This was a fruit of Palestine, beautiful in its appearance, and very pleasant in its taste; and therefore Christ, in celebrating the loveliness of the church, compares her temples to "a piece of pomegranate within her locks." (Song 4: 3.) And the church, speaking of the glories of her Husband, saith, I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate." (Song 8. 2.) The sense is, the church would treat Jesus with her best fare. And as every thing she had and was came from her Lord, surely her Lord should have the best of his own gifts and graces. In a spiritual sense, believers may be said to entertain Christ when, in their exercises of faith in any of the gracious, or providential dispensations of the Lord, our sorrows are so sweetly tinged with the presence and sanctifying blessings of the Lord, that they are like to spiced wine in which is infused the juice of the pomegranate. Jesus sweetens all, as the bitter waters at Marah were sweetened by the tree cast into them. (Exod. xv. 23 - 25.)
The pomegranate is a native of Asia; and we may trace it from Syria, through Persia, even to the mountains of Northern India. It is common in Northern Africa, and was early cultivated in Egypt: hence the Israelites in the desert complain (Num 20:5), ’It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates.’ Being common in Syria and Persia, it must have early attracted the attention of Eastern nations. In the present day it is highly valued, and travelers describe the pomegranate as being delicious throughout Persia. The late Sir A. Burnes states that the famous pomegranates without seeds are grown in gardens under the snowy hills, near the River Cabul. The bright and dark-green foliage of the pomegranate, and its flowers conspicuous for the crimson color both of the calyx and petals, must have made it an object of desire in gardens; while its large reddish-colored fruit, filled with numerous seeds, each surrounded with juicy pleasant-tasted pulp, would make it still more valuable as a fruit in warm countries. The pulpy grains of this fruit are sometimes eaten by themselves, sometimes sprinkled with sugar; at other times the juice is pressed out and made into wine, or one of the esteemed sherbets of the East. This seems also to have been the custom in ancient times, for it is said in Son 8:2, ’I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.’
The pomegranate was well known to the Greeks. It was employed as a medicine by Hippocrates, and is mentioned by Homer. Various parts of the plant were employed medicinally, as, for instance, the root, or rather its bark, the flowers, and the double flowers; also the rind of the pericarp. Some of the properties which these plants possess, make them useful both as drugs and as medicines. We have hence a combination of useful and ornamental properties, which would make the pomegranate an object sure to command attention: and these, in addition to the showy nature of the flowers, and the roundish form of the fruit, crowned by the protuberant remains of the calyx, would induce its selection as an ornament to be imitated in carved work. Hence we find frequent mention of it as an ornament on the robes of the priests (Exo 28:33; Exo 39:24); and also in the temple (1Ki 7:18; 1Ki 7:20; 1Ki 7:42; 2Ki 25:17; 2Ch 3:16; 2Ch 4:13). It might, therefore, well be adduced by Moses among the desirable objects of the land of promise (Deu 8:8): ’a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil-olive and honey.’
Grained apple, the Punica Granatum of Linnaeus; called also Malum Granatum, in French pomme granate, whence its English name. The tree grows wild in Persia and Syria, as generally in the south of Europe and north of Africa. It is low, with a straight stem, reddish bark, many and spreading branches, dark green lancet-formed leaves, and large and beautiful crimson blossoms. The fruit is of the size of an orange, of a tawny brown, with a thick astringent coat, containing an abundance of seeds, each enveloped in a distinct, very juicy, pink coat, whose flavor, in a wild state, is a pure and very strong acid; but in the cultivated plant, sweet and highly agreeable. The ripe pulp was eaten by itself or with a sprinkling of sugar; or its juice was made into a sherbet. The value of the fruit and the beauty of the flower made the pomegranate welcome in gardens, Son 4:13 6:7,11 8:2 Joe 1:12 . It was abundant in Palestine, Num 13:23 Deu 8:8 . Artificial pomegranates were used as ornaments on the robe of the high priest, Exo 28:33, and also as an architectural ornament, 1Ki 7:18 .\par
Pomegranate. The pomegranate tree, Punicu granatum, derives its name from the Latin, pomum granatum, "grained apple". The Romans gave it the name of Punica, as the tree was introduced from Carthage. It belongs to the natural order Myrtaceae, (Myrtle), being, however, rather a tall bush than a tree.
The foliage is dark green, the flowers are crimson, the fruit, which is about the size of an orange, is red when ripe, which, in Palestine, is about the middle of October. It contains a quantity of juice. Mention is made in Son 8:2, of spiced wine of the juice of the pomegranate. The rind is used in the manufacture of morocco leather, and together with the bark, is sometimes used medicinally.
Mr. Royle, (Kitto’s Cyclopedia, article "Rimmon"), states that this tree is a native of Asia and is to be traced from Syria through Persia, even to the mountains of northern India. The pomegranate was early cultivated in Egypt; hence, the complaint of the Israelites in the wilderness of Zin, Num 20:5, this "is no place of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates."
Carved figures of the pomegranate adorned the tops of the pillars in Solomon’s Temple, 1Ki 7:18; 1Ki 7:20; etc.; and worked representations of this fruit, in blue, purple and scarlet, ornamented the hem of the robe of the ephod. Exo 28:33-34. A fragment of the fruit with its pearly seeds, imbedded in ruby liquid, is very beautiful. "Thy cheeks are like a piece of pomegranate" is the allusion of the poet to the fine transparent tint. Son 4:3.
The cup of betrothal He gave her at the last supper, the marriage cup shall be at His return (Mat 26:29; Rev 19:7-9). "Spices" are only introduced in the Song of Solomon when he is present, not in his absence. The pomegranate was carved on the tops of the pillars in Solomon’s temple (1Ki 7:18; 1Ki 7:20), and on the hem of the robe of the ephod (Exo 28:33-34). The fruit is surmounted with a crown-shaped (compare spiritually 2Ti 4:8; 1Pe 5:4; Jas 1:12)
Pomegranate (pum-gran’nate). The pomegranate has been cultivated from early times in Syria, Num 13:23; Deu 8:8, and the warmer regions of the east. It rarely exceeds ten feet in height, and has small lance-shaped, glossy leaves, of a reddish-green when young, but becoming pea-green and remaining alive through the winter. The flowers are of a brilliant scarlet or orange, and in August or September the fruit ripens. This is of the size of an orange, flattened at the ends like an apple, is of a beautiful brown-red color, Son 4:3; Son 6:7, has a hard rind and is filled with pulp of a highly grateful flavor. The abundant juice was made into wine, Son 8:2, and used for a cooling drink. Some cultivated trees bear sweet and some sour fruit, while the wild pomegranates yield only a small and worthless apple.
(
: Punica Granatum):
By: Emil G. Hirsch, Immanuel Benzinger
A tree of the myrtle family. The pomegranate was carried into Egypt in very early historic times (comp. Num. xx. 5), and was also cultivated in Palestine, Assyria, and most of the countries bordering the Mediterranean. The spies brought pomegranates, grapes, and figs as signs of the fertility of Canaan (ib. xiii. 23). Several Biblical passages indicate that the pomegranate was among the common fruit-trees of the country (Deut. viii. 8; Joel i. 12; Hag. ii. 19). A famous pomegranate-tree grew at Gibeah in the time of Saul (I Sam. xiv. 2). Pomegranate-groves, as well as the beautiful flower of the tree, are mentioned in the Song of Solomon; and the fruit furnishes similes (Cant. iv. 3, 13; vi. 7, 11; vii. 13). The pomegranate was used in art. The two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, were ornamented with a representation of it (I Kings vii. 18); and pomegranates were embroidered on the garment of the high priest (Ex. xxviii. 33).
Throughout the East the pomegranate is the symbol of luxuriant fertility and of life. Pomegranates are eaten raw, their acid juice being most refreshing (comp. Cant. iv. 3). They are also dried (comp. Ma'as. i. 6). The juice mixed with water is to-day a favorite drink in the East; in former times it was also prepared as a kind of wine (Cant. viii. 2; Pliny, "Hist. Naturalis," xiv. 19).
POMEGRANATE (rimmôn, Arah. rummân).—Tree and fruit (Exo 28:33 f., Exo 39:24-26, Num 13:23; Num 20:5, Deu 8:8, 1Sa 14:2; 1Sa 14:1 k 7:18, 20, 42, 2Ki 25:17, 2Ch 3:16; 2Ch 4:13, Son 4:3; Son 4:13; Son 6:7; Son 7:12; Son 8:2, Jer 52:22 f., Joe 1:12, Hag 2:19). The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is one of the familiar fruit trees of the OT; it is usually a shrub, hut may attain the height of a tree (1Sa 14:2); it was much admired for its beauty (Son 4:3; Son 6:11), and its flower was copied in ornamentation (Exo 28:33, 1Ki 7:13). Its dark green leaves and brilliant scarlet blossom make it a peculiarly attractive object, especially when growing in orchards (Son 4:13), mixed with trees of other shades of green; its buds develop with the tender grapes (Son 7:12), and the round, reddish fruit, with its hrilliant crimson, juicy seeds, ripens at the time of the vintage. The fruit is a favourite food, and the hark a valued astringent medicine.
E. W. G. Masterman.
1. A Tree Characteristic of Palestine:
One of the most attractive and most characteristic of the fruit trees of Syria, probably indigenous to Persia, Afghanistan and the neighborhood of the Caucasus, but introduced to Palestine in very ancient times. The spies brought specimens of figs and pomegranates, along with grapes, from the Vale of Eshcol (Num 13:23). Vines, figs and pomegranates are mentioned (Num 20:5) as fruits the Israelites missed in the wilderness; the promised land was to be one “of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates” (Deu 8:8), a promise renewed in Hag 2:19. In the lamentation in Joe 1:11, Joe 1:12 we have the pomegranate, the palm tree and the apple tree represented as withered, “for joy is withered away from the sons of men.”
2. The Fruit:
The pomegranate tree, Punica granatum (Natural Order, Granateae) occurs usually as a shrub or small tree 10-15 ft. high, and is distinguished by its fresh green, oval leaves, which fall in winter, and its brilliant scarlet blossoms (compare Son 7:12). The beauty of an orchard of pomegranates is referred to in Son 4:13. The fruit which is ripe about September is apple-shaped, yellow-brown with a blush of red, and is surmounted by a crown-like hard calyx; on breaking the hard rind, the white or pinkish, translucent fruits are seen tightly packed together inside. The juicy seeds are sometimes sweet and sometimes somewhat acid, and need sugar for eating. The juice expressed from the seeds is made into a kind of syrup for flavoring drinks, and in ancient days was made into wine: “I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice (margin “sweet wine”) of my pomegranate” (Son 8:2). The beauty of a cut section of pomegranate - or one burst open naturally, when fully ripe - may have given rise to the comparison in Son 4:3; Son 6:7: “Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate.” The rind of the pomegranate contains a very high percentage of tannic acid, and is employed both as a medicine and for tanning, particularly in making genuine morocco leather.
Whether the pomegranate tree in Migron under which Saul is said (1Sa 14:2) to have abode with his 600 men was really a tree or a place, Rimmon, is doubtful. See RIMMON.
3. The Pomegranate in Art:
A large number of references to the pomegranate are to the use of the form of the fruit in ornamentation, in which respect it appears among the Hebrews to have something of the position of the lotus bud as a decorative motive in Egypt. It was embroidered in many colors on the skirts of Aaron’s garments, together with golden bells (Exo 28:33 f; Exo 39:24-26; compare Ecclesiasticus 45:9). Hiram of Tyre introduced the pomegranate into his brass work ornamentation in the temple: “So he made the pillars; and there were two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars” (margin “So the Syriac The Hebrew has ’pomegranates’“) (1Ki 7:18). “And the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon the other capital” (1Ki 7:20; compare also 1Ki 7:42; 2Ki 25:17; 2Ch 3:16; 2Ch 4:13).
Exo 28:34 (c) This fruit was and still is an emblem of fruitfulness. This fruit is quite filled with seeds so that it is able to reproduce itself in a multitude of new plants. It is also a type of sweetness and of satisfaction. These are a fruit of the Spirit of GOD in the life, bringing about these lovely results. (See Son 4:13).
Son 4:3 (c) Solomon is describing the beauty of the church and indicates that the thoughts in the minds of GOD’s people would be beautiful ones and fruitful ones. This of course is true, and perhaps this is the lesson intended.
Pomegranate. A round, sweet fruit about ten centimeters (four inches) across with a hard rind. It is green when young and turns red when ripe. There are numerous edible seeds inside the pomegranate.
The pomegranate tree has been cultivated in Palestine and Egypt since ancient times ( Num 13:23; Deu 8:8). It grew as a bush or small tree, sometimes reaching a height of about 9 meters (30 feet) with small, lance-shaped leaves. The blossoms were bright red. The fruit usually ripened in August or September.
Pomegranates were highly esteemed during Bible times. The hem of Aaron’s robe was decorated with blue, purple, and red pomegranates ( Exo 28:33-34; Exo 39:24-26). It was listed among the pleasant fruits of Egypt ( Num 20:5). Solomon decorated the Temple with the likeness of the pomegranate ( 1Ki 7:18; 1Ki 7:20). A spiced wine was made from the juice ( Son 8:2).
A red fruit filled with tiny
seeds, each covered with a sweet, juicy
part of the fruit.
The pomegranate is usually a small, bush-like tree but may sometimes grow as a large, branching shrub or small tree reaching a height of 6.1 to 9.1 meters (20 to 30 feet). The branches often have thorns. The showy bell-like flowers are usually bright red, though sometimes yellow or white.
The round fruit is as large as an orange or medium-sized apple. It has a hard outer skin of bright red or yellowish color when ripe. The top of the fruit has dry flower parts that look like a crown. Inside the fruit is a crimson juicy pulp with many red seeds embedded in it.
The flowers of the pomegranate likely served as a pattern for the golden bells mentioned in Exodus 28:33–34 and 39:24–26, and the open flowers described in 1 Kings 6:32. The upright parts on top of the fruit served as a model for the crowns of kings.
The pomegranate originally comes from Asia, but it has been grown since very ancient times. It is now quite common in the region of Palestine, in Egypt, and along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is listed as one of the pleasant fruits of Egypt (Numbers 20:5). It is also listed as one of the promised blessings of the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 8:8).
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.
References:
Discussion:
The Pomegranate Punica granatum has been grown from ancient times across the Middle East over to Iran and into northern India. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of Southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies, and tropical Africa. Pomegranates are now found throughout the warm parts of southern Europe and across North Africa and Asia all the way to Nepal. Images of pomegranate fruits have been found in Pharaoh’s temple in Karnak, Egypt, dating from around 1480 B.C. In classical Latin the species name was malum punium (apple of Puni) or malum granatum (seedy apple). This has influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages (for example, German Granatapfel, “seeded apple”). The English word “pomegranate” itself comes from Latin pomum (fruit, apple) via Old French; (compare pomme in French). The Arabic rummân passed into some other languages, including Portuguese romã.
Description:
The pomegranate is a small tree, growing to about 3–5 meters (10–17 feet) tall, with narrow, dark green leaves and many thorny branches. It has a lovely red flower. The fruit is a bit smaller than an orange and has a hard skin, which must be cut open to get at the tightly-packed pockets of seeds inside, each seed enclosed in a little bag of juicy pulp. The end of the fruit has a distinctive flower-like shape. The hard skin, which turns from green to red as it ripens, is used as a tanning agent, for medicine, and for ink. The seeds were sometimes made into wine. Pomegranate trees live up to two hundred years.
Special significance:
The pomegranate was one of the seven “special” foods mentioned in DEU 8:8 that the Israelites would find in Canaan. The fruit was one of several brought back to the camp of the Israelites by the men who scouted out Canaan (NUM 13:23). In JOS 15:32 it is a place name. In SNG 4:3 the bride of the king is said to have cheeks like halves of a pomegranate, a reference, probably, to their red color. The flower-shaped end of the pomegranate fruit made it an attractive decoration, for example on the fringe of the priests’ robes (EXO 28:33; EXO 28:34; EXO 28:34) and on the columns and furniture of the Temple (2KI 25:17). One of the earliest artifacts we have of the Temple in Jerusalem is a pomegranate-shaped carving considered to be the head of a staff. The prophet Joel mentions the pomegranate as one of five species that were dying because of a drought and a locust plague (JOL 1:12).
In Jewish tradition the pomegranate stands for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 commands of the Torah. For this reason and others many Jews eat pomegranates on the Jewish New Year Festival (Rosh Hashanah). Jewish tradition also holds that the pointed calyx of the pomegranate is the original “design” for a royal crown.
The Babylonians believed chewing pomegranate seeds before battle made them invincible. The Qur’an mentions pomegranates three times, twice as examples of the good things God creates, once as a fruit found in the Garden of Paradise.
Translation:
The pomegranate is only recently being grown outside of the Mediterranean area. In West Africa it has not yet become a popular fruit. Where it is known at all, it is called rummân (from Arabic). In SNG 4:3 and SNG 6:7 the references to the pomegranate are rhetorical. There a cultural equivalent representing redness or beauty could be used. Elsewhere in the Bible transliteration is advised, following a major language, for example, roman /rumman (Arabic), romã /romeira /romanzeiro (Portuguese), grenade /mangrano (French), seok ryu (Korean). The word pome simply means “fruit,” so the basic word to transliterate from is granate (compare granada in Spanish). A possible expression is “garinada fruit.” The Latin phrase Punica granatum for pomegranate means the “grenade” of Punica (= Carthage), a city in present-day Tunisia. The Latin word granatum means “filled with many grains or seeds.” Reflecting this, Bambara of Guinea uses “karanati fruit.” One could also use the Hebrew rimmon as a base. Areas influenced by Arabic may find a word like rummân, for example, roomaanoo in Mandinka. A footnote could describe the fruit as similar to a guava, red and seedy.
Although the pomegranate has been introduced recently throughout Africa, it is not well-known, so the name will most likely need to be transliterated. As the English name is quite long, the translator is advised to translate from another source or look for ways to shorten it, such as “granata fruit.”
EXO 28:33: “On its skirts you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet stuff, around its skirts, with bells of gold between them.” Here the writer is talking about making images of pomegranate fruit from cloth (“blue and purple and scarlet stuff”). One could say something like “… take colored string [or, cotton] and make things like pomegranate fruit … .” Also consider using an illustration. Finally, one could consider using “like the fruit of trees” in the text, and designating the species (pomegranate) in a footnote. LB takes the pomegranates as embroidered, but the impression is given that the bells are also embroidered, which seems odd, as they need to tinkle (verse 35). NCV says “balls like pomegranates,” which is clear. For verses 33–34 CEV provides a helpful model, saying “Along the hem of the robe weave pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool with a gold bell between each of them.”
1KI 7:18: Instead of “pomegranates,” some Hebrew manuscripts read “pillars” (‘amudim rather than rimmonim). HOTTP favors ‘amudim here but only with a “C” rating. Possible reasons for supposing there was a change of the text from ‘amudim to rimmonim are:
a) The difficulty of the reading “pillars.” It is quite likely that the scribe felt that “pomegranates” made more sense.
b) Similarity to parallel passages. In this case, the scribes probably looked at verses 20 and 42, and possibly at 2CH 3:16, all of which have rimmonim.
If “pomegranates” is chosen (so Septuagint, RSV, and most modern versions), there are still questions. It is impossible to tell from the Hebrew whether these bronze fruits were cast separately (as NAB clearly states), or whether they were hammered or etched into the bronze surface (CEV “designs that looked like pomegranates”).The essential thing to convey is that these objects are models or pictures of the fruit of the pomegranate, which is well described in FFB, pages 168–170.
Plants and Trees in the Bible © United Bible Societies. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.