Rose of Sharon

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
One plant commonly called "rose of Sharon" in the US is Hibiscus syriacus, here seen in bloom.

Rose of Sharon is a

catch phrase in poetry and lyrics.[citation needed
]

Biblical origins

The name "Rose of Sharon" first appears in Hebrew in the

Isaiah 35:1, which reads, "the desert shall bloom like the rose." The word is translated "rose" in the KJV, but is rendered variously as "lily" (Septuagint "κρίνον",[5] Vulgate "lilium",[6] Wycliffe "lily"[7]), "jonquil" (Jerusalem Bible) and "crocus" (RSV
).

Varying scholars have suggested that the biblical "rose of Sharon" may be one of the following plants:

According to an annotation of Song of Solomon 2:1 by the translation committee of the New Revised Standard Version, "rose of Sharon" is a mistranslation of a more general Hebrew word for crocus.[citation needed]

Etymologists have tentatively linked the biblical חבצלת to the words בצל beṣel, meaning 'bulb', and חמץ ḥāmaṣ, which is understood as meaning either 'pungent' or 'splendid' (The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon).

A possible interpretation for the biblical reference is Pancratium maritimum, which blooms in the late summer just above the high-tide mark. The modern Hebrew name for this flower is חבצלת or חבצלת החוף (ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ or ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ haḥōf, coastal lily). Some identify this flower with the "rose of Sharon" mentioned in the Song of Songs, but not all scholars accept this.[10]

Recently, some scholars have translated ḥăḇaṣṣeleṯ as "a budding bulb" in consideration of the genealogical research of multilingual versions and lexicons.[11]

Modern usage

  • Hypericum calycinum
    Hypericum calycinum
  • Hibiscus syriacus
    Hibiscus syriacus
  • Hibiscus syriacus double bloom
    Hibiscus syriacus double bloom
  • Rose of Sharon or althaea
    Rose of Sharon or althaea

The name "rose of Sharon" is also commonly applied to several horticultural plants,[12] all originating outside the Levant and not likely to have been the plant from the Bible:

References

  1. ^ Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia: Why use a scientific name? Archived 2015-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Song 2:1, Septuagint
  3. ^ Song 2:1 Archived 2020-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, Vulgate
  4. ^ Song 2:1, Wycliffe
  5. ^ Is 35:1, Septuagint
  6. ^ Is 35:1 Archived 2020-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, Vulgate
  7. ^ Is 35:1, Wycliffe
  8. ^ "Rose of Sharon". www.flowersinisrael.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  9. ^ McClintock, John; Strong, James (1889). "Rose". Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. IX RH-ST. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 128. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  10. ^ Coastal Lily at wildflowers.co.il (in Hebrew)
  11. ^ Satoshi Mizota. Origin of 'Rose of Sharon' : An Analysis of Various Translations Having a Bearing on The Authorized Version Text. Dissertation for MA: Aich University, 2008."Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Rose of Sharon at rhs.org.uk
  13. ^ Kim Yoon (2020-04-25). "Korea's national flower".
  14. ^ "Hibiscus syriacus".

Sources