Song of Solomon

13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire,
with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense;
myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
4:14 plants. The purpose of a garden is not only to look lovely but to produce. The purpose of the
church is not just to appear lovely but to produce spiritual fruit for the Lord. Philippians 1:9 And
this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the
day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the
glory and praise of God.
4:14 spikenard refers to a rose red fragrant ointment made from the dried roots of a plant growing
in the mountains of northern India.
4:14 saffron, a sweet smelling plant with purplish flowers and orange stigmas. The plant was
used for a dye, seasoning, and medicine.
4:14 calamus (cal'-a-mus), refers to a sweet fragrant reed plant. It was one of the substances
Moses used to make the oil used for anointing (Ex. 30:23). The plant was used for medicinal
purposes of gastric complaints.
4:14 cinnamon. The cinnamon tree was not found in Palestine during biblical days. The sweet
smelling bark was highly prized as it was brought from China to Judea by the Phoenicians and
the Arabs in caravans traveling through Persia.
4:14 frankincense refers to a fragrant bitter tasting gum resin that was extracted from various
varieties of the balsam tree in east Africa and in south Arabia.
4:14 myrrh refers to an aromatic resin that was highly valued. The resin sap has a clear, oily
consistency and is white or yellowish in color.
4:14 aloes refers to a plant which produced oil which provided valued perfume.
4:14 spice may refer to the mastic tree which is an evergreen. This small deciduous shrub has
composite leafs which consists of eight smaller leaves. These contain fragrant volatile oils which
are emitted when the leaves are crushed. The trunk and thicker branches contain resin, which is
released when the bark is cut. It is a pale color, or sometimes greenish, and has a pleasant odor
and taste. Oil is pressed from the small, round brownish-black root which was used for cooking
and in loaves. The resin and oil of the mastic tree was used for embalming.
15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
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