Plants in the Bible

Although some progress has been made in identifying plants which were found in or were indigenous to the Bible lands, it remains difficult to match plant names with specific plants which appear in the original texts. Some of the plant names appearing in the CEV are listed below.

Trees and Shrubs 

Cypress/myrtle: Is 55:13
Cypress and myrtle trees will grow in fields once covered by thorns. And then those trees will stand as a lasting witness to the glory of the LORD.

Oak/cedar: Is 44:14
Either cedar, cypress, oak, or any tree from the forest may be chosen. Or even a pine tree planted by the woodcarver and watered by the rain.

Almond: Ecc 12:5
but don't help the ungodly. If you give food to sinners, they will become strong and overpower you. Do a good deed for them, and they will reward you by wronging you twice.

Thorns and thistles: Gen 3:18
Your food will be plants, but the ground will produce thorns and thistles.

Grass Plants

Reeds and tall grass: Job 40:15,21-22
I created both you and the hippopotamus. It eats only grass like an ox, ... It rests in the shade of trees along the riverbank or hides among reeds in the swamp.

Seaweed: Jon 2:5
I was almost drowned by the swirling waters that surrounded me. Seaweed had wrapped around my head.

Fruit Trees

Apple tree: Song 2:3
And you, my love, are an apple tree among trees of the forest. Your shade brought me pleasure; your fruit was sweet.

Mulberry tree: Lk 17:6
Jesus replied:If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!

Olive tree: Ex 23:11
... but let the land rest during the seventh year. The poor are to eat what they want from your fields, vineyards, and olive trees during that year, and when they have all they want from your fields, leave the rest for wild animals.

Fig tree: Hab 3:17
Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant ...

Spices 

Aloes: Ps 45:8
The sweet aroma of the spices myrrh, aloes, and cassia covers your royal robes. You enjoy the music of harps in palaces decorated with ivory.

Henna: Song 4:13
Your arms are vines, covered with delicious fruits and all sorts of spices— henna, nard, ...

Cinnamon: Song 4:14
... saffron, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, and aloes— all the finest spices.

Mint/dill/cumin: Mt 23:23 
You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either.

Saffron: Song 4:14
... saffron, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, and aloes— all the finest spices.

Mustard seed: Mt 13:31
Jesus told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field.               

Grain and Pulses

Beans/lentils: 2 Sam 17:28
Here is a list of what they brought: sleeping mats, blankets, bowls, pottery jars, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, yogurt, sheep, and cheese.

Barley/wheat: Ex 9:31-32
Meanwhile, the flax and barley crops had been destroyed by the storm because they were ready to ripen. But the wheat crops ripen later, and they were not damaged.

Flowering Plants 

Rose: Song 2:1
I am merely a rose from the land of Sharon, a lily from the valley.

Lily: Song 2:2
My darling, when compared with other young women, you are a lily among thorns.

Wild flowers: Is 40:6
Someone told me to shout, and I asked, “What should I shout?” We humans are merely grass, and we last no longer than wild flowers.

Animals in the Bible

Most of the references to animals in the Bible involve comparison and metaphor. Their appearance and traits are used to highlight certain traits or actions of people, or to describe their circumstances. 

Please note that it is not always possible to translate the names of animals from the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The names of animals that are not indigenous to this country are sometimes substituted with the name of an animal which is similar and whose behaviour and appearance correspond to the ones we are familiar with. 

Predators

Bear: 2 Sam 17:8
You know that your father and his followers are real warriors. Now they are as fierce as a mother bear whose cubs have just been killed. Besides, your father has a lot of experience in fighting wars, and he won't be spending the night with the others.

Jackal: Jer 10:22
“Sounds of destruction rumble from the north like distant thunder. Soon our towns will be ruins where only jackals live.”

Leopard: Jer 13:23
Can you ever change and do what's right? Can people change the color of their skin, or can a leopard remove its spots? If so, then maybe you can change and learn to do right.

Lion: Prov 30:30
Those fearless lions who rule the jungle ...

Wolf: Ezek 22:27
Israel's officials are like ferocious wolves, ripping their victims apart. They make a dishonest living by injuring and killing people.

Game

Buffalo: Num 23:22
With the strength of a wild ox, God led Israel out of Egypt.

Gazelle/deer: 1 Chr 12:8
Men from the tribe of Gad also joined David at his fortress in the desert and served as his warriors. They were also brave soldiers—fierce as lions and quick as gazelles. They were always prepared to fight with shields and spears. 

Fish and Reptiles  

Crocodile: Ezek 29:3
... that I am saying:King of Egypt, you were like a giant crocodile lying in a river. You acted as though you owned the Nile and made it for yourself. But now I, the LORD God, am your enemy!

Fish: Mk 1:17
Jesus said to them, “Follow me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” 

Snake: Gen 49:17
You are a snake that bites the heel of a horse, making its rider fall.

Insects 

Ants: Prov 6:7-8 
Ants don't have leaders, but they store up food during harvest season.

Grasshopper: Judg 6:4-5
They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.

Moth: Job 4:19
Humans are formed from clay and are fragile as moths, so what chance do you have?

Worm: Job 25:6
So how can we humans, when we are merely worms?

Scorpion: Deut 8:15
Remember how he led you in that huge and frightening desert where poisonous snakes and scorpions live. There was no water, but the LORD split open a rock, and water poured out so you could drink. 

Birds

Dove: Is 59:11
We growl like bears and mourn like doves. We hope for justice and victory, but they escape us.

Eagle: Job 9:26
Each day passes swifter than a sailing ship or an eagle swooping down.

Ostrich: Lam 4:3
Even jackals nurse their young, but my people are like ostriches that abandon their own.

Owl/sparrow: Ps 102:6-7
I am like a lonely owl in the desert or a restless sparrow alone on a roof.

Stork: Ps 104:17
Birds nest in those trees, and storks make their home in the fir trees.

Vulture: Mic 1:16
Judah, shave your head as bald as a vulture and start mourning. Your precious children will be dragged off to a foreign country.

Domestic Animals 

Camel: Jer 2:23
You deny your sins and say, “We aren't unclean. We haven't worshiped Baal.” But think about what you do in Hinnom Valley. You run back and forth like young camels, as you rush to worship one idol after another.

Dog: Job 31:1
I promised myself never to stare with desire at a young woman.

Donkey: Mt 21:5
“Announce to the people of Jerusalem: ‘Your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey. He comes on the colt of a donkey.’ ”               

Horse: Judg 5:22
Sisera's horses galloped off, their hoofs thundering in retreat.

Professions in the Bible

There are a number of professions mentioned in the Bible which are still practised today. 

Medical

Midwife: Gen 35:17
She was having a rough time, but the woman who was helping her said, “Don't worry! It's a boy.”

Doctor: Gen 50:2-3
Joseph gave orders for Jacob's body to be embalmed, and it took the usual 40 days.

Apothecary/perfume maker: Neh 3:8
Uzziel son of Harhaiah the goldsmith rebuilt the next section.Hananiah the perfume maker rebuilt the section next after that, and it went as far as Broad Wall.

Government and Law

Officials: Dan 6:3-8
And he did his work so much better than the other governors and officials that the king decided to let him govern the whole kingdom. The other men tried to find something wrong with the way Daniel did his work for the king. But they could not accuse him of anything wrong, because he was honest and faithful and did everything he was supposed to do. Finally, they said to one another, “We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel, unless it has to do with his religion.” They all went to the king and said:“Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! All of your officials, leaders, advisors, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next 30 days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions. Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed.”

Judge: Mt 5:25
Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don't, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail.               

Jailer: Lk 12:58
When someone accuses you of something, try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don't, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up.

Secretary: 2 Kgs 12:10
When the box was full of money, the king's secretary and the chief priest would count the money and put it in bags.

Agriculture  

Sheep farmer and farmer: Gen 4:2
Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.

Overseer: Ruth 2:5
Then Boaz asked the man in charge of the harvest workers, “Who is that young woman?”

Wine farmer: 2 Chr 26:10
He also built defense towers out in the desert.He owned such a large herd of livestock in the western foothills and in the flatlands, that he had cisterns dug there to catch the rainwater. He loved farming, so he had crops and vineyards planted in the hill country wherever there was fertile soil, and he hired farmers to take care of them.

Business  

Trader: Gen 37:25-28
As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt. So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body?  Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.” And the others agreed.  When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for 20 pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.

Money changers: Mt 21:12
Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves.            

Textile Industry 

Weaver: Ex 38:21-23
Bezalel had worked closely with Oholiab, who was an expert at designing and engraving, and at embroidering blue, purple, and red wool. The two of them completed the work that the LORD had commanded to be done.Moses put Aaron's son Ithamar in charge of the Levites who kept record of the metals used for the sacred tent.

Building Industry 

Builder: 1 Kgs 5:18
Solomon's and Hiram's men worked with men from the city of Gebal, and together they got the stones and logs ready for the temple.

Carpenters: 1 Chr 14:1
King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. They brought along carpenters and stone workers, and enough cedar logs to build David a palace.

Stone workers: 2 Sam 5:11 
King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. Carpenters and stone workers came with them, and they brought cedar logs so they could build David a palace.

Woodcarvers: Is 41:7
Woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other workers encourage one another and say, “We've done a great job!” Then they nail the idol down, so it won't fall over.

Metalwork 

Goldsmith: Neh 3:32
Benjamin and Hasshub rebuilt the wall in front of their own houses.Azariah, who was the son of Maaseiah and the grandson of Ananiah, rebuilt the section in front of his house.

Silversmith: Prov 25:4
Silver must be purified before it can be used to make something of value.

Metalworker: Is 44:12
A metalworker shapes an idol by using a hammer and heat from the fire. In his powerful hand he holds a hammer, as he pounds the metal into the proper shape. But he gets hungry and thirsty and loses his strength.

Armed forces

Soldier: Judg 11:1
The leaders of the Gilead clan decided to ask a brave warrior named Jephthah son of Gilead to lead the attack against the Ammonites.

Bodyguard: Gen 37:36
Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.

Officer: Ex 15:4
He threw the chariots and army of Egypt's king into the Red Sea, and he drowned the best of the king's officers.

Arts  

Artist: Jer 18:3-4
I went there and saw the potter making clay pots on his pottery wheel. And whenever the clay would not take the shape he wanted, he would change his mind and form it into some other shape.

Musician: 1 Chr 6:31-32
After King David had the sacred chest moved to Jerusalem, he appointed musicians from the Levi tribe to be in charge of the music at the place of worship. These musicians served at the sacred tent and later at the LORD's temple that King Solomon built.

Published and distributed by the Bible Society of South Africa. www.biblesociety.co.za

All scripture quotations in this publication are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.