Trees: Sycamore
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Topical Encyclopedia
The sycamore tree, known scientifically as Ficus sycomorus, is a significant tree mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the context of the ancient Near East. It is a type of fig tree, distinct from the sycamore trees found in North America and Europe. The sycamore is notable for its large size, broad leaves, and edible fruit, which resembles a fig. This tree thrives in the warm climates of the Middle East and Africa, often found in the lowlands and along riverbanks.

Biblical References:

1. 1 Kings 10:27 : "The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills." This verse highlights the abundance and commonality of sycamore trees during the reign of King Solomon, indicating their importance in the economy and daily life of Israel.

2. 2 Chronicles 1:15 : "The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills." This parallel passage to 1 Kings 10:27 reiterates the prosperity and wealth during Solomon's reign, with sycamore trees symbolizing abundance.

3. Psalm 78:47 : "He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet." This verse refers to the plagues that God sent upon Egypt, illustrating the sycamore's presence in Egypt and its agricultural significance.

4. Amos 7:14 : "I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees." The prophet Amos describes his humble origins, mentioning his work with sycamore trees, which were a source of livelihood for many in ancient Israel.

5. Luke 19:4 : "So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way." This New Testament reference describes Zacchaeus, a tax collector, climbing a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus. The tree's sturdy branches and low height made it ideal for climbing.

Cultural and Symbolic Significance:

In biblical times, the sycamore tree was valued not only for its fruit but also for its wood, which was used in construction and furniture making. The tree's resilience and ability to grow in various soil types made it a symbol of strength and endurance. Its mention in the context of wealth and abundance during Solomon's reign underscores its economic importance.

The sycamore's role in the account of Zacchaeus highlights its accessibility and the way it facilitated a personal encounter with Jesus. This narrative element underscores themes of humility and the desire to seek Christ, regardless of social status or obstacles.

Conclusion:

The sycamore tree, with its rich biblical history and symbolism, serves as a testament to the agricultural and economic life of ancient Israel and its surrounding regions. Its presence in both the Old and New Testaments reflects its enduring significance in the biblical narrative.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
1 Kings 10:27
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 78:47
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 7:14
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 19:4
And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Strong's Hebrew
8256. shiqmah -- sycamore tree
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition sycamore tree NASB Word Usage sycamore
(1), sycamore trees (4), sycamores (2). sycamore fruit, tree. ...
/hebrew/8256.htm - 6k
Library

How Solomon Grew Rich, and Fell Desperately in Love with Women and ...
... the street; and so multiplied cedar trees in the plains of Judea, which did not
grow there before, that they were like the multitude of common sycamore trees. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 how solomon grew.htm

Pride of Prosperity
... "The king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees
made he as the sycamore trees that are in the vale for abundance." 2 ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 3 pride of prosperity.htm

Ripe for Gathering
... We have first to note the vision and its interpretation. It is such as a
countryman, 'a dresser of sycamore trees' would naturally have. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/ripe for gathering.htm

Amos and Obadiah.
... His home was at Tokea, a small town of Judea about twelve miles south of Jerusalem,
where he acted as herdsman and as dresser of sycamore trees. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xix amos and obadiah.htm

Pagan Cemeteries.
... the scenes represents the borders of a river, with villas, temples, shrines, and
pastoral huts scattered under the shade of palm or sycamore trees, the foliage ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vi pagan cemeteries.htm

The Preacher as a Man of the Word.
... eye on the toils of men"the woodman thinning the trees of the forest; the carpenter,
with saw and axe, turning to his own uses the sycamore and the cedar ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/lecture iv the preacher as.htm

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
... is a species of fig, must, of course, not be confounded with our sycamore, and was
a ... say that it was easier in Galilee to rear a forest of olive-trees than one ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 3 in galilee at.htm

Effectual Calling
... no use for you to be proud, to stick yourselves up in the trees; Christ will ... compared
with what thou wert when thou first didst climb that sycamore tree; but ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/effectual calling.htm

In Jericho and at Bethany - Jericho - a Guest with Zacch??us - the ...
... Here grew palm-trees of various kinds, sycamores, the cypress-flower, [5003] the ...
road, and passing under the overhanging branches of that sycamore, the crowd ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiv in jericho and.htm

Outward Bound
... and richness of light and shade to the foliage of an old sycamore; and among ... little
swamp of foul brown water, backed up by the sand-brush, with trees in every ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

Resources
Does Matthew 7:21-23 mean that believers can lose salvation? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Valley of Baca in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Asherah / Ashtoreth? | 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: Specially Flourished Beside the Rivers and Streams of Water
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