- the cedar tree:
- The word airez, whence the Chaldee and Syriac arzo, and the Arabic and Ethiopic arz, and Spanish alerze, unquestionably denotes the cedar; it is thus rendered by the LXX and other versions, κεδρος, and by the Vulgate cedrus; and the inhabitants of mount Lebanon still call it ars. The cedar is a large and nobel evergreen tree, and grows on the most elevated part of the mountain, is taller than the pine, and so thick that five men together could scarcely fathom one. It shoots out its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground; they are large and distant from each other, and are perpetually green. The wood is of a brown colour, very solid and incorruptible, if preserved from wet. The tree bears a small cone, like that of the pine. "As the valleysª are they spread forth,ª° as gardensª by¹ the river's¹ side,² as the trees of lign aloesª which the LORDª hath planted,ª° [and] as cedar treesª beside¹ the waters.ª" {Num 24:6} + "Byª thy messengersª thou hast reproachedª° the Lord,ª and hast said,ª° With the multitudeª of my chariotsª° I¹ am come upª° to the heightª of the mountains,ª to the sidesª of Lebanon,ª and will cut downª° the tallª cedar treesª thereof, [and] the choiceª fir treesª thereof: and I will enterª° into the lodgingsª of his borders,ª [and into] the forestª of his Carmel.ª" {2Kg 19:23} + "The righteousª shall flourishª° like the palm tree:ª he shall growª° like a cedarª in Lebanon.ª" {Psa 92:12}
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