Bible Encyclopedias
Tamarisk

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

Tree, several species of which are found in and around Palestine. The Hebrew term for the tamarisk is doubtful. The word , which occurs three times in the Old Testament, is interpreted by modern scholars as meaning "a tamarisk," and is so rendered in the Revised Version. Abraham planted a "tamarisk-tree" (R. V.) in Beer-sheba (Genesis 21:33; A. V. gives "a grove"). "Saul was sitting . . . under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah" (1 Samuel 22:6, R. V.). Finally, the bones of Saul and his sons were buried "under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh" (1 Samuel 31:13, R. V.). The parallel passage of 1 Chronicles 10:12 has , which is rendered "oak-tree" by both the English versions (R. V., margin, "terebinth"). Therefore in the last-mentioned passage is rendered "tree" in the Authorized Version.