Lexical Summary tamar: palm trees, palm, palm tree Original Word: תָּמָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance palm tree From an unused root meaning to be erect; a palm tree -- palm (tree). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as tomer Definition palm tree, date palm NASB Translation date palms (1), palm (3), palm tree (3), palm trees (4), palms (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. תָּמָר noun masculine palm-tree, date-palm, Phoenix dactylifera; — ׳ת Joel 1:12; in simile of prosperity Psalm 92:13, of (graceful) stature Cant 7:8, compare (figurative) Songs 7:9; plural תְּמָרִים in oasis Exodus 15:27 (J), "" Numbers 33:9 (P); ׳כַּמֹּת ת Leviticus 23:40 (H) palm-branches, compare ׳עֲלֵי ת Nehemiah 8:15; עִיר הַתְּמָרִים = Jericho Deuteronomy 34:3 (JE), 2 Chronicles 28:15; Judges 1:16; Judges 3:13. — See PostHast. DBPALM-TREE M'LeanEncy. Bib. ID. TrNHB 378 ff. Theob. FischerDattelpalme, 1881. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 8558 designates the date-palm tree (tamar). Across its twelve Old Testament occurrences the palm stands as a vivid emblem of refreshment, vitality, victory, and righteous flourishing. Because the tree thrives where water is present and bears sweet, nourishing fruit, Scripture frequently places it at strategic junctures of Israel’s journey, worship, and prophetic hope. Botanical and Cultural Background Well adapted to arid climates, the date-palm can reach twenty metres, remain verdant year-round, and carry heavy clusters of fruit. Ancient Israel valued its shade, sap, leaves, wood, and abundant dates. Throughout the Near East it marked oases, trade routes, and city identities (Jericho’s very name, “city of palms,” Deuteronomy 34:3). Oases and Wilderness Provision After the Red Sea crossing, the first significant staging ground is Elim: “There were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the waters” (Exodus 15:27; cf. Numbers 33:9). Between bondage and Sinai, God furnishes both water and palms—visual testimony that He can sustain His people in a trackless wasteland. Jericho—the City of Palms Four texts (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; Judges 3:13; 2 Chronicles 28:15) call Jericho “the city of palm trees,” suggesting a dense grove visible even from Moses’ vantage on Pisgah. The designation underscores Jericho’s attractiveness and strategic value. When Moab’s Eglon seized the city (Judges 3:13), he was capturing more than real estate; he was laying claim to a symbol of Israel’s God-given fertility. Centuries later, compassionate Ephraimites brought rescued Judahite captives to Jericho’s palms for rest and restoration (2 Chronicles 28:15), turning a scene of former judgment into one of mercy. Liturgical and Festal Use Leviticus 23:40 commands palm branches for the Feast of Booths: “On the first day you are to take the product of beautiful trees—branches of palm trees…—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.” Nehemiah 8:15 records post-exilic Israel obeying that very injunction. The palm’s evergreen fronds, waved in corporate joy, portray the faithful God who preserved His people through the wilderness. The same imagery resurfaces when a multitude “from every nation” holds palm branches before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9), binding the Old Covenant festival to final redemption. Poetic Imagery of Righteousness and Love Psalm 92:12 extols covenant loyalty with agricultural metaphor: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Palms do not sprawl; they rise straight, crowned with fruit at the top—an apt picture of upright lives that draw unseen nourishment from God and bear spiritual sweetness in later years (Psalm 92:14). Song of Songs employs the palm for nuptial praise: “Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are clusters of fruit. I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit’” (Song of Songs 7:7-8). The lover’s desire to “climb” evokes both delight and the effort required to reach love’s rewards, hinting at Christ’s pursuit of His bride. Prophetic Warning Joel laments a locust plague so severe that “the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree—all the trees of the field are dried up” (Joel 1:12). When even hardy palms wither, the judgment is acute. The devastation contrasts sharply with earlier scenes of flourishing, urging repentance so that blessing may be restored. Theological Themes 1. Sustenance in pilgrimage—Elim’s palms witness God’s covenant care. Ministry Application • Encourage the weary: as God placed Elim after Marah, He still provides seasons of refreshment when the journey grows harsh. The tamar thus stands as a gracious reminder that the Lord can make the desert rejoice, the righteous remain evergreen, and every redeemed nation lift triumphant palms before His throne. Forms and Transliterations בְתָמָ֔ר בתמר הַתְּמָרִ֖ים הַתְּמָרִֽים׃ הַתְּמָרִים֙ התמרים התמרים׃ כַּתָּמָ֣ר כתמר לְתָמָ֔ר לתמר תְּמָרִ֑ים תְּמָרִ֔ים תְּמָרִ֖ים תְמָרִ֔ים תָּמָ֣ר תמר תמרים ḇə·ṯā·mār ḇəṯāmār hat·tə·mā·rîm hattemaRim hattəmārîm kat·tā·mār kattaMar kattāmār lə·ṯā·mār letaMar ləṯāmār tā·mār taMar tāmār tə·mā·rîm ṯə·mā·rîm temaRim təmārîm ṯəmārîm vetaMarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:27 HEB: מַ֖יִם וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים תְּמָרִ֑ים וַיַּחֲנוּ־ שָׁ֖ם NAS: and seventy date palms, and they camped KJV: and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped INT: of water and seventy date camped there Leviticus 23:40 Numbers 33:9 Deuteronomy 34:3 Judges 1:16 Judges 3:13 2 Chronicles 28:15 Nehemiah 8:15 Psalm 92:12 Songs 7:7 Songs 7:8 Joel 1:12 12 Occurrences |
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