Lexical Summary egoz: Nut Original Word: אֲגוֹז Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nut Prob of Persian origin; a nut -- nut. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition nuts NASB Translation nut trees (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֱגוֺז noun [masculine] nuts (collective) (Late Hebrew id., אַמְגּוֺזָא, Arabic  , Ethiopic  Aramaic  , אֱגוּזָא; compare Persian  , whence probably אֱגוֺז as loan-word) Songs 6:11. אגל (HoffmHiob. 86 compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Occurrences and ContextThe word אֲגוֹז (egoz) appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Song of Solomon 6:11: “I went down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding or the pomegranates were in bloom”. The imagery is set within a broader celebration of covenant love, where the beloved’s garden is a scene of fertility, beauty, and life. Botanical Identity and Ancient Cultivation Most scholars identify the tree in question as the walnut (Juglans regia). Walnuts were grown in Syria-Palestine by the Persian period and were valued for their nutritious kernels, fine timber, shade, and aromatic shells. Orchards were commonly planted near watercourses, matching the Song’s reference to “the valley,” a term that often denotes moist, fertile lowlands. Excavations at sites such as Gezer and Lachish have uncovered walnut shells dating to the Iron Age II, supporting the tree’s presence in the biblical world. Symbolic Texture within Wisdom Literature Song of Solomon, classified among the Writings (Ketuvim), shares literary kinship with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in its use of concrete images to convey abstract truths. The walnut grove embodies hidden richness: its hard shell protects a valuable kernel, mirroring how genuine covenant love both conceals and safeguards intimate delight. Like wisdom “hidden” for the righteous (Proverbs 2:4-7), the walnut must be cracked open to reveal nourishment. Echoes of Eden and the Cultivated Garden Gardens in Scripture recall Edenic harmony (Genesis 2:8-15). By including the walnut grove amid budding vines and blossoming pomegranates, the Song presents a microcosm of restored creation—an ordered, fruitful realm free from curse. The beloved’s voluntary descent “to see” the growth evokes God’s primeval “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8), yet without shame or estrangement. Thus the egōz stands as a quiet witness to the Creator’s intent that human love flourish within His boundaries. Historical and Economic Importance Beyond poetry, nuts were a staple trade commodity. Jacob sent “almonds” to Egypt (Genesis 43:11), and by the Persian era walnuts joined other high-value exports. Their oil served culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes. The Song’s placement of the grove in a valley hints at commercial orchards that supplied urban markets like Jerusalem. Walnut wood, hard and fine-grained, was prized for carved paneling and instrument making, foreshadowing later rabbinic references to walnut cases for Torah scrolls. Intertestamental Developments Second Temple literature continued the metaphor of the cultivated garden to describe Israel’s calling (Sirach 24; 4 Ezra 9-10). Walnuts, with their layered shell and kernel, lent themselves to allegory concerning the Torah: outer commandments protecting inner wisdom. Early Jewish tradition linked the tree’s spreading branches to the righteous who provide shelter (cf. Ezekiel 17:23). Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Hidden worth: The walnut’s outward austerity conceals inner nourishment, reminding believers that spiritual fruit may be veiled beneath trials (2 Corinthians 4:7-18). Pastoral ministry can draw on this image to encourage perseverance until God’s purposes are “cracked” open. 2. Protective love: Just as the shell guards the kernel, biblical marriage is designed to shelter intimacy within covenant. Song of Solomon 6:11 offers a counter-cultural model wherein commitment encases passion. 3. Discernment and growth: The beloved inspects the grove “to see if the vines were budding.” Leaders are called to similar oversight, assessing the spiritual orchard entrusted to them (1 Peter 5:2-4). Fruitfulness is gradual, observable, and worth the intentional descent into the “valley.” Christological Resonance Jesus Christ, the “seed” that falls to the ground and dies to bear much fruit (John 12:24), reflects the walnut’s pattern: death to shell, life to kernel. His concealed glory, revealed through the cross and resurrection, secures the flourishing garden of the redeemed. In Him, the solitary occurrence of egōz hints at a greater harvest where every tree of the field will clap its hands (Isaiah 55:12). Eschatological Outlook The Song’s pastoral scene anticipates the New Jerusalem’s paradise, where “the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit” (Revelation 22:2). The cultivated walnut grove thus becomes a prophetic image: creation restored, love perfected, and the people of God enjoying everlasting abundance under the Bridegroom’s gaze. Summary Though mentioned only once, אֲגוֹז enriches biblical theology by linking agricultural reality with covenantal romance, concealed wisdom, and eschatological hope. Its shell-enclosed treasure invites readers to pursue the inner riches of God’s Word and to cultivate ministries that protect, nourish, and harvest lasting fruit for the glory of the Bridegroom-King. Forms and Transliterations אֱגוֹז֙ אגוז ’ĕ·ḡō·wz ’ĕḡōwz egoyZLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Songs 6:11 HEB: אֶל־ גִּנַּ֤ת אֱגוֹז֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי לִרְא֖וֹת NAS: to the orchard of nut trees To see KJV: into the garden of nuts to see INT: into the garden of nut went to see |
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restrict, Ethiopic 
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