- The thistle:
- "The treesª went forthª°°° [on a time] to anointª° a kingª over¹ them; and they saidª° unto the olive tree,ª Reignª° thou over¹ us. ... And the brambleª saidª° unto¹ the trees,ª If¹ in truthª ye¹ anointª° me kingª over¹ you, [then] comeª° [and] put your trustª° in my shadow:ª and if¹ not,¹ let fireª come outª° of¹ the bramble,ª and devourª°¹ the cedarsª of Lebanon.ª" {Jdg 9:8-15} + "And the LORDª sentª°¹ Nathanª unto¹ David.ª And he cameª° unto¹ him, and saidª° unto him, There were¹ twoª men²¹ in oneª city;ª the oneª rich,ª and the otherª poor.ª° ... And there cameª° a travellerª unto the richª man,ª and he sparedª° to takeª° of his own flockª¹ and of his own herd,ª¹ to dressª° for the wayfaring manª° that was comeª° unto him; but tookª° the poorª° man'sª¹ lamb,ª and dressedª° it for the manª that was comeª° to¹ him." {2Sm 12:1-4} + "And he spakeª° of¹ trees,ª from¹ the cedar treeª that¹ [is] in Lebanonª even unto¹ the hyssopª that¹ springeth outª° of the wall:ª he spakeª° also of¹ beasts,ª and of¹ fowl,ª and of¹ creeping things,ª and of¹ fishes.ª" {1Kg 4:33} + "Then saidª° I, Ahª Lordª GOD!ª they¹ sayª° of me, Doth he¹ not¹ speakª° parables?ª" {Ezk 20:49}; The word choach, which is rendered here, and in "And Joashª kingª of Israelª sentª° to¹ Amaziahª kingª of Judah,ª saying,ª° The thistleª that¹ [was] in Lebanonª sentª° to¹ the cedarª that¹ [was] in Lebanon,ª saying,ª° Giveª°¹ thy daughterª to my sonª to wife:ª and there passed byª° a wildª beastª that¹ [was] in Lebanon,ª and trode downª°¹ the thistle.ª" {2Ch 25:18} + "(For¹ from my youthª¹ he was brought upª° with me, as [with] a father,ª and I have guidedª° her from my mother'sª womb;)ª¹" {Job 31:18}, thistle, in "When the menª of Israelª sawª° that¹ they were in a strait,ª° (for¹ the peopleª were distressed,)ª° then the peopleª did hide²° themselves¹ in caves,ª and in thickets,ª and in rocks,ª and in high places,ª and in pits.ª" {1Sm 13:6}, thicket in "And thornsª shall come upª° in her palaces,ª nettlesª and bramblesª in the fortressesª thereof: and it shall be¹ an habitationª of dragons,²¹ [and] a courtª for owls.ªª" {Isa 34:13}, bramble, and in "Wherefore the LORDª broughtª° upon¹¹ them the captains¹ of² the host ofª the kingª of Assyria,ª which¹ tookª°¹ Manassehª among the thorns,ª and bound¹ him²° with fetters,ª and carried²°¹ him to Babylon.ª" {2Ch 33:11} + "[As] a thornª goeth upª° into the handª of a drunkard,ª so [is] a parableª in the mouthª of fools.ª" {Prv 26:9} + "As the lilyª among¹ thorns,ª so¹ [is] my loveª among¹ the daughters.ª" {Sgs 2:2} + "For,¹ lo,¹ they are goneª° because of destruction:ª¹ Egyptª shall gather them up,ª° Memphisª shall buryª° them: the pleasantª [places] for their silver,ª nettlesª shall possessª° them: thornsª [shall be] in their tabernacles.ª" {Hsa 9:6} thorn, is probably the black thorn, or sloe tree, the prunus spinosa of Linneus, as the same word signifies in Arabic. There is a vast deal of insolent dignity in this remonstrance of Jehoash; but it has nothing conciliatory; no proposal of making amends for the injury his army had done to the unoffending inhabitants of Judah ("Then Amaziahª separatedª° them, [to wit], the armyª that¹ was comeª° to¹ him out of Ephraim,ª¹ to go²°¹ homeª again:²° wherefore their angerª was greatlyª kindledª° against Judah,ª and they returnedª° homeª in greatª anger.ª ... But the soldiersª of the armyª which¹ Amaziahª sent back,ª° that they should not go²°¹¹ with¹ him to battle,ª fell²° upon¹ the citiesª of Judah,ª from Samariaª¹ even unto¹ Bethhoron,ª and smoteª° threeª thousandª of¹ them, and tookª° muchª spoil.ª" {2Ch 25:10-13}). The comparatively useless thorn, which may by chance lacerate the incautious passenger, is made the emblem of the house of Judah and David, while the house of Jehu is represented by the stately cedar.
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