H6628 H6628
lotus trees, a thorny shrub or tree growing in marshy areas
These plants feature in God's description of Behemoth in Job's climactic nature discourse. The lotus trees provide shade for this mighty creature as it lies in the marsh. While the sacred Egyptian lotus (water lily) is well-known, the Hebrew term likely refers to a thorny variety of Zizyphus or Rhamnus that grew in dense thickets along riverbanks. The lotus trees' protective cover for Behemoth contributes to the portrait of an immense creature at home in wild, untamed places.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences are in Job 40:21-22, describing Behemoth lying under the lotus trees for shade. While English consistently uses 'lotus trees,' Spanish has 'lotos,' and French and German transliterate the Hebrew, suggesting some uncertainty about the exact botanical identification. Ancient versions identified these as thorny shrubs (Arabic dal, Syriac 'ala) rather than the famous water lily. The repeated mention emphasizes the dense vegetation of Behemoth's habitat, contributing to the overwhelming portrait of God's untamable creation. 2×
AR["الضَّأْلَيْنِ"]·ben["পদ্মগুলি", "পদ্মের"]·DE["[צאלים]"]·EN["the-lotus-trees"]·FR["צאלים"]·heb["צאלים"]·HI["कमल-के-पौधे", "कमल-के-पौधों"]·ID["pohon-pohon teratai"]·IT["il-lotus-trees"]·jav["wit-teratak"]·KO["연두나무들의", "연두나무들이"]·PT["lótus"]·RU["лотосами", "лотосы"]·ES["lotos"]·SW["miti-ya-miiba"]·TR["nilufer-ağaçları", "nilufer-ağaçlarının"]·urd["کمل-کے-درخت", "کمل-کے-درختوں-کے"]
Related Senses
H3754 1. vineyard, cultivated grape plot (92×)H0730 1. cedar tree or wood (73×)H1612 1. vine, grapevine (55×)H3293a 1. forest, wood, thicket (55×)H5560 1. fine flour (53×)H5193 1. plant vegetation (48×)H2232 1. sow seed, plant crops (41×)H1715 1. grain, cereal crop (40×)H7114b 1. reap, harvest grain (36×)H2132 1. olive tree (34×)H8184 1. barley (34×)H2406 1. wheat (grain crop) (30×)H7070 1. reed, cane (plant) (30×)H7848 1. acacia (28×)H8328 1. root of a plant (28×)H8384 1. fig tree (25×)H5488 1. reeds, rushes (in 'Sea of Reeds') (24×)G0290 1. a vineyard (23×)G2325 1. reap, harvest a crop (21×)G4687 1. sow seed, plant (21×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צֶאֱלִים n.m.pl. a kind of lotus (Rhamnus (more exactly Zizyphus), Lotus [Linn.], thorny lotus (not sacred Nymphaea Lotus); Saad. ضَالٌ, cf. AW De Job 2, Syriac ܥܳܐܠܴܐ, v. Löwp. 275);—Jb 40:21, 22.