Hyssop is a small aromatic bush with strong, hairy stems and white flowers, used for sprinkling in Jewish purification rituals.
About Hyssop
A woody plant that originally comes from Asia. It has small blue flowers that grow in spikes and leaves with a strong, pleasant smell. People use hyssop as a flavoring in food and to make perfume.
Bible scholars do not agree about exactly what plant "hyssop" refers to in the Bible. Some have suggested that it might be Hyssopus officinalis, which is the hyssop grown in gardens. However, this plant does not naturally grow in Israel and the surrounding areas or Egypt. It is only found naturally in southern Europe. Also, this plant does not match the description of hyssop that we find in the Bible.
Key References
Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
He is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house;
A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.
All Scripture References (12)
Exodus (1)
Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
Leviticus (5)
the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.
And he is to take the live bird together with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water.
He is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house;
Then he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
And he shall cleanse the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn.
Numbers (2)
The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.
Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, or a person who has died or been slain.
1 Kings (1)
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
Psalms (1)
Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
John (1)
A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.
Hebrews (1)
For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,