Lily

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

שושן ,  1 Kings 7:19;  1 Kings 7:22;  1 Kings 7:26;  2 Chronicles 4:5;  Song of Solomon 2:2;  Song of Solomon 2:16;  Song of Solomon 4:5;  Song of Solomon 5:13;  Song of Solomon 6:2-3;  Song of Solomon 7:2;  Hosea 14:5; κρινον ,  Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27; a well known sweet and beautiful flower, which furnished Solomon with a variety of charming images in his Song, and with graceful ornaments in the fabric and furniture of the temple. The title of some of the Psalms "upon Shushan," or "Shoshanim," Psalms 45; Psalms 60; Psalms 69; Psalms 80, probably means no more than that the music of these sacred compositions was to be regulated by that of some odes, which were known by those names or appellations. By "the lily of the valley,"  Song of Solomon 2:2 , we are not to understand the humble flower, generally so called, with us, the lilium convallium, but the noble flower which ornaments our gardens, and which in Palestine grows wild in the fields, and especially in the valleys. Pliny reckons the lily the next plant in excellency to the rose; and the gay Anacreon, compares Venus to this flower. In the east, as with us, it is the emblem of purity and moral excellence. So the Persian poet, Sadi, compares an amiable youth to "the white lily in a bed of narcissuses," because he surpassed all the young shepherds in goodness.

As, in  Song of Solomon 5:13 , the lips are compared to the lily, Bishop Patrick supposes the lily here instanced to be the same which, on account of its deep red colour, is particularly called by Pliny rubens lilium, and which, he tells us, was much esteemed in Syria. Such may have been the lily mentioned in   Matthew 6:28-30; for the royal robes were purple: "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these;" so in  Luke 12:27 . The scarcity of fuel in the east obliges the inhabitants to use, by turns, every kind of combustible matter. The withered stalks of herbs and flowers, the tendrils of the vine, the small branches of rosemary, and other plants, are all used in heating their ovens and bagnios. We can easily recognize this practice in that remark of our Lord, "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"  Matthew 6:30 . The grass of the field, in this passage, evidently includes the lilies of which he had just been speaking, and, by consequence, herbs in general; and in this extensive sense the word χορτος is not unfrequently taken. Those beautiful productions of nature, so richly strayed, and so exquisitely perfumed, that the splendour even of Solomon is not to be compared to theirs, shall soon wither and decay, and be used as fuel. God has so adorned these flowers and plants of the field, which retain their beauty and vigour but for a few days, and are then applied to some of the meanest purposes of life: will he not much more take care of his servants, who are so precious in his sight, and designed for such important services in the world? This passage is one of those of which Sir Thomas Browne says, "The variously interspersed expressions from plants and flowers elegantly advantage the significancy of the text."

Mr. Salt, in his "Voyage to Abyssinia," says, "At a few miles from Adowa, we discovered a new and beautiful species of amaryllis, which bore from ten to twelve spikes of bloom on each stem, as large as those of the belladonna, springing from one common receptacle. The general colour of the corolla was white, and every petal was marked with a single streak of bright purple down the middle. The flower was sweet scented, and its smell, though much more powerful, resembled that of the lily of the valley. This superb plant excited the admiration of the whole party; and it brought immediately to my recollection the beautiful comparison used on a particular occasion by our Saviour: ‘I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.'" And Sir James E. Smith observes, "It is natural to presume the divine Teacher, according to his usual custom, called the attention of his hearers to some object at hand; and as the fields of the Levant are overrun with the amaryllis lutea, whose golden lilaceous flowers in autumn afford one of the most brilliant and gorgeous objects in nature, the expression of ‘Solomon in all his glory not being arrayed like one of these,' is peculiarly appropriate. I consider the feeling with which this was expressed as the highest honour ever done to the study of plants; and if my botanical conjecture be right, we learn a chronological fact respecting the season of the year when the sermon on the mount was delivered."

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Lily, Lily Of The Valleys

( Song of Song of Solomon 2:1-2) Those are fragrant flowers, well known by name in this our climate; but there is reason to suppose, that what are distinguished by those names in Scripture very far excel in beauty, fragrancy, and medicinal use, the lilies of those colder countries like ours. However, even with all those disadvantages, the lily, and the lily of the valley with which we are acquainted, may merit a place in our Concordance, in that Christ and his church are spoken of under the similitude. The original name in the Jewish Scriptures, is Susan or Schuschan. Some have said, that this is the Persian lily, or the crown imperial; but it is evident, that what the church saith of Christ,  Song of Song of Solomon 5:13. (that his lips are like lilies,) must prove, that this was a red flower. But be this as it may, one thing I beg to observe, that all historians agree in this, that this lily was common in Judea, and grew in fields. Hence Jesus saith, ( Matthew 6:28-29) "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do the spin; and vet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

There is a great beauty in the similitude of this flower to Jesus. Jesus is the flower of the field; Jesus is also imperial; Jesus is open to the traveller by the way. And as the flower of the field is not of man's planting, neither cultivating, so this plant of renown is wholly raised up by the Lord Jehovah himself. (See  Ezekiel 34:29) And if we consider the lily of the vallies also, (as Jesus speaks of himself,  Song of Song of Solomon 2:1) There is no less the same striking resemblance in every view. Nothing surely could be more suited, to denote the unequalled humility of the Son of God, than the figure of the lily, which loves the retired, low, and obscure spot of the valley. It was in the valley of this our lower world the Son of God came, when he came "to seek and save that which was lost." And when we consider the modesty, the whiteness, the fragrancy, the fruitfulness, in short, the whole loveliness of this beautiful flower, what can more pointedly set forth the Lord Jesus, under all these endearednesses of character, than the lily of the vallies? Oh, thou holy, harmless, undefiled Lamb of God, without blemish, and without spot!

But we must not stop here. It is a sweet and interesting part of this subject to consider, that while Jesus compares himself to the lily of the vallies, so doth he no less compare his church to the same lovely flower. "As the lily among thorns, saith Jesus, so is my love among the daughters." There is this difference indeed between the comparison; for while Jesus saith, that he is the lily of the vallies, he only saith of his church, that she is as the lily. And the reason is very plain: what Jesus is, he is in himself, underived, and of himself; whereas, what the church is, she is wholly in him, and from him. But while this distinction is never to be lost sight of, but thankfully preserved in the recollection, it is very blessed to see, that from our union with him, and interest in him, such as Jesus is so are we in this world. Is Christ the lily of the vallies? so, saith Jesus, is my love among the daughters. Is Jesus JEHOVAH our righteousness? then shall his spouse the church be called by the same name. ( Jeremiah 23:6; Jer 33:16) Is Jesus fair and lovely, sweet and fragrant as the lily of the vallies? so shall the church be in his sight, from the comeliness that he hath put upon her, ( Ezekiel 16:14) In a word, all that Jesus is as the glorious Head of his body the church, such shall be his body, glorious in his glory, and lovely in his loveliness, because in him, and from him all is derived, for "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." There is one thought more the subject suggests concerning the church, and that is, that as a lily the church is said to be among thorns; meaning, that in this world Jesus's church is in a wilderness. Corruptions within, and persecutions without, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of the heart, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life, the reproaches of some, and the heresies of others,

These make the situations of the godly but too strikingly resembled by the lily in the midst of thorns. For, as the prophet speaks, "the good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men; the best of them is a brier, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge." ( Micah 7:2; Mic 7:4) How truly blessed is it thus to prove the doctrine of Christ by testimony, and yet more when a child of God discovers, through the Holy Ghost, his own personal interest in it.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Shuwshan .  Matthew 7:28-29. The white lily plant is used as fuel when withered; but it does not grow wild in Syria. Rather the scarlet martagon ( Lilium Chalcedonicum ). "The lily at Huleh is large, the three inner petals meet above, forming a gorgeous canopy such as art never approached, and king never sat under even in his utmost glory. Our flower delights in the valleys, grows among thorns, and I have sadly lacerated my hands in extricating it. Nothing can be in higher contrast than the velvety softness of this lily and the tangled hedge of thorns about it. Gazelles still feed among these flowers, and you can scarcely ride through the woods N. of Tabor without frightening gazelles from their flowery pasture" (Thomson, Land and Book, 2:18). Compare  Song of Solomon 2:1, "lily of the valleys" ( Song of Solomon 2:2) "among thorns," ( Song of Solomon 2:16) "he feedeth (in  Song of Solomon 4:5 'roes') among the lilies."

The words of Solomon's Song ( Song of Solomon 5:13), "his lips like lilies," require a ruby or scarlet color, not white. But as" lily" was used also in a general sense for a lovely, bell-shaped flower, the Egyptian lotus of the Nile is probably meant in the "lily work" ornamentation of the capitals ("chapiters") of Solomon's temple pillars, and the rim of the brazen sea ( 1 Kings 7:22-23). So Egyptian architecture delights in lotus headed capitals. "He shall grow as the lily" ( Hosea 14:5), i.e. rapidly selfpropagating, one root often producing 50 bulbs (Pliny, Nat. Hist. 21:5). Stanley thinks "lily" includes numerous flowers of the tulip or amaryllis kind blooming in the early summer or the autumn of Palestine. J. Hamilton (Imperial Dictionary) remarks on "consider the lilies," "wondrous is God's chemistry who out of black mould and invisible vapour builds up that column of chrysolite, and crowns it with its flaming capital.

How strange is God's husbandry! Instead of taking the lily into a conservatory, He leaves it out among the thorns. The same soil from which one nature can only extract the harsh astringent sloe with its cruel spines yields to another flexile leaves and balmy blossoms. So the life of faith is not lived in the convent or in the sanctuary (alone), but out of doors in the unsympathising world, in the midst of secular men. From the same soil and the same atmosphere from which others derive repulsive attributes, the believer can absorb grace and give forth excellence. The same bounties of providence which make Nabal more churlish make Joseph more generous, tender, and forgiving; the same sunshine which elicits the balm of the lily matures in the blackthorn its verjuice, the same shower which makes thistles rank fills the lily cup with nectar, and clothes it in raiment eclipsing Solomon."

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Song of Solomon 2:1 (b) This flower is a type of Christ in His beauty and loveliness. We should notice that the word "valley" is in the plural. The Lord knew we would have many valleys between the cradle and the grave, and would need the Saviour in His beauty and sweetness in every one of them. This lily is a type of CHRIST, first because it is always pure white. Then, it is always fragrant, with an unusual sweetness of its own. It is also a universal flower, found wherever man lives and vegetation can grow. It always droops with its beautiful little bells hanging toward the ground; one must be low and lowly, and then look up into the beauty of CHRIST in order to enjoy Him. This lily does not live on public highways, but is found in sheltered nooks. So it is with Christ Jesus He is not found in the public markets, nor in the busy throng, but in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty.

Some think that this lily is a type of the Bride, the Church of CHRIST.

• because it grows on the earth and though the earth is black the lily grows up white, thus showing the transforming power of the Lord.
• because it brings joy to the heart of its owner by it's beauty and fragrance even as the church brings joy to the Lord.
• Because there are so few of them compared with the number of weeds and worthless plants even as the Christians are few in number compared to the sinners.

 Hosea 14:5 (a) This is a type of Israel in the regeneration when they will be restored to the Lord and shall bring joy to His heart by the beauty and fragrance of their testimony.

 Luke 12:27 (a) Here we see a picture of GOD's gracious care for each child of God. God beautifies them and supplies their needs. They, in turn, give forth loveliness and perfume for the blessing and the joy of GOD.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Lily. (Hebrew, shushan, shoshannah ). Although there is little doubt that the Hebrew word denotes some plant of the lily species, it is by no means certain what individual of this class it specially designates. The plant must have been a conspicuous object on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret,  Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27, it must have flourished in the deep broad valleys of Palestine,  Song of Solomon 2:1, among the thorny shrubs,  Song of Solomon 2:2, and pastures of the desert,  Song of Solomon 2:16;  Song of Solomon 4:5;  Song of Solomon 6:3, and must have been remarkable for its rapid and luxuriant growth.  Hosea 14:5,  Sirach 39:14.

That its flowers were brilliant in color would seem to be indicated in  Matthew 6:28 where it is compared with the gorgeous robes of Solomon; and that this color was scarlet or purple is implied in  Song of Solomon 5:13. There appears to be no species of lily which so completely answers all these requirements as the Lilium chalcedonicum , or Scarlet Martagon , which grows in profusing in the Levant.

But direct evidence on the point is still to be desired from the observation of travellers. (It is very probable that the term Lily here is general, not referring to any particular species, but to a large class of flowers growing in Palestine, and resembling the lily, as the tulip, iris, gladiolus, etc. - Editor).

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Κρίνον (Strong'S #2918 — Noun Neuter — krinon — kree'-non )

occurs in  Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27; in the former the Lord speaks of "the lilies of the field;" the "lily" referred to was a flower of rich color, probably including the gladiolus and iris species. The former "grow among the grain, often overtopping it and illuminating the broad fields with their various shades of pinkish purple to deep violet purple and blue. ... Anyone who has stood among the wheat fields of Galilee ... will see at once the appropriateness of our Savior's allusion. They all have a reedy stem, which, when dry, would make such fuel as is used in the ovens. The beautiful irises ... have gorgeous flowers, and would suit our Savior's comparison even better than the above. But they are plants of pasture grounds and swamps, and seldom found in grain fields. If, however, we understand by 'lilies of the field' simply wild lilies, these would also be included in the expression. Our Savior's comparison would then be like a 'composite photograph,' a reference to all the splendid colors and beautiful shapes of the numerous wild plants comprehended under the name 'lily'" (G. E. Post, in Hastings' Bib. Dic.).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Song of Solomon 2:1,2 2:16 4:5 5:13 6:2,3 7:2 1 Kings 7:19,22,26 2 Chronicles 4:5

The lilies (Gr. krinia) spoken of in the New Testament ( Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27 ) were probably the scarlet martagon (Lilium Chalcedonicum) or "red Turk's-cap lily", which "comes into flower at the season of the year when our Lord's sermon on the mount is supposed to have been delivered. It is abundant in the district of Galilee; and its fine scarlet flowers render it a very conspicous and showy object, which would naturally attract the attention of the hearers" (Balfour's Plants of the Bible).

Of the true "floral glories of Palestine" the pheasant's eye (Adonis Palestina), the ranunuculus (R. Asiaticus), and the anemone (A coronaria), the last named is however, with the greatest probability regarded as the "lily of the field" to which our Lord refers. "Certainly," says Tristram (Nat. Hist. of the Bible), "if, in the wondrous richness of bloom which characterizes the land of Israel in spring, any one plant can claim pre-eminence, it is the anemone, the most natural flower for our Lord to pluck and seize upon as an illustration, whether walking in the fields or sitting on the hill-side." "The white water-lily (Nymphcea alba) and the yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea) are both abundant in the marshes of the Upper Jordan, but have no connection with the lily of Scripture."

Morrish Bible Dictionary

shushan, κρίνον.The well-known flower of graceful form, of which there are several species that grow in the fields and valleys of Palestine. One of great beauty grows near the Merom waters, and is called the Huleh-lily. In the Canticles the bride calls herself 'a lily of the valley,' to which the Bridegroom responds, "as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."  Song of Solomon 2:1,2 . Israel is to grow up as a lily in a future day.  Hosea 14:5 . The pattern of the lily was among the ornamental work of the temple. The lily is extolled by the Lord as exceeding in beauty all the glory of Solomon.  1 Kings 7:19,22,26;  Song of Solomon 2:16;  Song of Solomon 4:5;  Song of Solomon 5:13;  Song of Solomon 6:2,3;  Song of Solomon 7:2;  Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27 . Some suppose the Lilium Chalcedonicum, the 'red Turk's-cap lily,' to have been the plant referred to by the Lord. Others think it was probably the Anemone coronaria, which they judge to have been included in the Greek κρινον.The term may be general, as the modern Arabic susan. LILY-WORKis ornamentation in resemblance to lilies.  1 Kings 7:19,22 . See Shoshannim

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

LILY. —The lily (שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, κρίνον) is mentioned by various OT writers ( 1 Kings 7:19,  2 Chronicles 4:5,  Song of Solomon 2:1 etc.,  Hosea 14:5). In the NT there is but one reference ( Matthew 6:28 and ||  Luke 12:27). From the expression ‘lilies of the field,’ we gather that they were wild flowers, while the comparison of them with the regal robes of Solomon ( Matthew 6:29) implies that they were not white, but coloured (cf.  Song of Solomon 5:13). The plant that best accords with these conditions is the scarlet anemone ( A. coronaria ), with which, in the spring of the year, the Galilaean hillsides are clothed. (See Tristram, Fauna and Flora of Palestine , p. 208; Nat. Hist. of Bible , p. 462). The nature of the reference might, however, favour the supposition that our Lord used the term ‘lilies’ in a very general way, and that it should be taken as comprising a variety of flowers, such as anemones, poppies, and tulips.

Hugh Duncan.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

LILY ( shûshan ,   1 Kings 7:10; shôshannah ,   2 Chronicles 4:5 ,   Song of Solomon 2:1 ,   Hosea 14:5 ). The Heb. word is probably a loan word from the Egyptian for the ‘lotus.’ In Arab [Note: Arabic.] , it is sûsan , which includes a great number of allied flowers lilies, irises, gladioli, etc. No doubt the Heb. word was equally comprehensive. Flowers of this group are very plentiful in Palestine, the irises being pre-eminent for their handsome appearance. The ‘ lily work ’ (  1 Kings 7:19;   1 Kings 7:22;   1 Kings 7:26 ) is likely to have been modelled after the lotus ( NymphÅ“a lotus ) itself: lotus-like flowers appear on some Jewish coins. The Gr. krinon of   Matthew 6:28 ,   Luke 12:27 probably had as wide a significance as shûshan , and included much more than actual lilies.

E. W. G. Masterman.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Lily. A flower repeatedly mentioned in Scripture in both the Old and the New Testaments. It was of gorgeous beauty,  Matthew 6:28-29, growing near the place where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, luxuriant and probably rapid in its growth,  Hosea 14:5; it was found in the valleys among thorns and on pasture land,  Song of Solomon 2:1-2;  Song of Solomon 2:16;  Song of Solomon 4:5;  Song of Solomon 6:3; still, whether it was scarlet, or emitted a fragrant odor, we cannot gather with certainty from  Song of Solomon 5:13, as critics differ in their interpretation of this verse. If the former idea be preferred, the flower may be supposed to be the Lilium Chalcedonicum, or scarlet martagon, which is found plentifully in Galilee in spring-time. If the lily was fragrant, it was probably the Lilium Candidum, or common white lily, which also grows in Palestine; or it may designate some species of anemone.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) That end of a compass needle which should point to the north; - so called as often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.

(2): ( n.) A name given to handsome flowering plants of several genera, having some resemblance in color or form to a true lily, as Pancratium, Crinum, Amaryllis, Nerine, etc.

(3): ( n.) A royal spade; - usually in pl. See Royal spade, below.

(4): ( n.) A plant and flower of the genus Lilium, endogenous bulbous plants, having a regular perianth of six colored pieces, six stamens, and a superior three-celled ovary.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Kings 7:19 Matthew 6:28 1 Kings 7:26 1 Kings 7:22 1 Kings 2:1 1 Kings 4:5

King James Dictionary

LIL'Y, n. L. lilium Gr. A genus of plants of many species, which are all bulbous-rooted, herbaceous perennials, producing bell-shaped, hexapetalous flowers of great beauty and variety of colors.

Lily of the valley, a plant of the genus convallaria, with a monopetalous, bell-shaped corol, divided at the top into six segments.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

lil´i ( שׁוּשׁן , shūshan (  1 Kings 7:19 ), שׁושׁנּה , shōshannāh ( 2 Chronicles 4:5;  Song of Solomon 2:1 f;   Hosea 14:5 ); plural ( Song of Solomon 2:16;  Song of Solomon 4:5;  Song of Solomon 5:13;  Song of Solomon 6:2 f;   Song of Solomon 7:2; Ecclesiasticus 39:14; 50:8); κρίνον , krı́non ( Matthew 6:28;  Luke 12:27 )): The Hebrew is probably a loan word from the Egyptian the original s - sh - n denoting the lotus-flower, Nymphaea lotus . This was probably the model of the architectural ornament, translated "lily-work," which appeared upon the capitals of the columns in the temple porch ( 1 Kings 7:19 ), upon the top of the pillars ( 1 Kings 7:22 ) and upon the turned-back rim of the "molten sea" ( 1 Kings 7:26 ).

Botanically the word shōshannāh , like the similar modern Arabic Sūsan , included in all probability a great many flowers, and was used in a way at least as wide as the popular use of the English word "lily." The expression "lily of the valleys" (  Song of Solomon 2:1 ) has nothing to do with the plant of that name; the flowers referred to appear to have been associated with the rank herbage of the valley bottoms ( Song of Solomon 4:5 ); the expression "His lips are as lilies" ( Song of Solomon 5:13 ) might imply a scarlet flower, but more probably in oriental imagery signifies a sweet-scented flower; the sweet scent of the lily is referred to in Ecclesiasticus 39:14, and in 50:8 we read of "lilies by the rivers of water." The beauty of the blossom is implied in  Hosea 14:5 , where Yahweh promises that repentant Israel shall "blossom as the lily." A "heap of wheat set about with lilies" ( Song of Solomon 7:2 ) probably refers to the smoothed-out piles of newly threshed wheat on the threshing-floors decorated by a circlet of flowers.

The reference of our Lord to the "lilies of the field" is probably, like the Old Testament references, quite a general one.

The Hebrew and the Greek very likely include not only any members of the great order Liliaceae , growing in Palestine, e.g. asphodel, squill, hyacinth, ornithogalum ("Star of Bethlehem"), fritillaria, tulip and colocynth, but also the more showy irises ("Tabor lilies" "purple irises," etc.) and the beautiful gladioli of the Natural Order. Irideae and the familiar narcissi of the Natural Order Amaryllideae .

In later Jewish literature the lily is very frequently referred to symbolically , and a lotus or lily was commonly pictured on several Jewish coins.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

This plant is mentioned in the well-known and beautiful passage : 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these;' so also in . Here it is evident that the plant alluded to must have been indigenous or grown wild, in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee, must have been of an ornamental character, and, from the Greek name given to it, of a liliaceous nature. Travelers in Palestine mention that in the month of January the fields and groves everywhere abound with various species of lily, tulip, and narcissus. Benard noticed, near Acre, on January 18th, and about Jaffa, on the 23rd, tulips, white, red, blue, etc. Gumpenberg saw the meadows of Galilee covered with the same flowers on the 31st. Tulips figure conspicuously among the flowers of Palestine. So Pococke says, 'I saw many tulips growing wild in the fields (in March), and anyone who considers how beautiful those flowers are to the eye, would be apt to conjecture that these are the lilies to which Solomon in all his glory was not to be compared.' This is much more likely to be the plant intended than some others which have been adduced, as, for instance, the scarlet amaryllis, having white flowers with bright purple streaks, found by Salt at Adowa. Others have preferred the Crown imperial, which is a native of Persia and Cashmere. Most authors have united in considering the white lily, Lilium candidum, to be the plant to which our Savior referred; but it is doubtful whether it has ever been found in a wild state in Palestine. This opinion is confirmed by a correspondent at Aleppo, who has resided long in Syria, but is acquainted only with the botany of Aleppo and Antioch: 'I never saw the white lily in a wild state, nor have I heard of its being so in Syria. It is cultivated here on the roofs of the houses in pots as an exotic bulb, like the daffodil.' The following extract of a letter from Dr. Bowring throws a new light upon the subject: 'I cannot describe to you with botanical accuracy the lily of Palestine. I heard it called by the title of Lilia syriaca, and I imagine under this title its botanical characteristics may be hunted out. Its color is a brilliant red; its size about half that of the common tiger lily. The white lily I do not remember to have seen in any part of Syria. It was in April and May that I observed my flower, and it was most abundant in the district of Galilee, where it and the Rhododendron (which grew in rich abundance round the paths) most strongly excited my attention.' On this Dr. Lindley observes, 'It is clear that neither the white lily, nor the Oporanthus luteus, nor Ixiolirion, will answer to Dr. Bowring's description, which seems to point to the Chalcedonian or scarlet martagon lily, formerly called the lily of Byzantium, found from the Adriatic to the Levant, and which, with its scarlet turban like flowers, is indeed a most stately and striking object.' As this lily (the Lilium chalcedonicum of botanists) is in flower at the season of the year when the sermon on the Mount is supposed to have been spoken, is indigenous in the very locality, and is conspicuous, even in the garden, for its remarkable showy flowers, there can now be little doubt that it is the plant alluded to by our Savior.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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