In biblical times, woodlands played a significant role in the daily life and spiritual symbolism of the people of Israel. The term "woodland" refers to areas covered with trees and shrubs, which were less dense than forests but more substantial than open fields. These areas were essential for providing resources such as timber, fuel, and food, and they also held spiritual and symbolic meanings in the biblical narrative.

Biblical References and Symbolism

Woodlands are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible. They often symbolize places of refuge, growth, and divine provision. In the Old Testament, woodlands were sometimes associated with places of hiding or retreat. For example, David sought refuge in the forests of Hereth when fleeing from King Saul (1 Samuel 22:5). The woodlands provided cover and sustenance for those in need of protection.

The prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of woodlands to convey messages of hope and restoration. In Isaiah 32:15, the transformation of the wilderness into a fertile field is described: "until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest." This passage highlights the abundance and renewal that come from God's blessing.

Woodlands also appear in the context of judgment and destruction. In Isaiah 10:18-19, the Assyrian army is likened to a forest that will be consumed by fire: "The splendor of his forest and his fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick man wastes away. And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down." Here, the woodland serves as a metaphor for the might and eventual downfall of a powerful nation.

Practical Uses

In ancient Israel, woodlands were vital for their practical uses. Timber from trees such as cedar, oak, and sycamore was used in construction, including the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon's Temple, renowned for its grandeur, utilized cedar wood from Lebanon, as described in 1 Kings 5:6: "Therefore, command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."

Woodlands also provided fuel for cooking and heating, as well as habitats for wildlife that could be hunted for food. The presence of woodlands contributed to the agricultural and economic stability of the region.

Spiritual Lessons

The Bible often uses natural imagery, including woodlands, to teach spiritual lessons. The growth and flourishing of trees in a woodland can symbolize spiritual growth and prosperity. Psalm 1:3 compares a righteous person to "a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does." This imagery emphasizes the importance of being rooted in God's Word and the resulting spiritual vitality.

In summary, woodlands in the Bible serve as rich symbols of refuge, judgment, and divine blessing. They were essential to the daily life of ancient Israel, providing resources and teaching spiritual truths through their natural beauty and utility.1. (n.) Land covered with wood or trees; forest; land on which trees are suffered to grow, either for fuel or timber.

2. (a.) of or pertaining to woods or woodland; living in the forest; sylvan.

3293a. yaar -- wood, forest, thicket
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition wood, forest, thicket NASB Word Usage
forest (51), forests (2), Jaar (1), thickets (1), woodland (1), woods (2). ...
/hebrew/3293a.htm - 5k

Woodland. CM
... 521 Woodland. CM. Heaven's Joys. (1121) There is an hour of peaceful rest To
mourning wand'rers giv'n; There is a joy for souls distressed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/521 woodland c m.htm

The Northern Mountains
... even in the temperate zone, the Mont Ventoux and other hills in Provence are sliding
now, since they have been rashly cleared of their primeval coat of woodland ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

I an African Free-Town Subject to Rome
... To the east and west, wide stretches of woodland, rounded hill-summits, streams
and torrents which pour through the valleys and glens"there you have Thagaste ...
/.../bertrand/saint augustin/i an african free-town subject.htm

The Legend of La Brea {331A}
... '"Fish I sent you, sent you turtle, Chip-chip, {335e} conch, flamingo red, Woodland
paui, {335f} horned screamer, {335g} And blue ramier {335h} overhead. ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/the legend of la brea.htm

Psalm CXXXII.
... Scriptures. If therefore Ephrata meaneth a mirror, that house which was
found in the woodland plains, was heard of in a mirror. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxxii.htm

Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists
... Away to the west stretches the chess-board of variegated woodland, meadows, and
ploughed fields till it rises suddenly on a far horizon to that sharp ridge on ...
/.../manning/the hymns of wesley and watts five papers/hymns for the use of.htm

Refutation of the Jews
... Like woodland valleys they give shade, and like parks by rivers, like tents
which the Lord has pitched, like cedar-trees by streams. ...
/.../athanasius/on the incarnation of the word/chapter 6 refutation of the.htm

Felicitous Phrases
... aggressive, envious, and arrogant. agreeable, engaging, and delightful. air, woodland,
and water. alarmed, anxious, and uneasy. alert, hopeful, and practical. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iii felicitous phrases.htm

Individuality.
... taste or feel it. It is like the discovery of a new flower in the woodland,
of a new star in the constellation! "It's no a'thegither ...
/.../jackson/the message and the man/chapter iv individuality.htm

The King --Continued.
... choir and orchestra (1 Chronicles 15., and then proceeded with representatives of
the whole nation to bring up the ark from its woodland hiding-place. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/xi the kingcontinued.htm

Woodland (13 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) of or pertaining to woods or woodland; living in the forest; sylvan.
Multi-Version Concordance Woodland (13 Occurrences). ...
/w/woodland.htm - 11k

Underfoot (14 Occurrences)
... saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your
daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went ...
/u/underfoot.htm - 11k

Thorn-tree (7 Occurrences)
... saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your
daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went ...
/t/thorn-tree.htm - 8k

Crushing (93 Occurrences)
... saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your
daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went ...
/c/crushing.htm - 35k

Wooden (18 Occurrences)

/w/wooden.htm - 12k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your
daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

Outskirts (38 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Joshua 17:18 For the hill-country of Gilead will be yours ... the
woodland and cut down ... its outskirts will be yours ... ...
/o/outskirts.htm - 17k

Wooded (3 Occurrences)
... Zion will become like a ploughed field, and Jerusalem will become a mass of broken
walls, and the mountain of the house like the high places of the woodland. ...
/w/wooded.htm - 7k

War-carriages (76 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Joshua 17:18 For the hill-country of Gilead will be yours ... the
woodland and cut down ... its outskirts will be yours ... ...
/w/war-carriages.htm - 31k

Woodlands (3 Occurrences)

/w/woodlands.htm - 7k

Woodland: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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