Thistles Thorns
Thistles Thorns
Thistles Thorns. General terms for any spiney plant. Such plants are characteristic of arid and desert regions, Some of these were brambles, briers, thorny bushes, small trees, weeds, and prickly herbs. They grew abundantly in Palestine and other Bible lands, especially along roadsides, in fields, and in dry places.
The most noted use of thorns in the Bible was the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus on the cross ( Mat 27:29). This was done by the Romans as a form of mockery.
Some of the thorns and thistles were annuals, scattering their seed in autumn. The industrious farmer would destroy the plants before he seeded ( Mat 13:7). Many of them were used as fuel for ovens ( Psa 58:9; Ecc 7:6; Isa 33:12).
Thorny shrubs were used as hedges to guard fields and vineyards ( Pro 15:19; Mar 12:1). The prophet Micah declared that even the most upright person is “sharper [more destructive] than a thorn hedge” ( Mic 7:4).