H7799 H7799
Lily, lotus — any lily-like flower; used of botanical beauty, architectural ornament, and romantic imagery
The שׁוּשַׁן / שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (shushan/shoshannah) likely encompasses several lily-like flowers, possibly including the lotus. Borrowed from Egyptian (sššn), the word blooms across Scripture's most evocative passages. In the Song of Songs, the beloved is 'a lily among thorns' (2:2), the lover feeds 'among the lilies' (2:16; 6:3), and his lips are 'lilies dripping myrrh' (5:13). Solomon's Temple featured lily-shaped capitals on its pillars (1 Kgs 7:19, 22) and a 'sea' with a lily-blossom rim (1 Kgs 7:26). Hosea 14:6 promises that restored Israel will 'blossom like the lily.' Spanish 'lirio' and French 'lis' preserve the elegance.
Senses
1. lily, lotus — A lily or lily-like flower — probably a general term for several species rather than one botanical identification — used in three overlapping registers: romantic beauty in the Song of Songs (2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2-3; 7:3), architectural ornamentation on Solomon's Temple pillars and basin (1 Kgs 7:19, 22, 26; 2 Chr 4:5), and prophetic metaphor for Israel's flourishing (Hos 14:6). The Egyptian loanword origin connects it to the broader ancient Near Eastern lotus/lily iconography. Spanish 'lirio' and French 'lis' both map directly. 15×
AR["السّوسَنِ", "بَ-شُوشَنِّيم", "بَ-شُّوشَنِّيم", "بِالسَّوْسَنِ", "سَوْسَنٍ", "شوشانيم", "شُوشَنَّت", "شُوشَنِّيم", "كَالسُّوسَنِ", "كِ-شُوشَنَّه"]·ben["-লিলি।", "-লিলিতে।", "-লিলির", "-লিলির-মতো", "-লিলির-মধ্যে।", "পদ্মের", "পদ্মের-মতো", "লিলি", "শুশন-ফুল", "শোশন"]·DE["Lilien", "[בשושנים]", "[כשושנה]", "[שושנה]", "[שושנת]", "in-Lilien", "lilies", "lily"]·EN["a-lily", "among-the-lilies", "like-a-lily", "like-the-lily", "lilies", "lily", "lily-of", "with-the-lilies"]·FR["Comme-un-lis", "[שושנה]", "de-lis.", "des-lis,", "des-lis.", "le-lis", "lily", "lis", "parmi-les-lis."]·heb["ב-שושנים", "כ-שושנה", "שושן", "שושנה", "שושנים", "שושנת"]·HI["कमल", "कमल-का", "कुमुदिनियाँ", "कुमुदिनियों-में", "कुमुदिनियों-से", "कुमुदिनी", "जैसे-कुमुदिनी", "शोशन्नीम", "सोसन-के-समान"]·ID["Seperti-bunga-bakung", "bakung", "bunga-bakung", "bunga-bunga-bakung", "dengan-bunga-bunga-bakung", "di-antara-bunga-bunga-bakung"]·IT["[כשושנה]", "[שושנה]", "[שושנים]", "[ששנים]", "come-giglio", "giglio", "nel-giglio"]·jav["Kados-kembang-bakung", "ing-antawisipun-kembang-bakung", "kados-kembang-bakung", "kanthi-kembang-bakung", "kembang-bakung", "mawar-mawar", "teratai", "terate"]·KO["같으니라-백합에", "백합-들-의", "백합의", "백합화", "백합화-라", "백합화-처럼", "백합화들", "백합화들-로", "백합화들-을", "백합화들-이라", "백합화들-중에서"]·PT["Como-um-lírio", "como-lírio", "entre-os-lírios", "lírio", "lírios", "o-lírio"]·RU["Как-лилия", "как-лилия", "лилии", "лилии.", "лилия", "лилиями.", "лилиях", "среди-лилий."]·ES["Como-lirio", "como-el-lirio", "entre-los-lirios", "lirio", "lirio-de", "lirios"]·SW["bathi", "kama-ua", "kama-yungiyungi", "katika-ukumbi", "mayungiyungi", "miongoni-mwa-mayungiyungi", "na-ikakamilika", "na-mayungiyungi", "yungiyungi"]·TR["zambak", "zambak-gibi", "zambaklar", "zambaklar-üzerine", "zambaklarda", "zambaklari", "zambaklarla"]·urd["سوسن", "سوسن کا", "سوسن-کا", "سوسن-کی-طرح", "سوسنوں", "سوسنوں-سے", "سوسنوں-میں"]
1 Kgs 7:19, 1 Kgs 7:22, 1 Kgs 7:26, 2 Chr 4:5, Ps 45:1, Ps 69:1, Song 2:1, Song 2:2, Song 2:16, Song 4:5, Song 5:13, Song 6:2 (+3 more)
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
† I. שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן n.m. שׁוֹשַׁנָּה n.f. usually lily, prob. any lily-like flower (TristrNHB 462 ff. Post Hast. DB Lily Löw No. 323; NH שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, Arabic سَوْسَنٌ (Vulg. سُوسَنٌ), especially iris, Aramaic שׁוּשַׁנְתָּא, ܫܽܘܫܰܢܬܳܐ (PS 4344), Gk. σοῦσον LewyFremdw. 48; orig. loan-word from Egyptian sššn, šôšĕn, Erman ZMG xlvi (1892), 117);—lily: in sim., יִפְרַח כַּשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה Ho 14:6 (of…