Undergrowth
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In biblical literature, the term "undergrowth" refers to the dense growth of shrubs, bushes, and small trees that thrive beneath the canopy of larger trees in a forested area. While the Bible does not frequently mention undergrowth explicitly, the concept can be inferred from various passages that describe the natural environment of the ancient Near East, where forests and wooded areas were part of the landscape.

Biblical Context and Symbolism

The Bible often uses natural imagery to convey spiritual truths, and the concept of undergrowth can be seen as part of this broader use of nature in Scripture. Forests and wooded areas are sometimes depicted as places of refuge, mystery, or danger. For example, in 1 Samuel 22:5, David is advised to leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah, which included forested regions. The undergrowth in such areas would have provided cover and concealment, symbolizing God's protection and provision for His people.

In Isaiah 10:34, the prophet speaks of the Lord cutting down the thickets of the forest with an ax, a metaphor for God's judgment against the proud and mighty. The undergrowth, in this context, represents the lesser powers and influences that are also subject to divine judgment. The imagery of clearing away the undergrowth can symbolize the removal of obstacles and the preparation for new growth or a new beginning.

Ecological and Agricultural Significance

In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, understanding the natural environment, including undergrowth, was essential for survival and prosperity. The undergrowth in forests could affect the health of the land, influencing soil fertility and water retention. In the Song of Solomon 2:3, the beloved is likened to an apple tree among the trees of the forest, suggesting the value and beauty found amidst the wild and untamed growth of the natural world.

The management of undergrowth would have been important for maintaining productive land, whether for grazing livestock or cultivating crops. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:7), Jesus describes seed falling among thorns, which choke the plants. This imagery highlights the challenges of dealing with unwanted undergrowth that can hinder spiritual and physical growth.

Spiritual Lessons

The presence of undergrowth in biblical imagery can also serve as a metaphor for spiritual truths. Just as undergrowth can provide shelter and sustenance, it can also become a hindrance if not properly managed. Believers are called to cultivate their spiritual lives, removing the "thorns" and "thickets" that can choke out the Word of God and hinder spiritual growth (Matthew 13:22).

In a broader sense, the concept of undergrowth can remind Christians of the need for discernment and vigilance in their walk with God. Just as a forest requires careful stewardship to maintain its health and productivity, so too must believers tend to their spiritual lives, ensuring that nothing obstructs their relationship with God or their ability to bear fruit for His kingdom.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) That which grows under trees; specifically, shrubs or small trees growing among large trees.
Library

Our Brother.
... signs. There was danger here. A man cutting a new path right across old ones
meets stubborn undergrowth, and ugly thorn hedges. Jesus ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks about jesus/our brother.htm

The Long, Rough Road He Trod
... side, and will make music in your heart, if your heart is tuned to its music, even
while you are pushing your way through thorny tanglewood and undergrowth? ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on following the christ/the long rough road he.htm

The Objection is Raised, Why, Then, was the Limit of Lawful Food ...
... beast." [1024] And thus, preministering the justice of judgment, He issued the
materials of liberty; preparing through allowance an undergrowth of discipline ...
/.../on fasting in opposition to the psychics/chapter iv the objection is raised.htm

Modern Hymns
... But by the side of these there has also been an undergrowth of a genuine religious
life which has not as yet asserted itself in the field of thought, but has ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/winkworth/christian singers of germany/modern hymns.htm

Love and Law.
... Field after field had been abandoned, and left to a fertile undergrowth of pines
or scrubby oaks, until there were few signs of cultivation, except within the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/love and law.htm

The Right to Privacy
... But no! There was no undergrowth, no weeds, not even any fallen leaves. All
had been gathered, carefully dried, and put in the fuel pile. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 5 the right to.htm

The Cocal
... The light and air, entering the trace, had called into life the undergrowth and
lower boughs, till from the very turf to a hundred and fifty feet in height ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xiii the cocal.htm

Though Ye Know Him Not
... It was evening, and he stood in the shadow, looking into it. There was a tangle
of undergrowth, and a heavy grove of palms. It was all dark as you looked in. ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xxvii though ye know.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... And yet where the fire passed six months ago, all is now a fresh impenetrable
undergrowth of green; creepers covering the land, climbing up and shrouding the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

The Three Tribunals
... 'Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth.' There
may be secret faults, lying all unseen beneath the undergrowth in the forest ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the three tribunals.htm

Thesaurus
Undergrowth (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Undergrowth (2 Occurrences). Job 30:7 Among the bushes
they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together. (See NIV). ...
/u/undergrowth.htm - 7k

Underhanded (1 Occurrence)

/u/underhanded.htm - 7k

Underground (1 Occurrence)

/u/underground.htm - 7k

Opening (242 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A thinly wooded space, without undergrowth, in the midst of a forest; as,
oak openings. Multi-Version Concordance Opening (242 Occurrences). ...
/o/opening.htm - 37k

Brake (80 Occurrences)
... Less properly: Any fern. 3. (n.) A thicket; a place overgrown with shrubs
and brambles, with undergrowth and ferns, or with canes. ...
/b/brake.htm - 34k

Sparrow (4 Occurrences)
... intended. There is little force in the change. Thrushes of today are shy,
timid birds of thickets and deep undergrowth. Occasionally ...
/s/sparrow.htm - 13k

Resources
Undergrowth: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Undergrowth (2 Occurrences)

Job 30:7
Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 17:9
In that day your towns will be like the waste places of the Hivites and the Amorites which the children of Israel took for a heritage, and they will come to destruction.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Undergrowth

Related Terms

Undermine (1 Occurrence)

Underlies (1 Occurrence)

Undergrowth (2 Occurrences)

Underground
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