Laura Conaway

Trees in the Bible Final Paper

FYS- Tree of Life

Throughout the Bible, there are a plethora of references to trees, vines, and bushes and

because they are mentioned, their significance and role in context proves important. The trees

can either be perceived with a positive connotation or a negative one but the circumstances

surrounding them allow someone to explore further why the tree is mentioned. The tree that I

found the most interesting to study was the oak tree because of the situations with which it is

mentioned in the Bible and the structure and location of this tree. Through the use of the Biblical

text and academic sources, I explored the use of the oak tree and made discoveries which

allowed for further thought provoking questions that do not necessarily have definitive answers.

In the Holy Land, there were two types of oak trees that people admired for various

reasons – the Evergreen oak and Tabor oak. People viewed these trees highly because of their

height and age. These oak trees have vertical and horizontal roots that can stretch for meters and

are known to live anywhere between 300-500 years. I wonder if people viewed these trees highly

because of the strength they emanated. Maybe it was a way for people to feel the power and

strength of God and know that he reigned supreme and that he always would because he has no

beginning or end, which would show a similarity with the extensive time span of the oak tree.

According to Zohary, oak trees also are more prominent in valleys rather than on mountains.

This struck my attention because we associate valleys with tribulation and mountain tops with

success so I wonder if oak trees themselves are some kind of challenge or if people feel

connected to them when they are experiencing difficulty. Oak trees were also worshipped and

seen as a symbol “of power and longevity, pride and splendor. … They were associated with
offerings and other ritual and religious customs … and were undoubtedly used in everyday life

for buildings, ship oars, and other utensils.” (Zohary 108). I think it is interesting that these trees

were also used for practical items in everyday life. I think it allowed for a closer connection

between people and the oak tree.

There are also many references to trees, especially the oak, in the Bible. One example is

in 2 Samuel 18:9,10,14. In this chapter, there is a battle occurring and one of the men, Absalom,

gets his hair stuck in an oak tree and he is suspended between heaven and earth. I think it is

interesting that this event happened with an oak tree and not another type of tree. Was there any

specific reason as to why this was the case? Was is possible that this kind of tree was strong

enough to hold his weight while God showed his strength through judgement? Another example

is in 1 Kings 13:14 when oaks and other types of trees, were cut down. In the surrounding verses,

a carpenter would then take the wood and create a “human form in all its glory” which would

then be used as an idol for worship. Did the people somehow feel a connection between

themselves, the tree, and God? And if so, did they just get caught up in possibly feeling closer to

God that they forgot who they were really worshipping and turned the tree into an idol? One

final example is found in Ezekiel 6:13 where God speaks and says that the people will know God

is Lord because they will be slain among the idols they worshipped and under the oak trees

where they offered sacrifices to gods. Again, why are oaks trees the tree of significance here?

Were oak trees seen in a negative connotation because this is where people would give sacrifices

to idols and where in 2 Samuel, Absalom meets his death? Through these examples and others,

oak trees play important roles in how people use them in their lives.

Finally, after looking at another academic source, there are a few more areas of which

oak trees were significant in Biblical times. Many people were starting to find a fascination with
various inks including the scarlet and purple colors. However, this “scarlet ink…derived from an

insect…which infests the kermes oak” (Moldenke 194). The insect would then “cover the young

branchlets with white fluffy masses” (Moldenke 194). This would then harm the tree however I

thought it was interesting that this insect infested oak trees specifically. I also thought that the

white masses were negatively impacting the tree, but in a way when we are “positively infested”

with God, he makes us white as snow. The oak trees also produced acorns that “the natives

use[d] as food and the cups [were] extensively employed in tanning leather, dyeing and making

ink” (Moldenke 197). Once again, everything about these trees is used in some way to benefit the

people – even down to their fruit.

There are extensive references to trees in the Bible and once the context of the passage is

observed, one can start to make observations and discoveries about the trees significance.

Whether the tree is perceived in a negative or positive connotation, the circumstances

surrounding its mention can help give clues or even answers. The oak tree is referenced various

times throughout the Bible and its characteristics make it one which people admire and use in

different ways.
 Works Cited:

Moldenke, Harold and Alma. (1952). Plants of the Bible. Waltham, MA: Chronica Botanica.

This academic source looks at several different types of trees including the oak. There is

also a listing of various bible verses that mention the oak tree. The book gives

information about the oak tree including Greek and Hebrew words that translate into

something important pertaining to the tree. It also describes where the trees are located

and why there were deemed important in Biblical times.

NIV Bible. (2007). London: Hodder & Stoughton.

I used this version of the biblical text because it is the version I am most familiar with. I

looked up various verses throughout the NIV Bible to find references to oak trees and the

context around which they were mentioned.

Zohary, Michael. (1982). Plants of the Bible. New York, NY: Cambridge.

This academic source examines various types of trees and the role they play in the Bible.

Each section states the tree’s scientific name and gives a few verses from the Bible that

have a reference to the tree. This source also explains the physical appearance of the

tree, where they are likely to be found, and what they were used for in Biblical times.