Cedar
CEDAR
A noble evergreen-tree greatly celebrated in the Scriptures, Psa 92:12 Eze 31:3-6 . These trees are remarkably thick and tall; some among them are from thirty-five to forty feet in girth, and ninety feet in height. The cedar-tree shoots out branches at ten of twelve feet from the ground, large and almost horizontal; its leaves are an inch long, slender and straight, growing in tufts. The tree bears a small cone, like that of the pine. This celebrated tree is not peculiar to mount Lebanon, but grows also upon mounts Amanus and Taurus in Asia Minor, and in other parts of the Levant, but does not elsewhere reach the size and height of those on Lebanon. It has also been cultivated in the gardens of Europe; two venerable individuals of this species exist at Chiswick in England; and there is a very beautiful one in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The beauty of the cedar consists in the proportion and symmetry of its wide-spreading branches and cone-like top. The gum, which exudes both from the trunk and the cones or fruits, is soft like balsam of Mecca. Every thing about this tree has a strong balsamic odor; and hence the whole grove is so pleasant and fragrant, that it is delightful to walk in it, Son 4:11 Hos 14:6 . The wood is peculiarly adapted to building, because it is not subject to decay, nor to be eaten of worms; hence it was much used for rafters, and for boards with which to cover houses and form the floors and ceilings of rooms. It was of a red color, beautiful, solid, and free from knots. The palace of Persepolis, the temple at Jerusalem, and Solomon’s palace, were all in this way built with cedar; and “the house of the forest of Lebanon,” was perhaps so called from the quantity of this wood used in its construction, 1Ki 7:2 10:17.Of the forests of cedars which once covered Lebanon, comparatively few are now left, Isa 2:13 10:19; though there are still many scattered trees in various parts, resembling the genuine cedar. The largest and most ancient trees, generally thought to be the only ones, are found in a grove, lying a little off from the road which crosses mount Lebanon from Baalbek to Tripole, at some distance below the summit of the mountain on the western side, at the foot indeed of the highest summit or ridge of Lebanon. This grove consists of a few very old trees, perhaps as old as the time of Christ, intermingled with 400 or 500 younger ones. See LEBANON.Besides the true cedar of Lebanon, the word cedar in the Bible appears to mean sometimes the juniper and sometimes the pine.
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Cedar
[éréz, kedros, cedrus].
A coniferous tree frequently mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrew éréz, like the corresponding Arabic arz, the Greek (kedros), the Latin cedrus, or the English cedar, may be applied to several different species of conifers, but usually it designates the celebrated cedar of Libanus (Cedrus Libani). In Lev., xiv, 4, 6, 49, 52, and Num., xix, 6, the cedar of Libanus seems out of the question, as the tree must be one whose wood the Israelites could readily obtain during their sojourn in the desert, which is plainly not the case with the cedar of Libanus. Juniperus Phoenicea, a species of juniper which is found in the Arabah, and probably also in the adjoining Sinaitic Peninsula, and whose wood, like that of the cedar, possesses aromatic properties, is most likely the tree meant in the texts. In Num., xxiv, 6, too, the cedar of Libanus, which thrives best on high, dry ground, can hardly be intended, unless as has been suggested, the terms of comparison in the last two members have been accidentally transposed. In all the other passages the cedar of Libanus is referred to, though in a few cases a doubt might be raised as to whether it is meant exclusively. The cedar is described as a tree “of a high stature” (Ezekiel 31:3; Isaiah 2:13; 37:24; 2 Kings 19:23), whose “height was exalted above all the trees of the country” (Ezekiel 31:5; cf. Judges 9:15; 1 Kings 4:33; 2 Kings 14:9; Amos 2:9). It is “the cedar of God” (ps. lxxix, 11), the tree of the Lord which He has planted [Ps. civ, 16 (Hebr.)]. It is the type of strength [Ps. xxviii, 5; Job, xl, 12 (Hebr. 17)], the symbol of lofty pride (Psalm 36:35; Isaiah 2:13), the emblem of greatness and power (Jeremiah 22:7; Zechariah 11:2) and of surpassing excellence (Ecclus., xxiv, 17). It is the “glory of Libanus” (Isaiah 60:13), “most beautiful for his greatness and for the spreading of his branches” (Ezekiel 31:3, 6, 7).
All this is verified in the cedar of Libanus, which is the stateliest and most majestic tree of Palestine. It often reaches a height of 100 feet and more, and the girth of the trunk in old trees may exceed 40 feet. The branches, with their numerous ramifications, spread out horizontally and are of such size that not infrequently the spread of the tree exceeds its height. The leaves are dark green and grow in tufts like those of the larch, but unlike these they persist through the winter. The wood is reddish-white, fragrant, and close-grained, at least in older trees. Moreover, by reason of the resinous oil with which it is impregnated, it is proof against dry-rot and worms, and in consequence is extremely durable. Pieces found by Layard in the ruins of the palace of Assurnasirpal were still in a good state of preservation after 2700 years. These qualities caused it to be much sought for building purposes. It was extensively used in the palaces built by David and Solomon, and especially in the first Temple (2 Samuel 5:11; 7:2; 1 Kings 5:6 sq.; 6:9 sq.; 7:2 sq.) It was also used in the second Temple (Ezra 3:7). Because of its close grain and lasting qualities, statues and images were fashioned out of it (Isaiah 44:14, 15; cf. Pliny, “Hist. Nat.”, XIII, 2). Young trees were made into masts (Ezekiel 27:5). The statement that the cedar is unsuitable for masting rests on insufficient observation; in dense growths trees suitable for masts are not uncommon. There is no reason, then, why, in the last text, “cedars from Libanus” should be referred to the Aleppo pine, which, moreover, is not special to Libanus and could have been obtained by the Tyrians nearer home. The large forests of cedar-trees which once adorned Libanus, and from which the Hebrews drew the wood, have almost entirely disappeared. They were laid under contribution by Phoenician and Hebrew, Egyptian and Assyrian, Greek and Roman, till only a few (eleven) small groups of trees remain. The most important and best-known is situated below the summit of Dahr el-Qodîb, the highest peak of the chain, four miles from Besherre. Here are found about 400 trees, among which are some ten venerable patriarchs probably about 2000 years old, more remarkable, however, for their girth of trunk than for their height. Extensive forests exist farther north in Mt. Amanus and Mt. Taurus. There are two other varieties of cedar, considered by some botanists as distinct species; namely, Cedrus deodara, or deodar-tree, a native of the Himalayas, and Cedrus Atlantica, growing in the Atlas mountains.
The cedar is often used in Scripture for figures and comparisons. Besides the uses already indicated the following may be mentioned. Because of its luxuriant growth and length of life it is an emblem of prosperity (Ps. xci, 13), and because of its stateliness it is a figure of beauty and majesty (Cant., v, 15; Ecclus., I, 13). It is also used as the symbol of the Messias and His kingdom (Ezekiel 17:22 sq.).
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POST, Flora of Syria (Beirut, 1896), 751: IDEM in HASTINGS, Dict. Of the Bib., I, 364; TRISTRAM, Nat. Hist. Of the Bibl. (London, 1889), 343 sq.; HOOKER in Nat. Hist. Rev. (1862), 11 – 18; ANDERLIND, in Zeitschr. D. D. Pal. Ver. (1884), 89 sq.; BOISSIER, flora Orient. (Basle and Geneva, 1867-88), V, 699; MISLIN, Les lieux saints (Paris, 1858), I, 337; LEVESQUE in VIG., Dict. De la Bible, II, 374; FONCK in Lexicon Bibl., I, 799.
F. BECHTEL Transcribed by Ted Rego
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Cedar (1)
[Heb. Qedar; Gr. Kedar].
The name of the second son of Ismael (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29); also of an Arabian tribe descended from him, and of the territory occupied by it. This tribe is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible and in Assyrian inscriptions; in these latter the people is called Qidrai and the country Qidri. The Cedarenes are represented as a nomadic people differing but little from the modern desert-dwelling Arabs. They lived in tents, which are called black no doubt because, like those of the bedouins, they were made of goat’s and camel’s hair (Jeremiah 49:29; Song of Songs 1:4; Hebrews 5); they were gathered in hacerim or encampments protected merely by a rough enclosure like the douars of the tribes of North Africa (Isaiah 42:11, Hebrew); they possessed many camels and much other cattle, in which they carried on a trade with Tyre (Jeremiah 49:29; Ezekiel 27:21); they were a restless, warlike people and skillful archers (Psalm 119:5 sq.; Isaiah 21:17). These frequent references as well as the use of Cedar for Arabia and the Arabians in general [Cant., i, 4 (5); Ps. Cxix, 5], show that before they were crushed by the Assyrian power the Cedarenes were a people of considerable importance. In the Assyrian inscriptions they are associated with certain kings of the Arabs (Aribi). From the fact that Hazael, one of them, is once called King of Cedar in cylinder B of Assurbanipal, the conclusion has been drawn that these kings were Cedarenes, and that towards the middle of the seventh century B.C. Cedar held the hegemony among the tribes of the Syro-Arabian desert — the Arabs of the Bible and of the inscriptions. However, as a certain Ammuladi is called King of Cedar, while his contemporary Ya’uta’ or Uaite’ is styled King of the Arabs, it is probable that the Cedarenes were merely allies of these kings. The prophecy of Isaias, “within a year . . . . all the glory of Cedar shall be taken away” (xxi, 16), probably refers to an expedition of Sennacherib against Hazael, when the latter’s gods were carried by the conqueror to Ninive. Still, Cedar may possible be used as synonymous with Arabs, in which case the prophecy may refer to the severe punishment inflicted by Sargon on some Arabian tribes.
However this may be, the Cedarenes met with disastrous reverses at the hands of Assurbanipal. When Samas-sum-ukin rebelled against his brother, Ya’uta’ or Uaite’, the son of Hazael, sided with him and sent a force to his aid under the Cedarene generals Abiyate’ and Aimu, while he and Ammuladi, King of Cedar, invaded and plundered Syria. After the taking of Babylon and the death of Samas-sum-ukin, Assurbanipal turned his attention to the Arabs. Uaite’ and Ammuladi were defeated in a series of engagements. Uaite’ fled to the Nabataeans for refuge, but was given up to the Assyrians; Ammuladi was captured in Moab. Both were carried to Ninive and chained with dogs near the principal gate. In the place of Uaite’ Assurbanipal appointed Abiyate’ who had led the Arab contingent sent to help Samas-sum-ukin but who, after being defeated, had surrendered and obtained pardon. Abiyate’ however, in conjunction with another Uaite’, for whom he seems to have resigned, soon organized a new revolt, in which the Nabataeans now also joined. Assurbanipal, hastening to the scene of rebellion by the most direct but most difficult road across the Syrian desert, crushed and almost annihilated the rebel tribes. He carried with him to Ninive a multitude of prisoners, among them Abiyate’, Aimu, and Uaite’, and an immense number of camels, oxen, and other cattle. The Cedarenes met with further reverses under Nabuchodonosor (Jeremiah 49:28). They never fully recovered from these heavy blows and henceforth history is silent concerning them, though their name is mentioned till the fifth century A.D. While there is no doubt that the Cedarenes dwelt in the Syro-Arabian desert, known to the ancients as Arabia Deserta, there is some diversity of opinion about their exact location. As both in the Bible and in the inscriptions of Assurbanipal they are mentioned in connection with the Nabataeans [Heb. Nebaioth; Assyr. Nabaite], they most probably lived in close proximity to these. Pliny, in fact, states (Hist. Nat., v, 12) that the Cedrei, who doubtless are the Cedarenes, were neighbours of the Nabataeans. Now before the Persian period the Nabataeans were settled south-east of Idumaea, on the northern limits of the Hidjaj, with Egra as their capital. We may therefore conclude that the Cedarenes were located in the south-western part of the Arabia Desert, or of the modern Hamad, extending perhaps into Arabia proper. They would thus have been sufficiently remote for a residence among them to convey the idea of distant exile (Ps. cxix, 5), and yet near enough to be well known to the Hebrews. Theodoret mentions (Patr. Lat., LXXX, 1878) that in his time (fifth century A.D.) They dwelt near Babylon. The religion of the Cedarenes, like that of all pre-Islamitic Arabs, was Sabianism, or worship of the heavenly bodies. Their chief divinity was Atarsamaim, i.e. “Atar [Athar-Astarte] of the heavens”. In Judith, i, 8, instead of “Cedar” we must probably read “Galaad” with the Septuagint.
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SMITH, Hist. Of Assurbanipal (London, 1871); 256 sq., 283 sq.; cuneif. Inscript. Of West Asia, III,pl. 24 -28; Records of the Past (ser. I), I, 93 sq., III, 115; VIGOUROUX, La Bible et les découv. Mod. (Paris, 1889), IV, 293 sq.; DELITZSCH, Wo lag das Paraies, 296 sq., GLASER, Sizze der Gesch. Arabiens (Berlin, 1901); II, 267 sq.; MARGOLIOUTH in HAST., Dict. Bib., II, 832; HALEVY in Dict. De la Bible, I, 862; LEGENDRE, IBID., ii, 357.
F. BECHTEL Transcribed by Ted Rego
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Cedar
Cedar. An evergreen tree which sometimes grows more than 30 meters (100 feet) tall with a trunk circumference of 12 to 15 meters (40-50 feet). It grows in western Asia, the Himalayas, and Cyprus as well as Lebanon.
The cedar’s fragrant wood was rot-resistant and knot-free, making it ideal for building purposes ( 2Sa 5:11; 1Ki 6:9), ship building ( Eze 27:5), and fashioning idols ( Isa 44:14). The reference to cedar in ( Lev 14:4) and ( Num 19:6) is generally understood to be the juniper which grew in the Sinai. Also see Fir; Pine.
Fuente: Plants Animals Of Bible
Cedar
(, erez, from its deep root or compressed form; Gr. ) occurs in numerous places of Scripture, but authors are not agreed on the exact meaning of the term. Celsius (Hierobot. 1:106, sq.), for instance, conceives that it is a general name for the pine tribe, to the exclusion of the cedar of Lebanon, which he considers to be indicated by the word berosh, or “FIR.” The majority of authors, however, are of opinion that the cedar of Lebanon (Pinus cedrus, or Cedrus Libani of botanists) is alone intended. This opinion is confirmed by the Septuagint and Vulgate, which uniformly (as in the English version) render the word by , cedrus; and also by the fact that the Arabic name for the cedar of Lebanon is arz, evidently cognate with erez. The following statements are intended to be discriminaitive on the subject. SEE BOTANY.
1. The earliest notice of the cedar is in Lev 14:4; Lev 14:6, where we are told that Moses commanded the leper that was to be cleansed to make an offering of two sparrows, cedar-wood, wool dyed in scarlet, and hyssop; and in Lev 14:49; Lev 14:51-52, the houses in which the lepers dwell are directed to be purified with the same materials. Again, in Num 19:6, Moses and Aaron are commanded to sacrifice a red heifer: “And the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet.” Here the proper cedar can hardly be meant, as it does not grow in Egypt, and its wood is scarcely aromatic. The variety called juniper is evidently intended, the wood and berries of which were anciently applied to such purposes. The term cedar is applied by Pliny to the lesser cedar, oxycedrus, a Phoenician juniper, which is still common on the Lebanon, and whose wood is aromatic. The wood or fruit of this tree was anciently burnt by way of perfume, especially at funerals (Pliny, H. N. 13:1, 5; Ovid, Fast. 2:558; Homer, Od. 5:60). The tree is common in Egypt and Nubia, and also in Arabia, in the Wdy Mousa, where the greater cedar is not found. It is obviously likely that the use of the more common tree should be enjoined while the people were still in the wilderness, rather than of the uncommon (Shaw, Travels, p. 464; Burckhardt, Syria, p. 430; Russell, Nubia, p. 425). SEE JUNIPER.
At a later period we have notices of the various uses to which the wood of the erez was applied, as 2Sa 5:11; 2Sa 7:2-7; 1Ki 5:6; 1Ki 5:8; 1Ki 5:10; 1Ki 6:9-10; 1Ki 6:15-16; 1Ki 6:18; 1Ki 6:20; 1Ki 7:2-3; 1Ki 7:7; 1Ki 7:11-12; 1Ki 9:11; 1Ki 10:27; 1Ch 17:6; 2Ch 2:8; 2Ch 9:27; 2Ch 25:18. In these passages we are informed of the negotiations with Hiram, king of Tyre, for the supply of cedar-trees out of Lebanon, and of the uses to which the timber was applied in the construction of the Temple, and of the king’s palace: he “covered the house with beams and boards of cedar; “the walls of the house within were covered with boards of cedar:” there were ” cedar pillars,” and “beams of cedar,” and the altar was of cedar. But in these passages of Scripture, likewise, the common cedar cannot well be signified, as the wood is neither hard nor strong enough for building purposes. Other kindred varieties of trees, however, doubtless existed in the same locality with the cedar of Lebanon, which were suitable in these respects, as well as on account of beauty and durability, for architecture. Perhaps nothing more is meant than the pine-tree, which is known to grow on Matthew Lebanon. This opinion seems to be confirmed by Eze 27:5 : “They have made all thy ship- boards of fir-trees of Senir; they have taken cedar from Lebanon to make masts for thee;” for it is not probable that any other tree than the common pine would be taken for masts, when this was procurable. Also in the second Temple, rebuilt under Zerubbabel, the timber employed was cedar from Lebanon (Ezr 3:7; 1Es 4:48; 1Es 5:55). Cedar is also said by Josephus to have been used by Herod in the roof of his temple (War, 5:5, 2). The roof of the rotunda of the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem is said to have been of cedar, and that of the church of the Virgin at Bethlehem to have been of cedar or cypress (Williams, Holy City, 2:202; Quaresmius, Eluc. Terr. Sanct. 6:12; Tobler, Bethlehem, p. 110, 112). SEE PINE.
It may here also be remarked that the Syriac and Hebrews interpreters generally, at Isa 41:19; Isa 60:13, render the word teshshur (, literally erectness), translated in our version (after the Vulg. and Chaldee) “box-tree,” by sherbin-cedar, a species of cedar distinguished by the smallness of its cones and the upward direction of its branches (see Rosenmller, Aterthumsk. IV, 1:292). Another form of this word, ashur, occurring in Eze 27:6, has there been mistranslated in our version by “Ashurites,” where the clause “the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory,” is literally, “thy benches they make of ivory, the daughter of the ashur-wood,” i.e. inlaid or bordered with it. For a full account of the various readings of that passage, see Rosenmller’s Schol. in Eze 27:6. The most satisfactory translation appears to be that of Bochart (Geog. Sac. 1, 3, 100:5, 180) and Rosenmller: “Thy benches have they made of ivory, inlaid with box-wood from the isles of Chittim.” Now it is probable that the isles of Chittim may refer to any of the islands or maritime districts of the Mediterranean. Bochart believes Corsica is intended in this passage; the Vulg. has “de insulis Italiae.” Corsica was celebrated for its box-trees (Plin. 16:16; Theophrast. H. P. 3:15, 5), and it is well known that the ancients understood the art of veneering wood, especially box-wood, with ivory, tortoiseshell, etc. (Virg. Aen. 10:137). However, Celsius (Hierob. 1:80) and Sprengel (Hist. Rei Herb. 1:267) identify the sherbin with the Pinus cedrus (Linn.), the cedar of Lebanon. SEE BOX-TREE. If, on the other hand, we consider some of the remaining passages of Scripture, we cannot fail to perceive that they forcibly apply to the cedar of Lebanon, and to the cedar of Lebanon only. Thus, in Psa 92:12, it is said, “The righteous shall flourish like a palmtree, and spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.” But Ezekiel (chap. 31) is justly adduced as giving the most magnificent, and, at the same time, the most graphic description of this celebrated tree (comp. Homer, Il. 13:359; Virgil, AEn. 2:626; 5:447; Horace, Od. 4:6). The other principal passages in which the cedar is mentioned are 1Ki 4:33; 2Ki 19:23; Job 40, 17; Psa 29:5; Psa 80:10; Psa 104:16; Psa 148:9; Son 1:17; Son 5:15; Son 8:9; Isa 2:13; Isa 9:10; Isa 14:8; Isa 37:24; Isa 41:19; Isa 44:14; Jer 22:7; Jer 22:14; Jer 22:23; Eze 17:3; Eze 17:22-23; Amo 2:9; Zep 2:14; Zec 11:1-2; and in the Apocrypha, Sir 24:13; Sirach 1, 12. SEE TREE.
The conditions to be fulfilled in order to answer all the descriptions in the Bible of a cedar-tree are that it should be tall (Isa 2:13), spreading (Eze 31:3), abundant (1Ki 5:6; 1Ki 5:10), fit for beams, pillars, and boards (1Ki 6:10; 1Ki 6:15; 1Ki 7:2), masts of ships (Eze 27:5), and for carved work, as images (Isa 44:14). To these may be added qualities ascribed to cedar-wood by profane writers. Pliny speaks of the cedar of Crete, Africa, and Syria as being most esteemed and imperishable. In Egypt and Syria ships were built of cedar, and in Cyprus a tree was cut down 120 feet long and proportionately thick. The durability of cedar was proved, he says, by the duration of the cedar roof of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, which had lasted 400 years. At Utica the beams, made of Numidian cedar, of a temple of Apollo had lasted 1178 years! (Pliny, Hist. Nat. 13:5; 16:40). Vitruvius (2:9) speaks of the antiseptic properties of the oil of cedar (comp. Josephus, Ant. 8:5,2; Sandys, Travels, p. 163, 167). The corresponding Arabic word, arz, is used to express not only the cedar of Lebanon, but also at Aleppo the Pinus sylvestris, which is abundant both near that city and on Lebanon. A similar statement will apply also to the Thuja articulata of Mount Atlas, which is called by the Arabs el-arz, a name that led to the mistake as to the material of the Cordova roof from its similarity to the Spanish alerce (Niebuhr, Descr. de l’Arabie, p. 131, etc., and Questions, 90:169, etc.; Pliny, H. N., 13:11, 15; Hay, West Barb. 100, 4:49; Gesenius, Thes. p. 148). Besides the trees which belong to the one grove, known by the name of “the Cedars,” groves and green woods of cedar are found in other parts of the range (Buckingham, Travels among the Arabs, p. 468; Eng. Cyclopaedia, s.v. Syria ; Robinson, new ed. of Res. 3:593; Burckhardt, Syria, p. 19; Loudon, Arboretum, 4:2406, 2407; Celsius, Hicrobotan. 1:89; Belon, Obs. de arboribus conferis, 2:162, 165, 166). The remains of wood used in the Nineveh palaces were supposed by Layard to be cedar, a supposition confirmed by the inscriptions, which show that the Assyrian kings imported cedar from Lebanon. This wood is now proved by microscopic examination to be yew (Layard, Nin. and Bab. p. 356, 357; Loudon, ut sup. p. 2431). SEE FIR.
2. The modern CEDAR OF LEBANON is well known to be a widelyspreading tree, generally from 50 to 80 feet high, and, when standing singly, often covering a space with its branches the diameter of which is nauch greater than its height. The horizontal branches, when the tree is exposed on all sides, are very large in proportion to the trunk, being disposed in distinct layers or stages, and the distance to which they extend diminishes as they approach the top, where they form a pyramidal head, broad in proportion to its height. The branchlets are disposed in a flat, fan- like manner on the branches (see Shelby, Forest Trees, p. 522). The leaves, produced in tufts, are straight, about one inch long, slender, nearly cylindrical, tapering to a point, and are on short footstalks. The male catkins are single, solitary, of a reddish hue, about two inches long, terminal, and turning upwards. The female catkins are short, erect, roundish, and rather oval; they change after fecundation into oval oblong cones, which, when they approach maturity, Jecome from 21 inches to 5 inches long. Every part of the cone abounds with resin, which sometimes exudes from between the scales. As its leaves remain two years on the branches, and as every spring contributes a fresh supply, the tree is an evergreen, in this resembling other members of the fir family, which, the larches excepted, retain the same suit for a year or upwards, and drop the old foliage so gradually as to render the “fall of the leaf” in their case imperceptible. 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.
The grove is at the very upper part of the valley, about 15 miles from the sea, 6000 feet above that level, and their position is moreover above that of all other arboreous vegetation. Belon, who traveled in Syria about 1550, found the cedars about 28 in number, in a valley on the sides of the mountains. Rauwolf, who visited the cedars in 1574, “could tell no more but 24, that stood round about in a circle; and two others, the branches whereof are quite decayed from age.” De la Roque, in 1688, found but 20. Maundrell, in 1696, found them reduced to 16; and Dr. Pococke, who visited Syria in 1744 and 1745, discovered only 15. “The wood,” he says, “does not differ from white deal in appearance, nor does it seem to be harder. It has a fine smell, but is not so fragrant as the juniper of America, which is commonly called cedar, and it also falls short of it in beauty.” M. Lamartine, in 1832, says, “These trees diminish in every succeeding age. There are now but 7. These, however, from their size and general appearance, may fairly be presumed to have existed in biblical times. Around these ancient witnesses of ages long since past there still remains a little grove of yellow cedars, appearing to me to form a group of from 400 to 500 trees or shrubs. Every year, in the month of June, the inhabitants of Beshierai, of Eden, of Kandbin, and the other neighboring valleys and villages, climb up to these cedars and celebrate mass at their feet.” Dr. Graham gives the following measurements of the twelve largest cedars: the circumferences of the trunk at the base respectively 40 feet, 38, 47, 18?, 30, 22, 28, 25, 33, 29, 22, 29; the largest having thus a diameter of nearly 16 feet (Jordan and the Rhine, p. 26). Within a few years past a chapel has been erected there (Robinson, Later Res. p. 590, 591; Stanley, Sinai and Pal. p. 140). See Trew’s treatises, Cedror. Libani Hist. and Apologia de cedro Lib. (Norimb. 1757 and 1767); Penny Cyclop. s.v. Abies; Thomson, Land and Book, 1:292 sq.; especially Dr. Hooker, in tha Nat. History Review, Jan. 1862, p. 11-18; and Mr. Jessup, in the Hours at Home, March and April, 1867.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Cedar
(Heb. e’rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched (Ps. 80:10; 92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11; Hos. 14:6), durable, and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings (1 Kings 6:9, 10; 7:2; Jer. 22:14), for masts (Ezek. 27:5), and for carved images (Isa. 44:14).
It grew very abundantly in Palestine, and particularly on Lebanon, of which it was “the glory” (Isa. 35:2; 60:13). Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar trees from Lebanon for various purposes connected with the construction of the temple and the king’s palace (2 Sam. 5:11; 7:2, 7; 1 Kings 5:6, 8, 10; 6:9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 20; 7:2, 3, 7, 11, 12; 9:11, etc.). Cedars were used also in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:7).
Of the ancient cedars of Lebanon there remain now only some seven or eight. They are not standing together. But beside them there are found between three hundred and four hundred of younger growth. They stand in an amphitheatre fronting the west, about 6,400 feet above the level of the sea.
The cedar is often figuratively alluded to in the sacred Scriptures. “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 (Isa. 2:13; Ezek. 17:3, 22, 23, 31: 3-9; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1, 2; Job 40:17; Ps. 29:5; 80:10; 92:12, etc).”, Groser’s Scrip. Nat. Hist. (See BOX-TREE
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Cedar
‘Erez, from ‘aIraz, “coiled” or “compressed,” a deeply rooted tree. According to Scripture, tall (Isa 2:13), spreading (Eze 31:3), fit for beams, boards, and pillars (1Ki 6:10; 1Ki 6:15; 1Ki 7:2), masts (Eze 27:5), and carved work as images (Isa 44:14). The timber for the second temple, as for Solomon’s, was cedar (Ezr 3:7). As our modern cedar is hardly fit for masts, and is of a worse quality than inferior deal, probably by the “cedar” of Scripture is meant Scotch fir (Pinus sylvestris). In Eze 27:3 the Septuagint translate “masts of fir,” and by “fir” is meant cypress. Moreover the deodara cedar (the tree of God, Psa 104:16, the sacred tree of the Hindus, of which they construct their temples) has the durability wanting in our modern cedar of Lebanon.
The Nineveh inscriptions state that the palaces were in part constructed of cedar; this proves on microscopic examination to be yew; so that by “cedar of Lebanon” the wood of more than one tree is meant, the pine cedar, Scotch fir, yew, deodara. Cedar was also used in purification, probably the oxycedrus abounding in Egypt, Arabia, and the wady Mousa; indeed, the greater cedar not being found there, the tree meant in the laws of purification must have been a distinct one (Lev 14:4; Num 19:6). It was anciently burnt as a perfume at funerals. In a hollow of Lebanon, where no other trees are near, about 400 cedars of Lebanon stand alone, 3,000 feet below the summit and 6,400 above the sea. Only eleven or twelve are very large and old.
This forest is regarded by the neighboring people with superstitious reverence. Sennacherib had desired to “go up to the sides of Lebanon and cut down the tall cedars thereof” (2Ki 19:23), but was baffled by the interposition of Jehovah. Another Assyrian king accomplished it, as an inscription at Nimrud states in recording his conquests in N. Syria. But God in retributive justice “consumed the glory of the Assyrian’s forest” figuratively; fulfilling His threat, “the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few that a child may write them” (Isa 10:18-19). Solomon’s 80,000 hewers must have inflicted such havoc that the cedar forest never recovered it completely. The cedar of Lebanon is an evergreen, its leaves remaining on for two years, and every spring contributing a fresh supply.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Cedar
CEDAR (erez).The finest of the trees of Lebanon, the principal constituent of its glory (Isa 35:2; Isa 60:13); it was noted for its strength (Psa 29:5), its height (2Ki 19:23) and its majesty (1Ki 4:33, 2Ki 14:9, Zec 11:1-2). Its wood was full of resin (Psa 104:16), and, largely on that account, was one of the most valuable kinds of timber for building, especially for internal fittings. It was exceedingly durable, being not readily infected with worms, and took a high polish (cf. 1Ki 10:27, Son 1:17, Jer 22:14). It was suitable, too, for carved work (Isa 44:14-15). In all these respects the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani) answers to the requirements. Though but a dwarf in comparison with the Indian cedar, it is the most magnificent tree in Syria; it attains a height of from 80 to 100 feet, and spreads out its branches horizontally so as to give a beautiful shade (Eze 31:3); it is evergreen, and has characteristic egg-shaped cones. The great region of this cedar is now the Cilician Taurus Mountains beyond Mersina, but small groves survive in places in the Lebanon. The most famous of these is that at Kadisha, where there are upwards of 400 trees, some of great age. In a few references erez does not mean the Cedrus Libani, but some other conifer. This is specially the case where cedar-wood is used in the ritual of cleansing after defilement by contact with a leper (Lev 14:4) or a dead body (Num 19:6). Probably erez here is a species of juniper, Juniperus Sabina, which grows in the wilderness. The reference in Num 24:6 to cedar trees beside the waters can hardly apply to the Lebanon cedar, which flourishes best on bare mountain slopes.
E. W. G. Masterman.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Cedar
sedar, seder (, ‘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. In Num 24:6 – as cedar-trees beside the waters – the reference must, as is most probable, be purely poetical (see ALOES) or the ‘arazm must signify some other kind of tree which flourishes beside water.
1. Cedar for Ritual Cleansing
Cedar is twice mentioned as a substance for ritual cleansing. In Lev 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. In Num 19:6 cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet were to be cast into the holocaust of the red heifer. (For the symbolical meaning see CLEAN.) 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.
2. Cedar Trees in the Old Testament
Cedar trees are everywhere mentioned with admiration in the Old Testament. Solomon made the cedar the first of trees (1Ki 4:33). They are the glory of Lebanon (Isa 35:2; Isa 60:13). The most boastful threat of Sennacherib was that he would cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon (Isa 37:24). They were strong, as is implied in –
The voice of Yahweh is powerful;…
The voice of Yahweh breaketh the cedars;
Yea, Yahweh breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon (Psa 29:4, Psa 29:5).
The cedars are tall – whose height was like the height of the cedars – (Amo 2:9; 2Ki 19:23); majestic (2Ki 14:9), and excellent (Son 5:15). 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 (Eze 31:3-5). They are in particular God’s trees –
The trees of Yahweh are filled with moisture,
The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted (Psa 104:16).
Doubtless as a reminiscence of this the Syrians today call the cedar ars er rubb, the cedar of the Lord. The growth of the cedar is typical of that of the righteous man (Psa 92:12).
That cedars were once very abundant in the Lebanon is evident (1Ki 6:9-18; 1Ki 10:27). What they contributed to the glory and beauty of that district may be seen in Zec 11:1-2 :
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the glorious (Revised Version margin) ones are destroyed:
Wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest is come down.
3. Cedar Timber
The wood of the cedar has always been highly prized – much more so than the sycamore (1Ki 10:27; Isa 9:10). David had a house of cedar built for him by Hiram, king of Tyre (2Sa 5:11), and he prepared cedar-trees without number for the temple which his son was to build (1Ch 22:4). 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 (1Ki 5:6-10). One of Solomon’s most important buildings was known as the house of the forest of Lebanon (1Ki 7:2; 1Ki 10:17; 2Ch 9:16), on account of the source of its materials. While cedar was well adapted for beams ( 1Ki 6:9; Son 1:17), boards (Son 8:9), pillars (1Ki 7:2) and ceilings (Jer 22:14), it was suited as well for carved work, such as idols (Isa 44:14, Isa 44:15). It was also used for ships’ masts (Eze 27:5).
4. Cedars in Modern Syria
The Cedrus libani still survives in the mountains of Syria and flourishes in much greater numbers in the Taurus mountains. There are groves of cedars above el-Maasir, Baruk, Ain Zehaltah, Hadith, Besherri, and Sr (Post, Flora, 751). Of these the grove at Besherri is of world-wide renown. 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. Doubtless they are survivors of a forest which here once covered the mountain slopes for miles. 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. It is impossible to estimate with any certainty their age, but they may be as much as 800, or even 1,000, years old. Though magnificent, these are by no means the largest of their kind. 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. 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. The branches grow out horizontally in successive tiers, each horizontal plane presenting, when looked at from above, the appearance of a green sward. 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. 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.
The wood of the cedar, specially grown under the conditions of its natural habitat, is hard, close grained, and takes a high polish. It is full of resin (Psa 92:14) which preserves it from rot and from worms. Cedar oil, a kind of turpentine extracted from the wood, was used in ancient times as a preservative for parchments and garments.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Cedar
Fig. 120Cedar of Lebanon
There is a difference of opinion among authors whether the original term thus translated in the numerous passages of Scripture where it occurs is always used in the same signification; that is, whether it is always intended to specify only one particular kind of the pine tribe, or whether it is not sometimes used generically. In this latter opinion we are disposed to concur, for if we proceed to compare the several passages of Scripture in which the word occurs, we shall equally find that one plant is not strictly applicable to them all. The earliest notice of the cedar is in Lev 14:4; Lev 14:6, where we are told that Moses commanded the leper that was to be cleansed to make an offering of two sparrows, cedar-wood, wool dyed in scarlet, and hyssop; and in Lev 14:49; Lev 14:51-52, the houses in which the lepers dwell are directed to be purified with the same materials. Again, in Num 19:6, Moses and Aaron are commanded to sacrifice a red heifer: ‘And the priest shall take cedar-wood and hyssop and scarlet.’ As remarked by Lady Callcott (Script. Herbal, p. 92), ‘The cedar was not a native of Egypt, nor could it have been procured in the desert without great difficulty; but the juniper is most plentiful there, and takes deep root in the crevices of the rocks of Mount Sinai.’ That some, at least, of the cedars of the ancients were a species of juniper is evident from the passages we have quoted; the wood of most of them is more or less aromatic. The ancients, it may be remarked, threw the berries of the juniper on funeral piles, to protect the departing spirit from evil influences, and offered its wood in sacrifice to the infernal gods, because they believed its presence was acceptable to them. They also burned it in their dwelling-houses to keep away demons. It is curious that, in the remote parts of the Himalayan Mountains, another species of this genus is similarly employed.
At a later period we have notices of the various uses to which the wood of the cedar was applied, as 2Sa 5:11; 2Sa 7:2-7; 1Ki 5:6; 1Ki 5:8; 1Ki 5:10; 1Ki 6:9-10; 1Ki 6:15-16; 1Ki 6:18; 1Ki 6:20; 1Ki 7:2-3; 1Ki 7:7; 1Ki 7:11-12; 1Ki 9:11; 1Ki 10:27; 1Ch 17:6; 2Ch 2:8; 2Ch 9:27; 2Ch 25:18. In these passages we are informed of the negotiations with Hiram, King of Tyre, for the supply of cedar-trees out of Lebanon, and of the uses to which the timber was applied in the construction of the Temple, and of the king’s palace: he ‘covered the house with beams and boards of cedar;’ ‘the walls of the house within were covered with boards of cedar;’ there were ‘cedar pillars,’ and ‘beams of cedar;’ and the altar was of cedar. In all these passages there is nothing distinctive stated respecting the character of the wood, from which we might draw any certain conclusion, further than that, from the selection made and the constant mention of the material used, it may be fairly inferred that it must have been considered as well fitted, or rather of a superior quality, for the purpose of building the Temple and palace. From this, however, proceeds the difficulty in admitting that what we call the cedar of Lebanon was the only tree intended. For modern experience has ascertained that its wood is not of a superior quality. To determine this point, we must not refer to the statements of those who take their descriptions from writers who, indeed, describe cedar-wood, but do not prove that it was derived from the cedar of Lebanon. The term ‘cedar’ seems to have been as indefinite in ancient as in modern times, when we find it applied to the wood of the red or pencil cedar, to that of the Bermuda cedar, and to many other woods, as to white cedar, and Indian cedar.
Mr. Loudon, in his Arboretum (p. 2417), describes it thus: ‘The wood of the cedar is of a reddish white, light and spongy, easily worked, but very apt to shrink and warp, and by no means durable.’ But when the tree is grown on mountains, the annual layers of wood are much narrower and the fiber much finer than when it is grown on plains; so much so that a piece of cedar-wood brought from Mount Lebanon by Dr. Parisel, in 1829, and which he had made into a small piece of furniture, presented a surface compact, agreeably veined, and variously shaded, and which, on the whole, may be considered handsome. But Dr. Pococke, who brought away a piece of one of the large cedars which had been blown down by the wind, says that the wood does not differ in appearance from white deal, and that it does not appear to be harder. Mr. London says that a table which Sir J. Banks had made out of the Hillingdon cedar was soft, without scent (except that of common deal), and possessed little variety of veining. Though we have seen both temples and palaces built entirely with one kind of cedar, we think it more probable that, as the timber had to be brought from a distance, where all the kinds of cedar grew, the common pine-tree and the cedar of Lebanon would both furnish some of the timber required for the building of the Temple, together with juniper cedar. Celsius was of opinion that the cedar indicated the Pinus sylvestris or Scotch pine, which yields the red and yellow deals of Norway, and which is likewise found on Mount Lebanon. This opinion seems to be confirmed by Eze 27:5, ‘They have made all thy ship boards of fir-trees of Senir, they have taken cedar from Lebanon to make masts for thee.’ For it is not probable that any other tree than the common pine would be taken for masts.
Though Celsius appears to us to be quite right in concluding that the cedar, in some of the passages of Scripture, refers to the pine-tree, yet it seems equally clear that there are other passages to which this tree will not answer, and if we consider some of the remaining passages of Scripture, we cannot fail to perceive that they forcibly apply to the cedar of Lebanon and to the cedar of Lebanon only. Thus, in Psa 92:12, it is said, ‘The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree, and spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.’ It has been well remarked, ‘that the flourishing head of the palm and the spreading abroad of the cedar are equally characteristic.’ But the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 31) is justly adduced as giving the most magnificent, and at the same time the most graphic, description of this celebrated tree: (Eze 31:3) ‘Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowy shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs:’ (Eze 31:5) ‘Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters:’ (Eze 31:6) ‘All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young.’ In this description, Mr. Gilpin has well observed, ‘the principal characteristics of the cedar are marked: first, the multiplicity and length of its branches. Few trees divide so many fair branches from the main stem, or spread over so large a compass of ground. ‘His boughs are multiplied,’ as Ezekiel says, ‘and his branches become long,’ which David calls spreading abroad. His very boughs are equal to the stem of a fir or a chestnut. The second characteristic is what Ezekiel, with great beauty and aptness, calls his shadowy shroud. No tree in the forest is more remarkable than the cedar for its close-woven leafy canopy. Ezekiel’s cedar is marked as a tree of full and perfect growth, from the circumstance of its top being among the thick boughs. The other principal passages in which the cedar is mentioned are 1Ki 4:33; 2Ki 19:23; Job 40:17; Psa 29:5; Psa 80:10; Psa 92:12; Psa 104:16; Psa 148:9; Son 1:17; Son 5:15; Son 8:9; Isa 2:13; Isa 9:10; Isa 14:8; Isa 37:24; Isa 41:19; Isa 44:14; Jer 22:7; Jer 22:14; Jer 22:23; Eze 17:3; Eze 17:22-23; Amo 2:9; Zep 2:14; Zec 11:1-2; and in the Apocrypha, 1Es 4:48; 1Es 5:55; Sir 24:13; Sir 50:12; but it would occupy too much space to adduce further illustrations from them of what indeed is the usually admitted opinion.
It is, however, necessary before concluding to give some account of this celebrated tree, as noticed by travelers in the East, all of whom make a pilgrimage to its native sites. The cedar of Lebanon is well known to be a widely-spreading tree, generally from 50 to 80 feet high, and when standing singly, often covering a space with its branches, the diameter of which is much greater than its height. The horizontal branches, when the tree is exposed on all sides, are very large in proportion to the trunk, being disposed in distinct layers or stages, and the distance to which they extend diminishes as they approach the top, where they form a pyramidal head, broad in proportion to its height. The branchlets are disposed in a flat fan-like manner on the branches. The leaves, produced in tufts, are straight, about one inch long, slender, nearly cylindrical, tapering to a point, and are on short footstalks. The cones, when they approach maturity, become from 2 inches to 5 inches long. Every part or the cone abounds with resin, which sometimes exudes from between the scales. Speaking of the cedars of Lebanon, M. Lamartine, in 1832, says, ‘These trees diminish in’ every succeeding age. Travelers formerly counted 30 or 40 more recently, 17; more recently still, only 12. There are now but 7. These, however, from their size and general appearance, may be fairly presumed to have existed in biblical times. Around these ancient witnesses of ages long since past, there still remains a little grove of yellow cedars, appearing to me to form a group of from 400 to 500 trees or shrubs. Every year, in the month of June, the inhabitants of Beschierai, of Eden, of Kandbin, and the other neighboring valleys and villages, climb up to these cedars, and celebrate mass at their feet. How many prayers have resounded under these branches, and what more beautiful canopy for worship can exist?’
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Cedar
The beautiful tall tree that was extensively used by Solomon in building the temple and his palaces. It is called ‘cedar’ from the firmness of its roots; its wood is very durable and odoriferous. It was used for beams, pillars and masts, and for carved images. 1Ki 6:9-10; Isa 44:14; Eze 27:5. Special reference is made to it in scripture, as “the trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted.” Psa 104:16. It cannot be considered as one of the trees of Palestine proper, but is constantly connected in scripture with Lebanon, where it still grows in a group of some 300, a few being very old, and with no others near: the neighbouring people regard them with reverence.
In the cleansing of the leper, and in connection with burning the Red Heifer, cedar wood and hyssop were used, typical of the highest and the lowest (the judgement of death upon all men and the whole fashion of this world). Lev 14:4-52; Num 19:6. The cedar is used as a symbol of strength and stability: the righteous shall grow up as a cedar of Lebanon. Psa 92:12. The Assyrian king in his strength was also compared to a cedar, which is thus described: “with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature,” Eze 31:3; for his pride he was to be brought down.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Cedar
Valuable for building purposes
Isa 9:10
David’s ample provision of, in Jerusalem, for the temple
2Ch 1:15; 2Ch 2:3-4
Furnished by Hiram, king of Tyre, for Solomon’s temple
1Ki 5:6-10; 1Ki 9:11; 2Ch 2:16
Used in rebuilding the temple
Ezr 3:7
Used in David’s palace
2Sa 5:11; 1Ch 17:1
Used in Solomon’s palace
1Ki 7:2
Used for masts of ships
Eze 27:5
Used in purifications
Lev 14:4; Lev 14:6; Lev 14:49-52; Num 19:6
Figurative
Psa 72:16; Psa 92:12; Isa 2:13; Isa 14:8; Jer 22:7; Eze 31:3; Zec 11:2
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Cedar
Cedar. Several cone-bearing, evergreen trees appear to be included under this title. But ordinarily, the cedar of Lebanon (the still famous tree of that name, Cedrus Libani) is meant. The Scriptures give its characteristics. Comp. Psa 92:12; Eze 31:3-6; 1Ki 7:2; 1Ki 10:27; Son 4:11; Hos 14:6; Isa 2:13; Isa 10:19. It grows to the height of 70 or 80 feet. The branches ate thick and long, spreading out almost horizontally from the trunk, which is sometimes 30 or 40 feet in circumference. Eze 31:3; Eze 31:6; Eze 31:8. Maundrell measured one which was 36 feet and 6 inches in the girth, and 111 feet in the spread of its boughs. The wood is of area color and bitter taste, which is offensive to insects, and hence it Is very durable and admirably adapted for building. Cedar was used for the most noble and costly edifices, as the palace of Persepolis, the palace of Solomon, and the temple at Jerusalem. This timber served not only for beams for the frame and boards for covering buildings, but was also wrought into the walls. 2Sa 7:2; 1Ki 6:36; 1Ki 7:12. The gum which exudes from the trunk and the cones is as soft and fragrant as the balsam of Mecca. This tree, there is reason to believe, once quite covered the mountains of Lebanon between the heights of 3000 and 7000 feet. Rev. H. H. Jessup has visited and described eleven distinct groves of cedars on those mountains, including, altogether, several thousand trees. The wood of the cedar is notable for toughness, durability, and adaptedness to the climate and circumstances of Syria. There is no such thing as a rotten cedar. The name of Lamartine, carved on one of the giant trees 109 years ago, is fresh and legible today. All other woods indigenous to Syria are liable to the attacks of insects or a kind of dry rot. Cedar beams are unchangeable. The cedar is a desirable wood for carving. Isa 44:14. It is hard, fragrant, takes a high polish, which develops a beautiful grain, and it grows darker and richer by time.
Fuente: People’s Dictionary of the Bible
Cedar
Cedar. The Hebrew word, erez, invariably rendered “cedar”, by the Authorized Version, stands for that tree, in most of the passages, where the word occurs. While the word is sometimes used in a wider sense, Lev 14:6, for evergreen cone-bearing trees, generally the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is intended. 1Ki 7:2; 1Ki 10:27; Psa 92:12; Son 5:15; Isa 2:13; Eze 31:3-6.
The wood is of a reddish color, of bitter taste and aromatic odor, offensive to insects, and very durable. The cedar is a ‘type’ of the Christian, being evergreen, beautiful, aromatic, wide spreading, slow growing, long lived, and having many uses. As far as is at present known, the cedar of Lebanon is confined in Syria, to one valley of the Lebanon range, namely, 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.
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. (“Of the celebrated cedars on Mount Lebanon, eleven groves still remain. The famous B’Sherreh Grove is three-quarters of a mile in circumference, and contains about 400 trees, young and old. 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.” — Johnson’s Encyclopedia).
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
CEDAR
lumber
2Sa 7:2; 1Ki 6:18; 1Ki 7:2; 1Ch 22:4; Jer 22:14; Eze 27:24
Fuente: Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
Cedar
. The cedar is a large and noble evergreen tree. Its lofty height, and its far extended branches, afford spacious shelter and shade, Eze 31:3; Eze 31:6; Eze 31:8. The wood is very valuable; is of a reddish colour, of an aromatic smell, and reputed incorruptible. This is owing to its bitter taste, which the worms cannot endure, and to its resin, which preserves it from the injuries of the weather. The ark of the covenant, and much of the temple of Solomon, and that of Diana at Ephesus, were built of cedar. The tree is much celebrated in Scripture. It is called, the glory of Lebanon,
Isa 60:13. On that mountain it must in former times have flourished in great abundance. There are some cedars still growing there which are prodigiously large. But the travellers who have visited the place within these two or three centuries, and who describe trees of vast size, inform us that their number is diminished greatly; so that, as Isaiah says, a child may number them, Isa 10:19. Maundrell measured one of the largest size, and found it to be twelve yards and six inches in girt, and yet sound; and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its boughs. Gabriel Sionita, a very learned Syrian Maronite, who assisted in editing the Paris Polyglott, a man worthy of all credit, thus describes the cedars of mount Lebanon, which he had examined on the spot: The cedar grows on the most elevated part of the mountain, is taller than the pine, and so thick, that five men together could scarcely encompass one. It shoots out its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground: they are large and distant from each other, and are perpetually green. The wood is of a brown colour, very solid and incorruptible, if preserved from wet. The tree bears a small cone like that of the pine.
Fuente: Biblical and Theological Dictionary
Cedar
Psa 29:5 (b) This is a type of proud, prominent persons who take a stand against GOD, His Word and His work.
Psa 92:12 (a) Here is a picture of the believer who in the midst of drought, death, dearth and desolation fixes his faith and trust down deep in the living promises of GOD and flourishes for Him, in company with other believers. Cedars grow in forests and help each other to stand the storms. Cedars represent collective Christian testimony. The palm tree in this verse represents the individual testimony.
Zec 11:2 (b) This is a type of the great nation of Israel which had grown to be a world power and then because of disobedience to GOD was cut down and destroyed as a nation. This passage was read at Spurgeon’s funeral to teach that the lesser preachers mourned over the death of this great preacher (the cedar).