Cluster
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary [1]
We meet with this word upon many occasions in Scripture, but eminently so in two places. First, when the spies went up to search the promised land, and brought back the cluster of the rich fruit of Eshcol, ( Numbers 13:23) And again, the church, in the book of the Songs, ( Song of Song of Solomon 1:14) where she commends her beloved, under the sweet similitude of the same, "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi." I conceive, that the beauties of the comparison in both instances are well worth attending to, in a work of this kind, and, therefore, I take for granted, that the reader will not be displeased in my detaining him on the occasion.
Nothing could be more happily chosen in both instances, when intended, as in the first, to set forth the fulness, and sweetness, and blessedness of the promised land than a cluster of its fruits. Christ, who is himself the glorious object intended to be set forth, is, indeed, a rich cluster of all divine and human excellencies in one, full of grace for his people here, and full of glory to all above. An ancient author tells us, that the Jews were accustomed to call such men as excelled in good qualities, Eshcoloth; that is, clusters. And hence they had a saying, that after the death of Jose Ben Joezen, a man of Tzereda, and Jose Ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem, the clusters ceased.
In the other instance, in direct allusion to Christ, in the church's commendation of him, ( Song of Song of Solomon 1:14) there in an uncommon degree of beauty in the similitude. The word camphire is in the original, copher, and in the Misnah is translated, cyprus. And Dr. Shaw, in his travels, describes the plant as being very beautiful and fragrant, advancing in height to ten or twelve feet, and full of clusters. Here also, as in the former instance, Christ is elegantly set forth. For as the grapes of Eshcol represented the fulness of Christ, and the blood of the grape became no unapt resemblance of Him who trod the wine press of the wrath of God, and whose blood, in cleansing the sinner, revives the soul in the assurance of pardon, mercy, and peace, by his cross, so the cypress, or the camphire, in the fragrancy of its clusters, becomes no less typical of His incense and merits, in whose righteousness alone the church is accepted. I must not dismiss this view of the subject before that I have farther remarked, that the word, translated camphire, is by some rendered (copher) atonement. The learned Bishop Patrick hath observed, that the Hebrew Doctors, by dividing the word Eshcol into two words, found out the mystery of the Messiah in the passage, and read them thus, my beloved is unto me the Esh, that is, the man; Col, copher; that is, a cluster of atonement. I leave the reader to his own observation upon the subject, with only remarking, that on the supposition the Hebrew Doctors were right, what a lovely Scripture this is in the Songs, ( Song of Song of Solomon 1:14) when the church so sings of Christ. Surely, Jesus is all this, and infinitely more. Jesus calls himself the vine, ( John 15:1) and the church saith that his growth is in the vineyards of Engedi, the richest soil of all the earth, where not only the finest grapes, but the loftiest palm trees abounded, even Hazazon-lamar. See ( 2 Chronicles 20:2) In Jesus dwelleth "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." He is, indeed, a cluster of all that is desirable "in the life that now is, and that which is to come."
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [2]
Deuteronomy 32:32 (b) Here is described the terrible amount and character of GOD's wrath against His people when they turn from Him.
Song of Solomon 1:14 (a) The Lord by this illustration reveals to us the great abundance of love that exists between the Saviour and His Church. (See also Song of Solomon 7:7).
Revelation 14:18 (b) It seems as though sinners are grouped together for punishment throughout eternity. The gamblers are grouped together, also the drunkards, the harlots, the thieves, and religious hypocrites. This picture is also seen in Matthew 13:30. The contrast to this may be seen in Malachi 3:17 in which GOD's people as jewels are placed together in eternity in beautiful arrangement for GOD's pleasure.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [3]
"a cluster, or bunch, bunch of grapes," is found in Revelation 14:18 .
Matthew 7:16 Luke 6:44 Revelation 14:18
King James Dictionary [4]
Cluster n.
1. A bunch a number of things of the same kind growing or joined together a knot as a cluster of raisins. 2. A number of individuals or things collected or gathered into a close body as a cluster of bees a cluster of people. 3. A number of things situated near each other as a cluster of governments in Italy.
CLUSTER,
1. To grow in clusters to gather or unite in a bunch, or bunches as, clustering grapes. 2. To form into flakes as, clustering snow. 3. To collect into flocks or crowds.
CLUSTER, To collect into a bunch or close body.
Webster's Dictionary [5]
(1): (n.) A number of things of the same kind growing together; a bunch.
(2): (n.) A number of similar things collected together or lying contiguous; a group; as, a cluster of islands.
(3): (n.) A number of individuals grouped together or collected in one place; a crowd; a mob.
(4): (v. t.) To collect into a cluster or clusters; to gather into a bunch or close body.
(5): (v. i.) To grow in clusters or assemble in groups; to gather or unite in a cluster or clusters.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [6]
klus´tẽr :
(1) אשׁכּל , 'eshkōl ; compare proper name Vale Of Eshcol . (which see), from root meaning "to bind together." A cluster or bunch of grapes ( Genesis 40:10; Numbers 13:23; Isaiah 65:8; Song of Solomon 7:8; Micah 7:1 , etc.); a cluster of henna flowers ( Song of Solomon 1:14 ); a cluster of dates ( Song of Solomon 7:7 ). "Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." ( Deuteronomy 32:32 ).
(2) βότρυς , bótrus , "gather the clusters of the vine of the earth" ( Revelation 14:18 ).
The "cluster of raisins" ( cimmūḳı̄m ) of 1 Samuel 25:18; 1 Samuel 30:12 , should rather be "raisin cakes" or "dried raisins."
