HENNA.—See Camphire.
A sweet-smelling, flowering shrub mentioned in Song of Songs 1:14 and 4:13. In older Bible translations like the King James Version, the Hebrew word kopher was translated as "camphire." But scholars today agree it refers to the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis).
Henna is native to northern India and grows wild in the Sudan, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel and the surrounding areas. It grows between 1.2 to 3.7 meters (4 to 12 feet) tall. Its fragrance is similar to that of roses.
People have used henna for beauty purposes since ancient times. To prepare it, the leaves are dried and crushed into a powder, then mixed with water to make a paste. This paste creates a bright yellow, orange, or red color that was used to dye fingernails, toenails, fingertips, palms of hands, and soles of feet. Henna was especially used by young girls. Men also used henna to color their beards, and it was used on the manes and tails of horses. The color would last for two or three weeks before needing to be applied again.
Archaeologists have discovered Egyptian mummies decorated with henna. The use of henna as a cosmetic was common in Egypt during the time the Israelites were slaves there, so they would have been familiar with it.
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Discussion:
Henna Lawsonia inermis grew wild in the oases by the Dead Sea in Old Testament times. It is also known as Egyptian privet and is common in the hot, drier parts of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australia. Although henna was, and is, primarily used because of its coloring properties derived from the dried leaves, in SNG 1:14 the writer mentions its flowers, which are indeed pretty and fragrant. They are in a “cluster” (’eshkol in Hebrew), which could be taken as a woven object parallel to the little bag of myrrh in verse 13 or as a garland, or simply as a clump of flowers in the cultivated terraces above En Gedi. The reference to henna in SNG 4:13 is strange since it is in the plural form in Hebrew (kefarim), parallel to the yet stranger Hebrew word neradim (from nerd; see 4.1.9 Spikenard (nard)). Neither of these plants has significant fruit, so the verse can be taken as a glorious concoction of romantic images of spices and flowers.
Description:
Henna is a shrub that reaches 2–3 meters (7–10 feet) in height. It has opposite leaves and many fragrant white flowers. The leaves yield a red juice that people in many countries use for coloring the skin and hair.
Special significance:
In SNG 1:14 the bride compares her beloved to the fragrant and beautiful flowers of the henna shrubs growing among or near the vines on the terraces above En Gedi Spring. In SNG 4:13 the groom likens his beloved to a garden or park where all kinds of fragrant and beautiful plants grow, some of them exotic.
Translation:
The context is clearly metaphorical in both references to henna, so there is the possibility of substituting locally known equivalents. In places where henna is known only as an agent for coloring the hair, skin or fingernails, it may be important to substitute, or to create a note stating that the smell and beauty of the flowers are in focus. In SNG 4:13 most translations ignore the plural, perhaps assuming that it is influenced by the word “fruits” earlier. Alternatively, a transliteration can be used based on a major language (for example, French henné; Spanish alcana, alheña; Portuguese hena, alfenero; Arabic hinna). The recent resurgence in skin decoration (“mehndi”) using henna may make it easier to find a known word. “Camphire” in KJV is perhaps a cultural substitute.
Plants and Trees in the Bible © United Bible Societies. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.