Definition and Description:
Thistles are a group of flowering plants characterized by their prickly stems and leaves, often bearing purple or pink flowers. They belong to the Asteraceae family and are commonly found in temperate regions. In the Bible, thistles are frequently mentioned as symbols of desolation, curse, and the consequences of sin.

Biblical References:
Thistles appear in several passages throughout the Bible, often in contexts that highlight the fallen state of creation and the challenges faced by humanity due to sin.

1. Genesis 3:17-18 :
"To Adam He said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.'"

In this passage, thistles are part of the curse pronounced upon the ground as a result of Adam's disobedience. They symbolize the hardship and toil that would now characterize human labor.

2. Hosea 10:8 :
"The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, 'Cover us!' and to the hills, 'Fall on us!'"

Here, thistles are used to depict the desolation and judgment that would come upon Israel due to their idolatry and sin. The overgrowth of thistles on altars signifies abandonment and divine retribution.

3. Matthew 7:16 :
"By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

In the New Testament, Jesus uses thistles metaphorically to illustrate the principle that good cannot come from evil. Just as one cannot gather figs from thistles, so too can one not expect righteous deeds from a corrupt heart.

Symbolism and Interpretation:
Thistles in the Bible are emblematic of the consequences of sin and the fallen nature of the world. They serve as a reminder of the curse that came upon creation due to human disobedience. The presence of thistles signifies barrenness, difficulty, and the need for redemption.

Theological Significance:
From a theological perspective, thistles underscore the reality of a world marred by sin and the need for divine intervention. They point to the hope of restoration and redemption through Jesus Christ, who came to reverse the curse and bring about a new creation. The imagery of thistles invites believers to reflect on the state of their own hearts and the fruit they produce, urging a life of repentance and faithfulness.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Near Eastern agriculture, thistles were a common nuisance, making the land difficult to cultivate. Their mention in Scripture would have resonated with the agrarian society of the time, who understood firsthand the toil and frustration associated with these plants. The biblical use of thistles as a metaphor for sin and judgment would have been a powerful image for the original audience.Thistle

[THORNS AND THISTLES]

(1.) Hebrews hoah (2 Kings 14:9; Job 31:40). In Job 41:2 the Hebrew word is rendered "thorn," but in the Revised Version "hook." It is also rendered "thorn" in 2 Chronicles 33:11; Proverbs 26:9; Cant. 2:2; "brambles" in Isaiah 34:13. It is supposed to be a variety of the wild plum-tree, but by some it is regarded as the common thistle, of which there are many varieties in Palestine.

(2.) Hebrews dardar, meaning "a plant growing luxuriantly" (Genesis 3:18; Hosea 10:8); Gr. tribolos, "a triple point" (Matthew 7:16; Hebrews 6:8, "brier, " R.V. "thistle"). This was probably the star-thistle, called by botanists Centaurea calcitropa, or "caltrops," a weed common in corn-fields. (see THORNS.)

(n.) Any one of several prickly composite plants, especially those of the genera Cnicus, Craduus, and Onopordon. The name is often also applied to other prickly plants.5146. tribolos -- a thistle
... a thistle. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: tribolos Phonetic Spelling:
(trib'-ol-os) Short Definition: a thistle Definition: a thistle. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5146.htm - 6k1863. dardar -- thistles
... dardar. 1864 . thistles. Transliteration: dardar Phonetic Spelling: (dar-dar')
Short Definition: thistle. ... thistle. Of uncertain derivation; a thorn -- thistle. ...
/hebrew/1863.htm - 5k

2336. choach -- briar, bramble, hook, ring, fetter
... bramble, thistle, thorn. From an unused root apparently meaning to pierce; a thorn;
by analogy, a ring for the nose -- bramble, thistle, thorn. 2335, 2336. ...
/hebrew/2336.htm - 6k

5621. sarab -- perhaps thorns
... Usage thistles (1). brier. From an unused root meaning to sting; a thistle --
brier. 5620, 5621. sarab. 5622 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5621.htm - 5k

How Amaziah Made an Expedition against the Edomites and Amalekites ...
... There was a vastly tall cypress tree in Mount Lebanon, as also a thistle; this thistle
sent to the cypress tree to give the cypress tree's daughter in marriage ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 how amaziah made.htm

If You Give a Grape to Him when Hungry...
... If you give a grape to him when hungry, a must-cake, an onion, a thistle, [3547]
a cucumber, a fig, will he know that his hunger can be appeased by all these ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/23 if you give a.htm

Little Sins
... one?". Years ago there was not a single thistle in the whole of Australia. ... curse.
Take heed of the thistle-seed; little sins are like it. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/little sins.htm

A Man Reaps More than He Sows.
... One thistle-down which blew from the deck of a vessel is said to have covered
with thistles the entire surface of a South Sea island. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter v a man reaps.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... The latter, surprised at his audacity, replied in a parable, "The thistle that was
in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

Christ the Conqueror of Satan
... upon the serpent Not yet had the woman been condemned to painful travail, or the
man to exhausting labour, or even the soil to the curse of thorn and thistle. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 22 1876/christ the conqueror of satan.htm

God's Love for Man
... The thorn and the thistle"the difficulties and trials that make his life one of
toil and care"were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 1 gods love for.htm

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
... Common blessings: all partake of these, the bad as well as the good; this
sweet dew falls upon the thistle as well as the rose. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the best things work for.htm

Forgiveness and Retribution.
... Suppose I send my hired man to sow wheat. When it grows up, there are thistles mixed
with the wheat. There wasn'ta thistle a year ago. I say to my man: ...
/.../moody/sowing and reaping/chapter vii forgiveness and retribution.htm

Introduction
... Most of the Gnostic teachers, who in their flourishing time were as thick as
thistle-downs in summer, conceived of man as consisting of two "halves" which ...
/.../jones/spiritual reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries/introduction.htm

Thistle (3 Occurrences)
... It is supposed to be a variety of the wild plum-tree, but by some it is regarded
as the common thistle, of which there are many varieties in Palestine. ...
/t/thistle.htm - 9k

Trode (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying,
The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying ...
/t/trode.htm - 9k

Trampled (41 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 14:9 Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying,
"The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying ...
/t/trampled.htm - 19k

Trod (14 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying,
The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying ...
/t/trod.htm - 11k

Amazi'ah (37 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying:
'The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon ...
/a/amazi'ah.htm - 17k

Thistles (9 Occurrences)
... The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the
mountains: 'Cover us', and to the hills: 'Fall on us.' (See NIV). ...
/t/thistles.htm - 9k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... (1) 'aTadh (Judges 9:14, English Versions of the Bible "bramble," the King James
Version margin "thistle," the Revised Version margin "thorn"; Psalm 58:9 ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

Flesh (468 Occurrences)
... (1) 'aTadh (Judges 9:14, English Versions of the Bible "bramble," the King James
Version margin "thistle," the Revised Version margin "thorn"; Psalm 58:9 ...
/f/flesh.htm - 69k

Amaziah (41 Occurrences)
... To Amaziah's demand for reparation, Jehoash's answer was the contemptuous
one of the well-known parable of the Thistle and the Cedar. ...
/a/amaziah.htm - 30k

Jeho'ash (16 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying:
'The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon ...
/j/jeho'ash.htm - 11k

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