A type of tree with leaves, flowers, and fruit, and its wood can be used for carving.
About Laurel
The Laurel Laurus nobilis is the source of bay leaf used in European cooking up to today. It must have been common in Israel in biblical times, and was used for oil, as a spice in food, and in medicine. It has a fresh, pleasing smell. It was abundant in Carmel, where it is plentiful to the present, and on the other mountains, Tabor, Gilead and Hermon. However, we only have two very debatable references to the laurel tree in the Bible. One is ISA 44:14, which refers to the making of idols: “… he plants ’oren [‘cedar’ in RSV ] and the rain nourishes it.” The other is PSA 37:35, where the Hebrew word ‘oritz may not refer to a plant at all. In ISA 44:14 the letter n in the Hebrew word ’oren was marked as suspicious by the Masoretes, leading later scholars to take the root ’ar as a reference to ’erez (“cedar”). However, the reading ’oren is probably correct.
Key References
He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.
All Scripture References (1)
Isaiah (1)
He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.