Abraham plants a Tamrisk tree

[Tambora]

Genesis 21:33 ESV
(33) Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.​

Seems a tad bit odd that this specific thing would even be mentioned, and scripture gives no further information as to why Abraham did this.


Beersheba was in the wilderness between Egypt (where Abraham was traveling from) and near the southern border of what would later become Israel.


Tamrisk tree is an evergreen in the "cedar" family with year-round foliage.

It grows in arid places and it's leaves secrets a saltiness that prevents other trees from growing too near to it.

It has a season when it flowers pale pinkish capsule-like blooms with seeds.

In the ancient world this tree was said to have medicinal use for healing ailments including arthritis, and even leprosy, and could remove toxicity from the body (among other medicinal uses).
On a spiritual sense it was was said that it could be used to purge emotional worry or spiritual darkness within a person.

The Tamrisk tree also secretes and drops whitish drops of a slightly gummy type substance called manna.

 

[Gary K]

Genesis 21:33 ESV
(33) Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.​

Seems a tad bit odd that this specific thing would even be mentioned, and scripture gives no further information as to why Abraham did this.


Beersheba was in the wilderness between Egypt (where Abraham was traveling from) and near the southern border of what would later become Israel.


Tamrisk tree is an evergreen in the "cedar" family with year-round foliage.

It grows in arid places and it's leaves secrets a saltiness that prevents other trees from growing too near to it.

It has a season when it flowers pale pinkish capsule-like blooms with seeds.

In the ancient world this tree was said to have medicinal use for healing ailments including arthritis, and even leprosy, and could remove toxicity from the body (among other medicinal uses).
On a spiritual sense it was was said that it could be used to purge emotional worry or spiritual darkness within a person.

The Tamrisk tree also secretes and drops whitish drops of a slightly gummy type substance called manna.

Interesting. In the King James and NET the same word translated as Tamarisk is also translated as grove.

[*StrongsHebrew*]
815
אשׁל
'êshel ay'-shel
From a root of uncertain signification; a tamarisk tree; by extension a grove of any kind: - {grove} tree.

 

[Gary K]

Genesis 21:33 ESV
(33) Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.​

Seems a tad bit odd that this specific thing would even be mentioned, and scripture gives no further information as to why Abraham did this.


Beersheba was in the wilderness between Egypt (where Abraham was traveling from) and near the southern border of what would later become Israel.


Tamrisk tree is an evergreen in the "cedar" family with year-round foliage.

It grows in arid places and it's leaves secrets a saltiness that prevents other trees from growing too near to it.

It has a season when it flowers pale pinkish capsule-like blooms with seeds.

In the ancient world this tree was said to have medicinal use for healing ailments including arthritis, and even leprosy, and could remove toxicity from the body (among other medicinal uses).
On a spiritual sense it was was said that it could be used to purge emotional worry or spiritual darkness within a person.

The Tamrisk tree also secretes and drops whitish drops of a slightly gummy type substance called manna.

BTW, It is an insect that excretes the sweet tasting drops.

At certain times of year, scale insects feeding upon the tender twigs of tamarisk plants excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which has been gathered for use as a food source and sweetener for thousands of years. The substance is also known locally as manna, and some scholars have suggested that this substance is the biblical manna that fed the Israelites during their flight from Egypt, though others dispute this interpretation.

Tamarix - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tambora]

BTW, It is an insect that excretes the sweet tasting drops.

At certain times of year, scale insects feeding upon the tender twigs of tamarisk plants excrete a sweet substance known as honeydew, which has been gathered for use as a food source and sweetener for thousands of years. The substance is also known locally as manna, and some scholars have suggested that this substance is the biblical manna that fed the Israelites during their flight from Egypt, though others dispute this interpretation.

Tamarix - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Thank you.
That will clear up that it is not the tree itself that drops the manna but is from insects that are attracted to the foliage of the tree.


Since Abraham was a wanderer, why do you suppose he bothered to plant a tree (or trees) that would take several years to mature?
I be way off as to why that tidbit of information was written in scripture about Abe planting the tree, but the only prophetic connection to anything else is the manna that would be available in the future for others that would be in the wilderness while traveling from Egypt to the land that would become Israel.
Which would happen many years later during the Exodus when Israel was called out of Egypt.

Just some speculation to ponder.

 

[Gary K]

Thank you.
That will clear up that it is not the tree itself that drops the manna but is from insects that are attracted to the foliage of the tree.


Since Abraham was a wanderer, why do you suppose he bothered to plant a tree (or trees) that would take several years to mature?
I be way off as to why that tidbit of information was written in scripture about Abe planting the tree, but the only prophetic connection to anything else is the manna that would be available in the future for others that would be in the wilderness while traveling from Egypt to the land that would become Israel.
Which would happen many years later during the Exodus when Israel was called out of Egypt.

Just some speculation to ponder.

It's hard to know why Abraham planted a grove of trees. Maybe so there would be some shade if/when he came that way again. He set up altars where ever he camped so maybe a grove of trees in the same place seemed like a good idea.

 

[Tambora]

The only other two verses where a tamrisk tree is specifically mentioned:

1 Samuel 22:6 ESV​

(6) Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.​

​

​

1 Samuel 31:13 ESV​

(13) And they took their [King Saul and his sons] bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.​

With a tamrisk being specifically mentioned, it make one wonder if there was a special significance to that type tree in the ancient world.

 

[fzappa13]

Thank you.
That will clear up that it is not the tree itself that drops the manna but is from insects that are attracted to the foliage of the tree.


Since Abraham was a wanderer, why do you suppose he bothered to plant a tree (or trees) that would take several years to mature?
I be way off as to why that tidbit of information was written in scripture about Abe planting the tree, but the only prophetic connection to anything else is the manna that would be available in the future for others that would be in the wilderness while traveling from Egypt to the land that would become Israel.
Which would happen many years later during the Exodus when Israel was called out of Egypt.

Just some speculation to ponder.

A land mark?