Luxuriant
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The term "luxuriant" refers to something that is abundant, rich, and profuse in growth or production. In the context of the Bible, luxuriant imagery is often used to describe the fertility and abundance of the land, the blessings of God, and the prosperity of His people. This concept is deeply rooted in the agrarian culture of the ancient Near East, where the health and productivity of the land were seen as direct blessings from God.

Biblical References:

1. Fertility of the Land:
The Bible frequently uses luxuriant imagery to describe the Promised Land, a place flowing with milk and honey, symbolizing abundance and divine provision. In Deuteronomy 8:7-9 , the land is described as "a good land, a land with brooks and fountains and springs that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey." This description highlights the luxuriant nature of the land that God promised to the Israelites.

2. Blessings and Prosperity:
Luxuriant growth is also a metaphor for the blessings and prosperity that come from living in accordance with God's commandments. In Psalm 1:3 , the righteous man is likened to "a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does." This imagery conveys the idea that those who delight in the law of the Lord will experience a life of spiritual and material abundance.

3. Divine Restoration:
The prophets often used luxuriant imagery to describe the restoration and renewal that God would bring to His people. In Isaiah 35:1-2 , the prophet declares, "The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will bloom abundantly and even rejoice with joy and singing." This passage speaks of a future time when God will transform desolation into a place of beauty and abundance.

4. Warnings Against Complacency:
While luxuriant growth is generally seen as a blessing, the Bible also warns against the complacency that can accompany prosperity. In Hosea 10:1 , Israel is described as "a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for itself." However, the abundance led to idolatry and self-reliance, drawing the people away from God. This serves as a cautionary reminder that material prosperity should not lead to spiritual neglect.

Theological Implications:

The concept of luxuriance in the Bible underscores the relationship between God and His creation. It reflects His desire to bless His people with abundance, both physically and spiritually. However, it also serves as a reminder of the responsibilities that come with such blessings. The luxuriant imagery calls believers to remain faithful and obedient, recognizing that true prosperity is found in a life aligned with God's will.

In summary, the luxuriant imagery in the Bible is a powerful symbol of God's provision, blessing, and the potential for spiritual growth. It encourages believers to seek a life that is fruitful and abundant in the knowledge and love of God, while remaining vigilant against the dangers of complacency and self-reliance.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(a.) Exuberant in growth; excessive; very abundant; as, luxuriant foliage.
Strong's Hebrew
1238a. baqaq -- to be luxuriant
... baqaq. 1238b . to be luxuriant. Transliteration: baqaq Short Definition: luxuriant. ...
root Definition to be luxuriant NASB Word Usage luxuriant (1). 1238, 1238a ...
/hebrew/1238a.htm - 5k

7488. raanan -- luxuriant, fresh
... 7487b, 7488. raanan. 7489 . luxuriant, fresh. Transliteration: raanan
Phonetic Spelling: (rah-an-awn') Short Definition: green. ...
/hebrew/7488.htm - 6k

7487a. raan -- to be or grow luxuriant, fresh, or green
... 7487, 7487a. raan. 7487b . to be or grow luxuriant, fresh, or green.
Transliteration: raan Short Definition: green. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7487a.htm - 5k

1238. baqaq -- to be luxuriant
... baqaq. 1238a . to be luxuriant. Transliteration: baqaq Phonetic Spelling:
(baw-kah') Short Definition: luxuriant. make empty, fail, utterly, make void ...
/hebrew/1238.htm - 5k

7487. ra'anan -- to be or grow luxuriant, fresh, or green
... ra'anan. 7487a . to be or grow luxuriant, fresh, or green. Transliteration:
ra'anan Phonetic Spelling: (rah-aw-nan') Short Definition: flourishing. flourishing ...
/hebrew/7487.htm - 5k

Library

Light and Shade.
... the city was spread out an extensive valley of some ten or fifteen miles in width
and some twenty or twenty-five in length, covered with luxuriant vegetation. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/fagg/forty years in south china/iv light and shade.htm

2 Cor. Ix. 10
... Wherefore also he continually calls it "seed." For like as the corn cast into the
ground showeth luxuriant crops, so also many are the handfuls almsgiving ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xx 2 cor ix.htm

The Savanna of Aripo
... Below, in the midst of a never-failing drizzle, grow luxuriant Ardisias, Aroids,
Ferns, Costas, Heliconias, Centropogons, Hydrocotyles, Cyperoids, and Grasses ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xii the savanna of.htm

Go in Peace
... When those feet were wiped with the luxuriant tresses of her hair, still he did
not withdraw them; and when she ventured upon a yet closer familiarity, and not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 48 1902/go in peace.htm

Scenes in the Lives of the Patriarchs.
... Months stepped away, rapidly as silently, old associations wore off, and Abram
was a wealthy and happy man in the luxuriant vales of Canaan. ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/scenes in the lives of.htm

Rondelet, {7} the Huguenot Naturalist {8}
... Everywhere a luxuriant vegetation"everywhere the richest production of
the land and the water. Hail to thee sweet and dear city! ...
/.../kingsley/historical lectures and essays/rondelet 7 the huguenot naturalist.htm

Ignorance of the Seed Makes no Difference.
... The philosopher-poet invited him to take a look at his garden, and took him to where
a luxuriant growth of ugly and infragrant weeds spread themselves over ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter vi ignorance of the.htm

Introduction.
... The exuberant luxuriant growth of the brain in the system of Scotus called forth
the reaction of the heart, and this reaction is embodied in Richard Rolle, who ...
/.../rolle/the form of perfect living and other prose treatises/introduction.htm

Letter i. The Christian's Mark.
... The beauty and appropriateness of this figure will not be appreciated, unless we
take into consideration the luxuriant growth of plants in Eastern countries. ...
/.../letter i the christians mark.htm

Trinidad
... having expected to find it more parched and sterile as he approached the equator;
whereas he beheld groves of palm-trees, and luxuriant forests sweeping down ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter iii trinidad.htm

Thesaurus
Luxuriant (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Exuberant in growth; excessive; very abundant; as,
luxuriant foliage. Multi-Version Concordance Luxuriant (7 Occurrences). ...
/l/luxuriant.htm - 8k

Jabbok (7 Occurrences)
... jab'-ok (yabboq, "luxuriant river"): A stream in Eastern Palestine first named in
the history of Jacob, as crossed by the patriarch on his return from Paddan ...
/j/jabbok.htm - 11k

Swelling (14 Occurrences)
... Of Jordan (Jeremiah 12:5), literally the "pride" of Jordan (as in RV), ie, the
luxuriant thickets of tamarisks, poplars, reeds, etc., which were the lair of ...
/s/swelling.htm - 13k

Hair (135 Occurrences)
... Samson's (Judges 16:13, 19) and Absalom's (2 Samuel 14:26) long luxuriant hair is
specially mentioned, and the Shulammite sings of the locks of her beloved ...
/h/hair.htm - 60k

Yields (21 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Hosea 10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that puts forth his fruit. According
to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. ...
/y/yields.htm - 12k

Vegetation (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The plant life of a region or locale. 2. (n.) The sum of vegetable life;
vegetables or plants in general; as, luxuriant vegetation. ...
/v/vegetation.htm - 11k

Luxuriated (1 Occurrence)

/l/luxuriated.htm - 7k

Locks (29 Occurrences)
... Bedouin warriors. (4) Qewutstsah (Songs 5:2, 11) means the luxuriant hair
of the Hebrew youth, who was careful of his exterior. It is ...
/l/locks.htm - 18k

Wanton (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; as, a
wanton display of disrespect; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. ...
/w/wanton.htm - 13k

Improved (1 Occurrence)
... Improved (1 Occurrence). Hosea 10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that puts forth his
fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. ...
/i/improved.htm - 6k

Resources
Luxuriant: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Luxuriant (7 Occurrences)

1 Kings 14:23
For they also built them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every green tree;
(See NAS)

Psalms 37:35
I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
(See NAS)

Song of Songs 1:16
See, you are fair, my loved one, and a pleasure; our bed is green.
(See NAS)

Isaiah 57:5
You who are burning with evil desire among the oaks, under every green tree; putting children to death in the valleys, under the cracks of the rocks?
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
(See JPS)

Hosea 10:1
Israel is a luxuriant vine that puts forth his fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. As their land has prospered, they have adorned their sacred stones.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV)

Hosea 14:8
Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green fir tree; from me your fruit is found."
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Luxuriant

Related Terms

Luxuriant (7 Occurrences)

Luxuries (2 Occurrences)

Grew (133 Occurrences)

Lutheran
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