H3724c H3724c
henna, a fragrant flowering plant used in cosmetics and beloved imagery
This plant, known as henna (El Ḥenna), produces fragrant white flowers growing in grape-like clusters. The beloved in Song of Songs is compared to a cluster of henna blossoms (1:14), and henna plants appear in the garden imagery describing the bride (4:13). Henna was valued for its sweet fragrance and was used cosmetically - its leaves produced the reddish-orange dye still used today. The biblical references emphasize fragrance and beauty rather than dye properties, using the plant as a natural image of delight and attractiveness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The henna plant, prized for its fragrant clustered flowers. Both Song of Songs references employ henna in romantic imagery: as a cluster of blossoms representing the beloved's appeal (1:14) and as plants in the bride's garden symbolizing fertility and delight (4:13). The plant's aromatic qualities and attractive appearance made it a natural choice for love poetry, capturing both sensory pleasure and beauty. 2×
AR["كِفَرِيم", "هَ-كُوفِر"]·ben["-মেহেদী", "-মেহেদীর"]·DE["[כפרים]", "der-Loesegeld"]·EN["henna", "the-henna"]·FR["de-henné", "du-henné"]·heb["ה-כופר", "כפרים"]·HI["मेंहदी", "मेंहदी-का"]·ID["pacar"]·IT["henna", "il-il-henna"]·jav["pacar"]·KO["그-헤나꽃-의", "헤나꽃-과"]·PT["hena", "henas"]·RU["хной", "хны"]·ES["alheña", "alheñas"]·SW["cha-hena", "hena"]·TR["kina", "kinalar"]·urd["مہندی"]
Related Senses
H8081 1. oil (substance) (180×)H3196 1. wine (fermented grape juice) (141×)H1706 1. honey (54×)H4682 1. unleavened bread/cakes (53×)H2461 1. milk (42×)H8492 1. new wine / must (38×)H0400 1. food, nourishment (36×)G3631 1. wine (34×)H3978 1. food, nourishment (30×)H1314 1. spice / perfume / balsam (29×)H7416 1. pomegranate (fruit/ornament) (28×)H3323 1. fresh oil, olive oil (23×)H2964 1. prey, torn flesh (19×)H3899 2. food, sustenance (19×)G1033 1. food (17×)G5160 1. food (16×)H5561 1. spices, aromatic substances (16×)H0402 1. food, nourishment (14×)G2219 1. leaven (13×)H4478a 1. manna (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† III. כֹּ֫פֶר n.m. name of a plant, El Ḥenna (√ dub.; NH כּוֹפֶר; Aramaic כּוּפְרָא, ܟܽܘܦܪܳܐ; Arabic El Ḥenna, see LöwNo. 159)—a shrub or low tree, with fragrant whitish flowers growing in clusters like grapes, אֶשְׁכֹּל הַכֹּפֶר cluster of Ḥenna Ct 1:14 (fragrant, fig. of a beloved one); pl. כְּפָרִים Ct 4:13.