Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

CEDAR

The celebrated cedars of Lebanon are large, coniferous, evergreen mountain trees (Cedrus libani Loud). These cedars (Heb. ʾerez) were aptly named, as they did not grow in Israel. As young trees, cedars are cone-shaped, but as they age, the branches spread and flatten. Cedars of Lebanon grow up to 28 m. (90 ft.) tall and may live 3000 years. Many more cedar forests were in Lebanon in biblical times than exist there today. The wood of the tree was a popular commodity used in building. It carries a pleasant fragrance and resists insects.

The Bible records several instances of cedars of Lebanon used in construction, the best known being Solomon’s temple. Solomon contracted with King Hiram of Tyre to bring great quantities of cedar and other wood to build the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kgs. 5; 2 Chr. 2). Cedar was used extensively in the structure, from the supports and pillars to the paneling and carved woodwork. In addition to the temple, houses of the rich were also made of cedar. David lived in a house of cedar (2 Sam. 7:2 = 1 Chr. 17:1), and Ezekiel mentions cedar that is used in construction (Ezek. 27:5).

The Bible also contains many references to the great height and strength of cedar trees. Amos prophesies that the might of the Amorites “was like the height of cedars” (Amos 2:9), and Ezekiel compares Assyria’s power to a cedar of Lebanon (Ezek. 31:3-9). The psalmist compares the growth of the righteous to that of the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 92:12[MT 13]), and Zechariah uses the image of destroyed and fallen cedars and other trees to show how devastating God’s judgment will be (Zech. 11:1-2).

Cedar wood is also associated with cleansing. Cedar, along with hyssop and blood, is prescribed in cleansing rituals in Lev. 14.

Megan Bishop Moore