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Topical Encyclopedia
Pomegranates are a fruit-bearing shrub or small tree, scientifically known as Punica granatum, that holds significant symbolism and practical use in the Bible. The pomegranate is native to the region of Persia and the surrounding areas, and it has been cultivated since ancient times. In the biblical context, pomegranates are mentioned in various passages, symbolizing beauty, fertility, and abundance.

Biblical References:

1. Symbol of Abundance and Prosperity:
Pomegranates are often associated with the Promised Land's fertility and abundance. In Deuteronomy 8:8, the land promised to the Israelites is described as "a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey." This verse highlights the pomegranate as a symbol of the richness and bounty that God provided for His people.

2. Ornamental Use in the Tabernacle and Temple:
The pomegranate also held a decorative role in the construction of sacred spaces. In Exodus 28:33-34, God commands that pomegranates be embroidered on the hem of the high priest's robe: "Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn around the lower hem of the robe, with gold bells between them." This design was not only ornamental but also served a spiritual purpose, signifying the beauty and holiness of the priestly garments.

Similarly, in 1 Kings 7:18-20, pomegranates were used as decorative elements in Solomon's Temple: "He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars." The use of pomegranates in the temple's architecture further emphasizes their symbolic importance in representing divine beauty and order.

3. Symbol of Love and Fertility:
The Song of Solomon, a poetic book celebrating love and marriage, frequently mentions pomegranates as symbols of love and fertility. In Song of Solomon 4:3, the beloved's cheeks are compared to "a slice of pomegranate," illustrating beauty and desirability. The fruit's numerous seeds make it a fitting symbol for fertility and the blessings of progeny.

4. Metaphor for Spiritual Blessings:
In the prophetic literature, pomegranates can also be seen as metaphors for spiritual blessings and the flourishing of God's people. Joel 1:12 laments the desolation of the land, noting that "the vine has dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree—all the trees of the field—are dried up." This imagery underscores the loss of divine favor and the need for repentance and restoration.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern culture, the pomegranate was a common motif in art and architecture, often symbolizing life and fertility. Its presence in biblical texts reflects its cultural significance and the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites. The fruit's rich red color and abundant seeds made it a powerful symbol of life and prosperity.

Theological Significance:

From a theological perspective, pomegranates in the Bible serve as reminders of God's provision and the beauty of His creation. They are emblematic of the blessings that come from living in accordance with God's will and the spiritual abundance available to His people. The use of pomegranates in sacred contexts, such as the high priest's garments and the temple, underscores their role in representing divine beauty and holiness.

In summary, pomegranates in the Bible are rich in symbolism, representing abundance, beauty, fertility, and spiritual blessings. Their presence in both the physical and spiritual realms of biblical narrative highlights their enduring significance in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Strong's Hebrew
7416. rimmon -- a pomegranate
... 7415, 7416. rimmon or rimmon. 7417 . a pomegranate. Transliteration: rimmon
or rimmon Phonetic Spelling: (rim-mone') Short Definition: pomegranates. ...
/hebrew/7416.htm - 6k
Library

Thy Plants are a Paradise of Pomegranates, with the Fruits of the ...
... CHAPTER IV. 13. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates, with the fruits
of the orchard; cypress with spikenard. Thy fertility ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/13 thy plants are a.htm

I Went Down into the Garden of Nuts to See the Fruits of the ...
... CHAPTER VI. 10. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley,
and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/10 i went down into.htm

I Will Lay Hold Upon Thee and Bring Thee into My Mother's House ...
... lay hold upon thee and bring thee into my mother's house; there thou shalt teach
me, and I will give thee a bowl of spiced wine, and new wine of my pomegranates ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/2 i will lay hold.htm

That the Ruler Should be Discreet in Keeping Silence, Profitable ...
... to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety (Romans 12:3). Hence in the priest's vestment,
according to Divine precept, to bells are added pomegranates (Exodus 28 ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter iv that the ruler.htm

Chapter iv.
... 13. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphor
with spikenard; 13. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/chapter iv.htm

Chapter viii.
... I would lead thee and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me;
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranates.2. I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/chapter viii.htm

Of the Wound of Love.
... Pomegranates, by their vermilion colour, by the multitude of their seeds, so close
set and ranked, and by their fair crowns, vividly represent, as S. Gregory ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xiii of the wound.htm

Concerning the Garments of the Priests, and of the High Priest.
... To the bottom of which garment are hung fringes, in color like pomegranates, with
golden bells [13] by a curious and beautiful contrivance; so that between two ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 concerning the garments.htm

Song of Songs of Solomon
... fountain sealed. 13. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates, with the
fruits of the orchard; cypress with spikenard. 14. Spikenard ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/

The Waters of Meribah
... It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is
there any water to drink.6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the waters of meribah.htm

Thesaurus
Pomegranates (20 Occurrences)
...Pomegranates (20 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). Exodus 39:24 They made on the skirts of
the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen. ...
/p/pomegranates.htm - 13k

Net-work (11 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows around upon the one net-work,
to cover the capitals that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so he did ...
/n/net-work.htm - 9k

Chapiters (15 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network,
to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so ...
/c/chapiters.htm - 11k

Network (19 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly
which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows ...
/n/network.htm - 14k

Capitals (21 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly
which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows ...
/c/capitals.htm - 13k

Pomegranate (11 Occurrences)
... The skirt of the high priest's blue robe and ephod was adorned with the representation
of pomegranates, alternating with golden bells (Exodus 28:33, 34), as ...
/p/pomegranate.htm - 15k

Chapiter (8 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network,
to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so ...
/c/chapiter.htm - 10k

Rows (29 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly
which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows ...
/r/rows.htm - 15k

Networks (5 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of
pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that ...
/n/networks.htm - 8k

Globes (4 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of
pomegranates for one network, to cover the two globes of the capitals which ...
/g/globes.htm - 7k

Resources
What is the significance of pomegranates in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What are Jachin and Boaz? | GotQuestions.org

What are the mandrakes mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus
Concordance
Pomegranates (20 Occurrences)

Exodus 28:33
On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around them:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 28:34
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.
(See NIV)

Exodus 39:24
They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 39:25
They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 39:26
a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about, to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
(See NIV)

Numbers 13:23
They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two; they brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 20:5
Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 8:8
a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 7:18
And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 7:20
There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows around on the other capital.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 7:42
and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 25:17
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was on it; and the height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital around it, all of brass: and like to these had the second pillar with network.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 3:16
He made chains in the oracle, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 4:13
and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 4:13
Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits: henna with spikenard plants,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 6:11
I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 7:12
Let's go early up to the vineyards. Let's see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 8:2
I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, that thou mightest instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 52:22
A capital of brass was on it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of brass: and the second pillar also had like these, and pomegranates.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 52:23
There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were one hundred on the network all around.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Pomegranates

Related Terms

Pomegranate (11 Occurrences)

Migron (2 Occurrences)

Pomegranates (20 Occurrences)

Outskirts (38 Occurrences)

Languish (13 Occurrences)

Languisheth (10 Occurrences)

Rimmon (22 Occurrences)

Extreme (11 Occurrences)

Micron

Pomegranate-trees (1 Occurrence)

Palm-tree (8 Occurrences)

Apple-tree (3 Occurrences)

Staying (39 Occurrences)

Uttermost (48 Occurrences)

Gib'e-ah (45 Occurrences)

Tarried (42 Occurrences)

Fails (35 Occurrences)

Apple (8 Occurrences)

Withered (46 Occurrences)

Dried (66 Occurrences)

Abode (112 Occurrences)

Gibeah (52 Occurrences)

Fig-tree (33 Occurrences)

Mankind (80 Occurrences)

Rejoicing (90 Occurrences)

Gladness (83 Occurrences)

Fig (45 Occurrences)

Palm (49 Occurrences)

Six (198 Occurrences)

Vine (76 Occurrences)

Saul (371 Occurrences)

Pomegranate: Wine Made of
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