kedros, Lat. Cedar trees are everywhere mentioned with admiration in the Old Testament. "Entry for 'CEDAR'". We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. "There are groves of cedars above el-Ma`acir, Baruk, `Ain Zehaltah, Hadith, Besherri, and Sir" (Post, Flora, 751). Cedars were used also in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel ( Ezra 3:7 ). What they contributed to the glory and beauty of that district may be seen in Zechariah 11:1-2: It is no wonder, therefore, that Solomon used it for his palace and for the Temple. ( 1 Kings 7:2 ; 10:27 ; Psalms 92:12 ; Solomon 5:15 ; Isaiah 2:13 ; Ezekiel 31:3-6 ) The wood is of a reddish color, of bitter taste and aromatic odor, offensive to insects, and very durable. All rights reserved. While cedar was well adapted for beams ( ", Groser's Scrip. The growth of the cedar is typical of that of the righteous man (Psalms 92:12). Doubtless they are survivors of a forest which here once covered the mountain slopes for miles. The Bible has numerous references to the cedar, including its use in the Ark of the Covenant. In Numbers 24:6 --"as cedar-trees beside the waters"--the reference must, as is most probable, be purely poetical (see ALOES) or the 'arazim must … "Entry for 'CEDAR'". The cedar is often figuratively alluded to in the sacred Scriptures. Cedar oil, a kind of turpentine extracted from the wood, was used in ancient times as a preservative for parchments and garments. Cedar Timber: The wood of the cedar has always been highly prized--much more so than the sycamore (1 Kings 10:27; Isaiah 9:10). The grove is at the very upper part of the valley, about 15 miles from the sea, 6500 feet above that level, and its position is moreover above that of all other arboreous vegetation. It consists of a group of about 400 trees, among them some magnificent old patriarchs, which lies on the bare slopes of the Lebanon some 6,000 ft. above the sea. One of Solomon's most important buildings was known as "the house of the forest of Lebanon" (1 Kings 7:2; 10:17; 2 Chronicles 9:16), on account of the source of its materials. The branches grow out horizontally in successive tiers, each horizontal plane presenting, when looked at from above, the appearance of a green sward. Orr, James, M.A., D.D. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". CEDAR. e'rez, Gr. Though magnificent, these are by no means the largest of their kind. New International Version (NIV). As far as is at present known, the cedar of Lebanon is confined in Syria to one valley of the Lebanon range, viz., that of the Kedisha river, which flows from near the highest point of the range westward to the Mediterranean, and enters the sea at the port of Tripoli. It undoubtedly refers to the Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani). Some of the cedars of Amanus are quite 100 ft. high and the Himalayan cedar, Cedrus deodara, a variety of Cedrus libani, reaches a height of 150 ft. (See BOX-TREE. of The impressiveness of the cedar lies, however, not so much in its height and massive trunk, as in the wonderful lateral spread of its branches, which often exceeds its height. Cedar is twice mentioned as a substance for ritual cleansing. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The cones the trees bear are fascinating. The leaves are about an inch long, arranged in clusters; at first they are bright green, but they change with age to a deeper tint with a glaucous hue; the foliage is evergreen, the successive annual growths of leaves each lasting two years. They are in particular God's trees-- In Numbers 24:6--"as cedar-trees beside the waters"--the reference must, as is most probable, be purely poetical (see ALOES) or the 'arazim must signify some other kind of tree which flourishes beside water. Cedar [N] [S] (Heb. Starting as a rule about nine or ten ft. from the ground, the branches grow out horizontally and become very wide-spreading. It is impossible to estimate with any certainty their age, but they may be as much as 800, or even 1,000, years old. Proud member Cedar trees are everywhere mentioned with admiration in the Old Testament. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in Scripture. Orr, James, M.A., D.D. + Doubtless as a reminiscence of this the Syrians today call the cedar `ars er rubb, "the cedar of the Lord." It is certainly the monarch of the evergreens. of e'rez, Gr. The leaves are about an inch long, arranged in clusters; at first they are bright green, but they change with age to a deeper tint with a glaucous hue; the foliage is evergreen, the successive annual growths of leaves each lasting two years. They are the "glory of Lebanon" (Isaiah 35:2; 60:13). Here it is very generally considered that the cedar could not have been the wood of Cedrus libani, which so far as we know never grew in the wilderness, but that of some species of juniper--according to Post, Juniperis phoenicea, which may still be found in the wilderness of Edom. In Leviticus 14:4 the cleansed leper was sprinkled with the blood of a "clean bird" into which had been put "cedar- wood, and scarlet, and hyssop." Cedar timber was very much used in the construction of Solomon's temple and palace, the trees being cut in the Lebanon by Sidonians by orders of the king of Tyre--"Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire" (1 Kings 5:6-10). "There are groves of cedars above el-Ma`acir, Baruk, `Ain Zehaltah, Hadith, Besherri, and Sir" (Post, Flora, 751). The voice of Yahweh breaketh the cedars; Yea, Yahweh breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon" (Psalms 29:4,5). The Assyrian power is compared to--"a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, an high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs .... its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long" (Ezekiel 31:3-5). The wood is not attacked by insect pests; it is of a pleasant, warm red color, and is free from knots. + 3. Cedar timber was very much used in the construction of Solomon's temple and palace, the trees being cut in the Lebanon by Sidonians by orders of the king of Tyre--"Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire" (1 Kings 5:6-10). \CLEAN\.) Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. General Editor. It has remarkable lasting qualities. Perhaps a dozen of these are very old; the largest, 63 feet in girth and 70 feet high, is thought by some to have attained the age of 2000 years." \CLEAN\.) Solomon made the cedar the first of trees (1 Kings 4:33). Solomon used it in his Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, with cedar columns, beams, and roof ( 1 … Salem Media Group. They are not standing together. One of Solomon's most important buildings was known as "the house of the forest of Lebanon" (1 Kings 7:2; 10:17; 2 Chronicles 9:16), on account of the source of its materials. That cedars were once very abundant in the Lebanon is evident (1 Kings 6:9-18; 10:27). Doubtless they are survivors of a forest which here once covered the mountain slopes for miles. 1 Kings 6:9; Song of Solomon 1:17), boards (Song of Solomon 8:9), pillars (1 Kings 7:2) and ceilings (Jeremiah 22:14), it was suited as well for carved work, such as idols (Isaiah 44:14,15). se'-dar, se'-der ('erez, from Hebrew root meaning "to be firm"; kedros): The 'erez was in almost all the Old Testament references the true cedar, Cedrus libani, but the name may have been applied in a loose way to allied trees, such as junipers and pines. There are cedar trees today over 2,000 years of age. What they contributed to the glory and beauty of that district may be seen in Zechariah 11:1-2: se'-dar, se'-der ('erez, from Hebrew root meaning "to be firm"; kedros): The 'erez was in almost all the Old Testament references the true cedar, Cedrus libani, but the name may have been applied in a loose way to allied trees, such as junipers and pines. Proud member - "The trees of Yahweh are filled with moisture, The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted" (Psalms 104:16). In the Himalayas, cedar is called "deodar" from the Sanskrit word "devdar," meaning timber of the gods. - "Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. kedros, Lat. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. "The mighty conquerors of olden days, the despots of Assyria and the Pharaohs of Egypt, the proud and idolatrous monarchs of Judah, the Hebrew commonwealth itself, the war-like Ammonites of patriarchal times, and the moral majesty of the Messianic age, are all compared to the towering cedar, in its royal loftiness and supremacy ( Isaiah 2:13 ; Ezekiel 17:3 Ezekiel 17:22 Ezekiel 17:23 Ezekiel 31:3-9 ; Amos 2:9 ; Zechariah 11:1 Zechariah 11:2 ; Job 40:17 ; Psalms 29:5 ; 80:10 ; 92:12 , etc). Cedar is mentioned in sixty-five texts and “cedar tree” in six texts. It was stately ( Ezekiel 31:3-5 ), long-branched ( Psalms 80:10 ; 92:12 ; Ezekiel 31:6-9 ), odoriferous (Cant 4:11 ; Hosea 14:6 ), durable, and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings ( 1 Kings 6:9 1 Kings 6:10 ; 7:2 ; Jeremiah 22:14 ), for masts ( Ezekiel 27:5 ), and for carved images ( Isaiah 44:14 ). + Doubtless as a reminiscence of this the Syrians today call the cedar `ars er rubb, "the cedar of the Lord." The cones, 4 to 6 inches long, are oval or oblong-ovate, with a depression at times at the apex; they require two years to reach maturity and then, unlike other conifers, they remain attached to the tree, dropping out their scales bearing the seeds. It undoubtedly refers to the Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani). The cones, 4 to 6 inches long, are oval or oblong-ovate, with a depression at times at the apex; they require two years to reach maturity and then, unlike other conifers, they remain attached to the tree, dropping out their scales bearing the seeds. CEDAR (אֶ֫רֶז, H780, firmness; cedar work, אַרְזָה, H781). In Numbers 24:6--"as cedar-trees beside the waters"--the reference must, as is most probable, be purely poetical (see ALOES) or the 'arazim must signify some other kind of tree which flourishes beside water. The Lebanon range where the trees grew was N of Pal., and evidently in Solomon’s days the forests were extremely large. Bibliography Information It is full of resin (Psalms 92:14) which preserves it from rot and from worms. - "Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The Assyrian power is compared to--"a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, an high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs .... its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long" (Ezekiel 31:3-5). In Numbers 19:6 "cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet" were to be cast into the holocaust of the red heifer. It was also used for ships' masts (Ezekiel 27:5). 1915. The half a dozen highest specimens reach a height of between 70 and 80 ft., and have trunks of a circumference of 40 ft. or more. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. (For the symbolical meaning see 1 Kings 6:9; Song of Solomon 1:17), boards (Song of Solomon 8:9), pillars (1 Kings 7:2) and ceilings (Jeremiah 22:14), it was suited as well for carved work, such as idols (Isaiah 44:14,15). CEDAR (אֶ֫רֶז, H780, firmness; cedar work, אַרְזָה, H781).