The term "thorny" in the Bible often symbolizes difficulties, obstacles, and the consequences of sin. Thorns are mentioned in various contexts throughout Scripture, serving as both literal and metaphorical elements that convey deeper spiritual truths.

Genesis 3:18
The introduction of thorns into the world is first mentioned in Genesis 3:18 as part of the curse following Adam and Eve's disobedience: "It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field." Here, thorns represent the toil and hardship that result from sin, marking a world that has been marred by the fall of man.

Exodus 3:2
In a more positive light, thorns are part of the setting for Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush: "There the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed." The bush, likely a thorny shrub, becomes a symbol of God's presence and His ability to transcend natural limitations.

Judges 8:7
Thorns are also used as instruments of judgment and discipline. In Judges 8:7, Gideon warns the men of Succoth, "I will tear your flesh with thorns and briers from the wilderness." This illustrates the use of thorns as a means of punishment, reflecting the consequences of opposing God's chosen leaders.

Proverbs 22:5
The book of Proverbs uses thorns metaphorically to describe the path of the wicked: "Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them." Thorns here symbolize the moral and spiritual dangers that ensnare those who stray from righteousness.

Matthew 13:7, 22
In the New Testament, Jesus uses thorns in the Parable of the Sower to illustrate spiritual truths. Matthew 13:7 states, "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings." Jesus explains in verse 22, "The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." Thorns here represent the distractions and cares of the world that hinder spiritual growth and fruitfulness.

2 Corinthians 12:7
The Apostle Paul speaks of a "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12:7, describing a persistent trial or affliction: "To keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me." This thorn serves as a reminder of human weakness and the sufficiency of God's grace.

Hebrews 6:8
Finally, thorns are used in Hebrews 6:8 to describe the fate of those who fall away from the faith: "But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and soon to be cursed. Its end is to be burned." This imagery underscores the seriousness of apostasy and the importance of remaining faithful to God.

Throughout Scripture, thorns serve as a powerful symbol of the consequences of sin, the challenges of life, and the need for divine intervention and grace. They remind believers of the fallen state of the world and the hope of redemption through Christ.1. (superl.) Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown.

2. (superl.) Like a thorn or thorns; hence, figuratively, troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing.

174. akanthinos -- of thorns
... Word Origin from akantha Definition of thorns NASB Word Usage thorns (2). of thorns,
thorny. From akantha; thorny -- of thorns. see GREEK akantha. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/174.htm - 6k

5146. tribolos -- a thistle
... brier, thistle. From treis and belos; properly, a crow-foot (three-pronged obstruction
in war), ie (by analogy) a thorny plant (caltrop) -- brier, thistle. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5146.htm - 6k

5285. naatsuts -- a thorn bush
... thorn. From an unused root meaning to prick; probably a brier; by implication, a
thicket of thorny bushes -- thorn. 5284, 5285. naatsuts. 5286 . ...
/hebrew/5285.htm - 6k

2738. charul -- (a kind of weed), perhaps chickpea
... khaw-rool'}; apparently, a passive participle of an unused root probably meaning
to be prickly; properly, pointed, ie A bramble or other thorny weed: nettle. ...
/hebrew/2738.htm - 6k

5570. Senaah -- a family of returning exiles
... Senaah, Hassenaah with the article. From an unused root meaning to prick; thorny;
Senaah, a place in Palestine -- Senaah, Hassenaah (with the article). ...
/hebrew/5570.htm - 6k

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 19, Etc. , Where the Lord ...
... 2. Now ye know that those three places mentioned yesterday where the seed did not
grow, "the way side," "the stony ground," and "the thorny places," are the ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxiii on the words.htm

Commandment Sixth. How to Recognise the Two Spirits Attendant on ...
... crooked. For the crooked path has no roads, but has many pathless places
and stumbling-blocks in it, and it is rough and thorny. ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/commandment sixth how to recognise.htm

The Sower Cont.
... St. Paul found a thorny soil in Corinth which came behind in no gift, if only gifts
had been graces, but was indulgent, factious and selfish, puffed up amid ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 4 3-9 14-20 the sower 2.htm

Of the Condolence and Complacency of Love in the Passion of Our ...
... I see him, this dear lover"he is a fire of love burning in a thorny bush of sorrow,
and I am the same: I am all inflamed with love amid the thorny bushes of ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter v of the condolence.htm

January the Twenty-First the Value of one Soul
... He "goeth into the mountain and seeketh!" The Eastern shepherd goes out in tempest,
and in rocky ravine, or in thorny scrub that tears the hands and feet, he ...
/.../january the twenty-first the value.htm

The Long, Rough Road He Trod
... For there was thorny roughness at the sides as He pushed through, as well as steep
roughness under foot. And it may not seem so long at first. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on following the christ/the long rough road he.htm

Christ Crucified.
... 2, 3. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns. The crown of thorns was probably
a wreath of thorny leaves something like the common cactus. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/christ crucified.htm

Trust in God --True Wisdom
... had passed over man's head, his discovered nakedness, pains of body, weariness,
toil, expulsion from Paradise, and tilling a thankless, thorny land, taught man ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/trust in godtrue wisdom.htm

It is Said that on a Recent Occasion Where the Letters of ...
... For instance, Chrysippus and Antipater occupy themselves with thorny questions:
Demosthenes and ??schines speak with the voice of thunder against each other ...
/.../14 it is said that.htm

The Charge to the Soldier of the Lord
... to be the will of God, without finding out that all the 'Canaanites' are not dead
yet; but that there are enough of them left to make a very thorny life for ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the charge to the soldier.htm

Thorny (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (superl.) Full of thorns or spines; rough with thorns; spiny; as, a thorny
wood; a thorny tree; a thorny crown. ...Thorny (3 Occurrences). ...
/t/thorny.htm - 7k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Hebrews hedek (Proverbs 15:19), rendered "brier"
in Micah 7:4. Some thorny plant, of the Solanum family, suitable for hedges. ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

Lizard (3 Occurrences)
... meaning, but probably denoting four kinds of lizards." 2. Lizards of Palestine:
Among the many lizards of Palestine, the monitor and thorny-tailed lizard are ...
/l/lizard.htm - 16k

Tortoise (1 Occurrence)
... (the King James Version) (tsabh, the Revised Version (British and American) "great
lizard"; compare the Arabic word, dabb, the thorny-tailed lizard): The word ...
/t/tortoise.htm - 9k

Bush (14 Occurrences)
... From its etymology ceneh clearly denotes a "thorny" plant, as does the
corresponding batos in the Septuagint and New Testament. ...
/b/bush.htm - 19k

Flesh (468 Occurrences)
... Any pedestrian in Palestine must be familiar with the ubiquitous and
troublesome thorny shrubs and thistles which abound there. ...
/f/flesh.htm - 69k

Wreath (21 Occurrences)
... Matthew 27:29 They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and
they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted ...
/w/wreath.htm - 12k

Twisted (79 Occurrences)
... Matthew 27:29 They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and
they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted ...
/t/twisted.htm - 28k

Thorns (56 Occurrences)
... mention no less than twenty-two words in the Bible signifying thorny plants, and
the word akantha in the New Testament Greek is a generic and not a specific ...
/t/thorns.htm - 25k

Twigs (8 Occurrences)
... Matthew 27:29 They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and
they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted ...
/t/twigs.htm - 8k

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