In the biblical context, shrubs are often mentioned as part of the natural landscape of the ancient Near East, serving both literal and symbolic purposes. The term "shrub" generally refers to a low, woody plant, smaller than a tree, and is frequently associated with wilderness or desolate areas in the Bible.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 21:15 · In the account of Hagar and Ishmael, after being sent away by Abraham, Hagar wanders in the wilderness of Beersheba. The Berean Standard Bible states, "When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes." Here, the shrub provides a temporary shelter in a moment of desperation, highlighting the harshness of the wilderness and the vulnerability of Hagar and her son.

2. Job 30:4 · In Job's lament about his suffering and the desolation he feels, he describes those who are outcast and marginalized: "They pluck mallow by the bushes, and the broom tree roots for their food." This verse illustrates the use of shrubs as a source of sustenance for those in dire circumstances, emphasizing the theme of survival in desolate conditions.

3. Isaiah 55:13 · The prophet Isaiah speaks of a transformation where "Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up." This imagery contrasts the undesirable thornbush with the more noble cypress and myrtle, symbolizing redemption and the renewal of creation under God's blessing.

4. Jeremiah 17:6 · The prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of a shrub to describe the cursed state of a person who trusts in man rather than in God: "He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see prosperity when it comes." The shrub here symbolizes barrenness and isolation, serving as a metaphor for spiritual desolation.

Symbolic Significance:

In biblical literature, shrubs often symbolize desolation, barrenness, and the harshness of life apart from God's provision. They are frequently associated with wilderness settings, which in the Bible can represent both physical and spiritual testing grounds. The imagery of shrubs in the desert underscores themes of survival, reliance on God, and the stark contrast between life with and without divine blessing.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the arid regions of the ancient Near East, shrubs were a common feature of the landscape. They provided limited shelter and sustenance, reflecting the challenging environment faced by the people of the Bible. The presence of shrubs in biblical narratives often serves to highlight the resilience required to survive in such conditions and the dependence on God's provision for life and sustenance.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the use of shrubs in Scripture can be seen as a reminder of human frailty and the need for divine intervention. The contrast between barren shrubs and flourishing trees in prophetic literature often points to the transformative power of God's grace and the hope of restoration for His people. Through these images, the Bible communicates the message that true prosperity and life are found in trusting and obeying God.

Power of Water.
... talents' weight of earth are placed in a very large trough, and that there are sown
in it several kinds of seeds, either of herbs or of shrubs, and that water ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxvii power of water.htm

The Return of the Holy Family from Egypt
... All was now green here, and the stream from the spring encircled a garden, surrounded
on all four sides (except for the entrance) by a hedge of balsam shrubs. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvii the return of the.htm

The Adventures of Saint George of England.
... The trees and shrubs were of the most gigantic proportions, the former towering
high into the sky, and a single leaf affording ample shade to the Knight and ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter three the adventures of.htm

The Adventures of Saint Denis of France.
... castle, and exhibited to him statues, and pictures, and gems most rare and beautiful,
and then she led him through gardens full of flowers, shrubs, and trees ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter five the adventures of.htm

God's Approbation of his Works
... To make it more agreeable,. He clothed. The universal face with pleasant green.
He adorned it with flowers of every hue, and with shrubs and trees of every kind ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 56 gods approbation of.htm

The Burial and Assumption of the Blessed virgin
... They dug a trench before the narrow entrance of the rock-tomb, and planted in it
a hedge of various shrubs brought with their roots from elsewhere. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xix the burial and assumption.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... Next to it is a row of Hibiscus shrubs, with broad crimson flowers; then a row of
young Screw-pines, {78c} from the East Indian Islands, like spiral pine-apple ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

Chapter ii
... They are s??ach hassadheh, well rendered by Meek "field shrubs"; we render above:
"shrub of the field"; and '??sebh hassadheh, also well rendered by Meek ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter ii.htm

Compassion for Souls
... Hagar too closely. She put the child under the shrubs and turned away her
gaze from the all too mournful spectacle. She could not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/compassion for souls.htm

Rondelet, {7} the Huguenot Naturalist {8}
... The native flowers and shrubs, of a beauty and richness rather Eastern than European,
have made the "Flora Montpeliensis," and with it the names of Rondelet ...
/.../kingsley/historical lectures and essays/rondelet 7 the huguenot naturalist.htm

Shrubs (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Shrubs (4 Occurrences). ... Genesis 21:15 The water in the
bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. ...
/s/shrubs.htm - 7k

Browse (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The tender branches or twigs of trees and shrubs,
fit for the food of cattle and other animals; green food. ...
/b/browse.htm - 7k

Juniper (7 Occurrences)
... This is quite certainly the Arabic ratam (Retama retem, Natural Order, Leguminosae),
a variety of broom which is one of the most characteristic shrubs of the ...
/j/juniper.htm - 11k

Lime (4 Occurrences)
... The whole interior is filled with carefully packed fragments of limestone, and large
piles of thorny-burner and other shrubs to serve as fuel are gathered ...
/l/lime.htm - 11k

Thicket (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A wood or a collection of trees, shrubs, etc., closely
set; as, a ram caught in a thicket. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/t/thicket.htm - 10k

Bush (14 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A thicket, or place abounding in trees
or shrubs; a wild forest. 2. (n.) A shrub; esp., a shrub ...
/b/bush.htm - 19k

Brush (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (n.) Branches of trees lopped off; brushwood. 5. (n.) A thicket of shrubs or
small trees; the shrubs and small trees in a wood; underbrush. ...
/b/brush.htm - 8k

Botany
... Equally characteristic are dry, much-branched spiny trees or shrubs with scanty
foliage and small leaves, such as the acacias and the thorny burnet. ...
/b/botany.htm - 38k

Olives (30 Occurrences)
... times on the northern end of the ridge, while the soft chalky stone breaks down
to form a soil valuable for the cultivation of olives and other trees and shrubs...
/o/olives.htm - 37k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... Any pedestrian in Palestine must be familiar with the ubiquitous and
troublesome thorny shrubs and thistles which abound there. ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

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