Trees: Oak
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Topical Encyclopedia
The oak tree holds significant symbolism and practical importance throughout the biblical narrative. Known for its strength, longevity, and grandeur, the oak is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, often serving as a landmark or a place of significant events.

Biblical References

1. Genesis 35:4 · The oak is first mentioned in the context of Jacob's journey. "So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession and the earrings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem." This passage highlights the oak as a place of purification and commitment to God, as Jacob's household renounces idolatry.

2. Joshua 24:26 · The oak is again a witness to a covenant. "And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD." Here, the oak stands as a testament to Israel's renewed commitment to serve the Lord.

3. Judges 6:11 · The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon under an oak. "Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites." This encounter marks the beginning of Gideon's mission to deliver Israel from oppression.

4. 1 Kings 13:14 · The oak serves as a place of rest and reflection. "And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak." This passage illustrates the oak as a place of contemplation and divine encounter.

5. Isaiah 1:30 · The oak is used metaphorically to describe spiritual barrenness. "For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water." Here, the oak symbolizes the consequences of turning away from God, contrasting its usual representation of strength and vitality.

Symbolism and Significance

The oak tree is often associated with strength and endurance, qualities that are reflective of God's eternal nature and His covenant with His people. Its deep roots and sturdy trunk make it a fitting symbol of faithfulness and resilience. In biblical times, oaks were also seen as places of divine revelation and judgment, as evidenced by the various significant events that occurred under their branches.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, oak trees were commonly found and revered for their size and longevity. They often served as landmarks and meeting places, which is why many significant biblical events are associated with them. The oak's prominence in the landscape made it a natural choice for locations of worship and covenant-making.

Theological Implications

The oak's presence in Scripture underscores themes of covenant, revelation, and judgment. It serves as a reminder of God's enduring promises and the call to faithfulness. The oak's strength and resilience are emblematic of the believer's call to stand firm in faith, rooted in the truth of God's Word.

In summary, the oak tree in the Bible is more than just a physical entity; it is a powerful symbol of God's presence, strength, and the enduring nature of His covenant with His people.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Isaiah 1:30
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek
1186. dendron -- a tree
... Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition a tree NASB Word Usage tree (17),
trees (8). tree. Probably from drus (an oak); a tree -- tree. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1186.htm - 6k
Library

The Crowning of Abimelech
... and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the ... The
trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/iii the crowning of abimelech.htm

Of Removing Tithes.
... Oak-trees."See Trees. Orchards pay tithes, both for the fruit they produce, and
the grass or grain, if any be sown or cut therein.2 Inst.652. Ore. ...
/.../prideaux/directions to church-wardens/8 of removing tithes.htm

A Refutation on the Ground of the Constitution of the Universe.
... And as to trees, there are the palm, and the oak, and the persea; [659] and among
trees, too, there are some that are evergreens, of which kind fourteen have ...
/.../dionysius/the works of dionysius/iii a refutation on the.htm

Argument. --Novatian
... He has also established the oak trees of the woods for the future benefit
of human uses. He has developed the harvests into food. ...
/.../a treatise of novatian concerning the trinity/chapter i argument novatian.htm

The Introduction.
... was on the decline, and the idolatry of the Druids prevailed; they were an order
of Heathen priests, who performed their rites in groves of oak trees; this was ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the introduction.htm

A Provision Ground
... There"to judge, at least, from photographs"the Mango must be indeed the queen of
trees; growing to the size of the largest English oak, and keeping always ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvi a provision ground.htm

Nothing but Leaves
... The hungering Savior did not resort to the oak or to the elm to look for ... what was
in them, and that they neither were, nor pretended to be fruit-bearing trees. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/nothing but leaves.htm

The Great Confession - the Great Commission - the Great ...
... western side of it, under overhanging thickets of oleander and other trees, and
amidst ... And from Dan olive-groves and oak-glades slope up to Banias, or C??sarea ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxvii the great confession.htm

Spiritual Growth
... plants of God's grace are to flourish instead, or regard yourselves as trees in
God's ... having known Him, God saying to them, 'Ye shall be as an oak whose leaf ...
/.../howard/standards of life and service/xvii spiritual growth.htm

On a Piece of Chalk. A Lecture to Working Men.
... Fir-trees are there with their cones, and hazel-bushes with their nuts; there
stand the stools of oak and yew trees, beeches and alders. ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/ix on a piece of.htm

Resources
Did God literally and visibly walk in the garden (Genesis 3:8)? | GotQuestions.org

Should we have a Christmas tree? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that you will know them by their fruit in Matthew 7:16? | GotQuestions.org

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Subtopics

Trees

Trees of Christ

Trees of Kings

Trees of the Life and Conversation of the Righteous

Trees of Various Sizes

Trees of Wisdom

Trees were Cut Down by Besieging Armies for Erecting Forts

Trees were Cut Down for Building

Trees were Cut Down for Fuel

Trees were Cut Down for Making Idols

Trees were Cut Down with Axes

Trees were Sold With the Land on Which They Grew

Trees: (Barren) of the Wicked

Trees: (Casting Their Leaves Yet Retaining Their Substance) of

Trees: (Dry) of the Wicked Ripe for Judgment

Trees: (Dry) of Useless Persons

Trees: (Duration of) of Continued Prosperity of Saints

Trees: (Evergreen) of Saints

Trees: (Good and Fruitful) of Saints

Trees: (Green) of the Innocence of Christ

Trees: (Producing Evil Fruit) the Wicked

Trees: (Shaking of the Leaves off) the Terror of the Wicked

Trees: Afford an Agreeable Shade in Eastern Countries During The

Trees: Almond

Trees: Almug or Algum

Trees: Apple

Trees: Ash

Trees: Bay

Trees: Box

Trees: Cedar

Trees: Chestnut

Trees: Cyprus

Trees: Designed to Beautify the Earth

Trees: Different Kinds of Mentioned of the Forest

Trees: Different Kinds of Mentioned of the Wood

Trees: Different Kinds of Mentioned: Bearing Fruit

Trees: Different Kinds of Mentioned: Deciduous or Casting the Leaves

Trees: Different Kinds of Mentioned: Evergreen

Trees: Each Kind Has Its own Seed for Propagating Its Species

Trees: Each Kind of, Known by Its Fruit

Trees: Early Custom of Planting, in Consecrated Grounds

Trees: Fig

Trees: Fir

Trees: Given As Food to the Animal Creation

Trees: God Increases and Multiplies the Fruit of, for his People

Trees: God often Renders, Barren As a Punishment

Trees: Juniper

Trees: Lign-Aloes

Trees: Made for the Glory of God

Trees: Mulberry

Trees: Mustard

Trees: Myrtle

Trees: Nourished by the Earth

Trees: Nourished by the Rain from Heaven

Trees: Nourished: Through Their own Sap

Trees: Oak

Trees: Often Propagated by Birds Who Carry the Seeds Along With Them

Trees: Often Suffered From: Desolating Armies

Trees: Often Suffered From: Fire

Trees: Often Suffered From: Hail and Frost

Trees: Often Suffered From: Locusts

Trees: Oil-Tree

Trees: Olive

Trees: Originally Created by God

Trees: Palm

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Branches

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Fruit or Seeds

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Leaves

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Roots

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Stem or Trunk

Trees: Parts of Mentioned: The Tender Shoots

Trees: Pine

Trees: Planted by Man

Trees: Pomegranate

Trees: Shittah or Shittim

Trees: Solomon Wrote the History of

Trees: Specially Flourished Beside the Rivers and Streams of Water

Trees: Sycamore

Trees: Teil

Trees: The Jews: Considered Trees on Which Criminals Were Executed

Trees: The Jews: Often Buried Under

Trees: The Jews: Often Executed Criminals On

Trees: The Jews: Often Pitched Their Tents Under

Trees: The Jews: Prohibited from Cutting Down Fruit Bearing, for Sieges

Trees: The Jews: Prohibited from Planting in Consecrated Places

Trees: Vine

Trees: when Cut Down often Sprouted from Their Roots Again

Trees: Willow

Related Terms

Fir-trees (11 Occurrences)

Cedar-trees (11 Occurrences)

Olive-trees (11 Occurrences)

Palm-trees (23 Occurrences)

Cypress-trees (6 Occurrences)

Fig-trees (5 Occurrences)

Fruit-trees (5 Occurrences)

Sycamore-trees (6 Occurrences)

Sycomore-trees (6 Occurrences)

Algum-trees (3 Occurrences)

Mulberry-trees (4 Occurrences)

Myrtle-trees (3 Occurrences)

Almug-trees (2 Occurrences)

Lotus-trees (2 Occurrences)

Plane-trees (1 Occurrence)

Oak-trees (1 Occurrence)

Chesnut-trees (1 Occurrence)

Spice-trees (2 Occurrences)

Pomegranate-trees (1 Occurrence)

Balsam-trees (1 Occurrence)

Acacia-trees (1 Occurrence)

Aloe-trees (1 Occurrence)

Mulberry (6 Occurrences)

Algum (3 Occurrences)

Almug (2 Occurrences)

Myrtle (7 Occurrences)

Pine (28 Occurrences)

Sandal-wood (5 Occurrences)

Cedars (37 Occurrences)

Sycamore (9 Occurrences)

Aloes (5 Occurrences)

Axe (19 Occurrences)

Balsam (10 Occurrences)

Carved (36 Occurrences)

Tall (41 Occurrences)

Boughs (29 Occurrences)

Riverside (4 Occurrences)

Elim (5 Occurrences)

Decorated (12 Occurrences)

Palms (20 Occurrences)

Arches (13 Occurrences)

Sycamore-fig (6 Occurrences)

Shady (3 Occurrences)

Shephe'lah (10 Occurrences)

Apple-tree (3 Occurrences)

Vestibule (36 Occurrences)

Pomegranate (11 Occurrences)

Vines (39 Occurrences)

Porches (13 Occurrences)

Projections (10 Occurrences)

Baca (1 Occurrence)

Baalhanan (5 Occurrences)

Baal-hanan (5 Occurrences)

Cypress (17 Occurrences)

Chestnut (2 Occurrences)

Carvings (6 Occurrences)

Augur's

Almugwood (2 Occurrences)

Producing (20 Occurrences)

Sidonians (16 Occurrences)

Ax (12 Occurrences)

Shade (67 Occurrences)

Supports (25 Occurrences)

Crops (48 Occurrences)

Compared (29 Occurrences)

Acacia (28 Occurrences)

Palm-tree (8 Occurrences)

Planting (57 Occurrences)

Apple (8 Occurrences)

Cherubs (52 Occurrences)

Plains (31 Occurrences)

Palm (49 Occurrences)

Cedar (61 Occurrences)

Portico (37 Occurrences)

Tyrians (3 Occurrences)

Moreh (3 Occurrences)

Masons (8 Occurrences)

Planks (9 Occurrences)

Trees: Nourished: Through Their own Sap
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