Camphire

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

כפר . Greek, κυπρος . Latin cyprus.   Song of Solomon 1:14;  Song of Solomon 4:13 . Sir T. Browne supposes that the plant mentioned in the Canticles, rendered κυπρος in the Septuagint, and cyprus in the vulgate, is that described by Dioscorides and Pliny, which grows in Egypt, and near to Ascalon, producing an odorate bush of flowers, and yielding the celebrated oleum cyprinum. [A sweet oil made of the flowers of the privet tree.] This is one of the plants which is most grateful to the eye and the smell. The deep colour of its bark, the light green of its foliage, the softened mixture of white and yellow with which the flowers, collected into long clusters like the lilac, are coloured; the red tint of the ramifications which support them, form an agreeable combination. The flowers, whose shades are so delicate, diffuse around the sweetest odours, and embalm the gardens and apartments which they embellish. The women take pleasure in decking themselves with them. With the powder of the dried leaves they give an orange tincture to their nails, to the inside of their hands, and to the soles of their feet. The expression, עשתה אתאּ?צפרניה , rendered "pare their nails."  Deuteronomy 21:12 , may perhaps rather mean, "adorn their nails;" and imply the antiquity of this practice. This is a universal custom in Egypt, and not to conform to it would be considered indecent. It seems to have been practised by the ancient Egyptians, for the nails of the mummies are most commonly of a reddish hue.

In the Song of Solomon, the bride is described as saying, "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi,"  Song of Solomon 1:14; and again, "Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits, camphire with spikenard,"  Song of Solomon 4:13 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 Song of Solomon 1:14; "My beloved is unto Me as a cluster of camphire" ( Song of Solomon 4:13). The shrub Lawsonia. inermis of Linnaeus, or alba, a kind of privet, having bunches of scented, small, lilac and yellowish white flowers, the bark dark, the foliage light green. Hebrew Kopher , from Kaaphar to paint, because its dry leaves were and are still made to yield a red unguent for staining women's nails. Indeed the nails of female mummies show traces of staining. Compare  Deuteronomy 21:12. The Arabs call it Henna . Still women in the East place in their bosom its sweet bunches of flowers.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Camphire ( kôpher ,   Song of Solomon 1:14;   Song of Solomon 4:13 ) is the henna plant ( Lawsonia alba ), a small shrub which may still be found at Engedi. It is a great favourite with the people of Palestine to-day, and a ‘cluster’ of the flowers is often put in the hair; the perfume is much admired. It is also extensively used for staining the hands (especially the nails), the feet, and the hair; it stains an ochre-red, but further treatment of the nails with a mixture of lime and ammonia turns the colour almost black. Old women frequently redden their hair, and Moslems their beards, by means of henna.

E. W. G. Masterman.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In Song of  Song of Solomon 1:14   4:13 , is not the gum Camphor of our apothecaries, but the Cyprus-flower, as it is sometimes called, the Athena of the Arabs, a whitish fragrant flower, hanging in clusters like grapes. Oriental ladies make use of the dried and powdered leaves to give their nails, feet, and hands a reddish orange tinge. The nails of Egyptian mummies are found thus dyed. See Eyelids The flowers of the Alhenna are fragrant; and being disposed in clusters, the females of Egypt are fond of carrying it in their bosoms.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Camphire. There can be no doubt that "camphire" is the Lawsonia alba of botanists, the henna of Arabian naturalists. The henna plant grows in Egypt, Syria, Arabia and northern India. The flowers are white and grow in clusters, and are very fragrant. The whole shrub is from four to six feet high,  Song of Solomon 4:13.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

A shrub whose flowers grow in bunches having a very sweet smell.  Song of Solomon 1:14;  Song of Solomon 4:13 . The Hebrew name is kopher, and the Arabs call it henna. A powder made of the leaves and flowers is mixed with water and used by the women to colour the nails of their hands and feet.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Song of Solomon 1:14 (c) Christ and His love toward the Church are compared to the sweet perfume of camphire. See also  Song of Solomon 4:13 where our love for CHRIST is to Him as the fragrance of camphire.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Song of Solomon 1:14 Song of Solomon 4:13Henna

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Song of Solomon 1:14

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) An old spelling of Camphor.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Cam´phire occurs twice in the Song of Solomon (; ). The Hebrew word is Kopher, and has been supposed by some to denote in these places a bunch of grapes, and by others camphor. The word camphire is the old mode of spelling camphor; but this substance does not appear to have been known to ancient commerce. The word Kopher is certainly very like Kafoor, the Eastern name for camphor, but it also closely resembles the Greek Kupros, usually written Cypros. Indeed, as has been observed, it is the same word, with the Greek pronunciation and termination. The Kupros of the Greeks is, no doubt, the Lawsonia inermis of botanists. If we examine the works of Oriental travelers and naturalists, we shall find that this plant is universally esteemed in Eastern countries, and appears to have been so from the earliest times, both on account of the fragrance of its flowers, and the coloring properties of its leaves.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Bibliography Information McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Camphire'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/c/camphire.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.