Lily in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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What is a Lily?
LIL'Y
(Heb. shusan; Arabic susan). The Arabs use this word for any beautiful flower resembling a lily, and in this general sense it is probably employed Scarlet Lily. (Lilium Chalcedonicum.) in the Bible, the connection often suggesting to an Oriental mind the particular species meant. The only true lily now found in Palestine is the scarlet martagon (Lilium chulcedonicum). It is likely that a white and fragrant kind (L. candidum) was once found on the coast, and this may have been the species referred to in such Lily. (Anemone coronarla.) passages as Cant. Song 2:1. But neither kind was probably ever generally abundant. Many related flowers of great beauty are common, such as irises, tulips, hyacinths, and a gladiolus. If any particular plant is meant, the scarlet anemone (Anemone coronaria) best answers the conditions of color, Cant. Song 5:13, universal abundance, and gorgeousness. Matt 6:28-29. This flower is called a lily by the Arabs. In the scarcity of wood the common flowering weeds of the fields are ordinarily gathered for fuel, and under the hot sun and dry wind Matt 6:30 is often literally fulfilled.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'lily' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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