in stability and spreading influence—the cedar’s depth complementing the lily’s beauty. Integrated Biblical Themes 1. Purity. White petals mirror moral cleanness; the Temple’s lily capitals signal that only the pure may dwell with God. Ministry Implications • Worship leaders can reclaim the biblical union of aesthetic excellence and theological depth. Melodies, architecture, and liturgy ought to reflect God’s splendor without distraction from His glory. Christological Resonance Solomon’s lily-topped pillars faced east, greeting worshipers who entered through sacrifice toward the Holy Place. They silently anticipated the One greater than Solomon, “the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the valleys” (Song of Songs 2:1), whose pierced side provided the purification real lilies could only symbolize. The New Testament’s “Consider the lilies” (Matthew 6:28) focuses trust on the Father who clothes the fields and will all the more clothe His children in the righteousness of Christ. Summary Shushan weaves through Scripture as ornament, song title, love poem, and prophetic promise. It embodies purity in worship, delight in covenant love, solace in suffering, and hope of restoration. From Temple stone to marital garden and prophetic future, the lily invites God’s people to behold and reflect the unfading beauty of the Lord. Forms and Transliterations בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ בשושנים׃ כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ כַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה כשושנה שֹׁ֭שַׁנִּים שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּ֔ים שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת שֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה שׁוֹשַׁנִּ֬ים שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן שׁוּשַׁ֣ן שושן שושנה שושנים שושנים׃ שושנת שנים baš·šō·wō·šan·nîm bashshoshanNim baššōwōšannîm kaš·šō·wō·šan·nāh kashshoshanNah kaššōwōšannāh kə·šō·wō·šan·nāh keshoshanNah kəšōwōšannāh šan·nîm šannîm shannim ShooshanNim shoShan shoshanNah shoshanNat shoshanNim shuShan šō·wō·šān šō·wō·šan·nāh šō·wō·šan·naṯ šō·wō·šan·nîm šōwōšān šōwōšannāh šōwōšannaṯ šōwōšannîm šū·šan šūšanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 7:19 HEB: הָעַמּוּדִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה שׁוּשַׁ֣ן בָּֽאוּלָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֖ע NAS: in the porch were of lily design, KJV: of the pillars [were] of lily work INT: of the pillars design lily the porch four 1 Kings 7:22 1 Kings 7:26 2 Chronicles 4:5 Psalm 45:1 Psalm 69:1 Songs 2:1 Songs 2:2 Songs 2:16 Songs 4:5 Songs 5:13 Songs 6:2 Songs 6:3 Songs 7:2 Hosea 14:5 15 Occurrences |
    |
(Vulgar 
), especially iris, Aramaic שׁוּשַׁנְתָּא, 
(PS4344), Greek σοῦσον LewyFremdw. 48; original loan-word from Egyptian sššn, šôš§n, ErmanZMG xlvi (1892), 117); — lily: in simile, יִפְרַח כַּשּׁוֺשַׁנָּה