Solomon describes how it is to be in love. His lady must have been greatly impressed with his compliments. Out of that bouquet, the word saffron describes what we call crocus:
Song of Solomon 4:13
Your channel is an orchard of
henna with nard, nard and saffron,
calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes,
with all chief spices...
Song of Solomon 6:4
You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem,
terrible as an army with banners.
Hebrew tirzah (teer TSAW) is “favorable”, “be pleased with” and a name-place that embodies the beauty of the area as epitomized by the crocus which Solomon analogizes to a fair maiden. Tirzah is a crocus but not the saffron crocus of Songs 4:13.
Saffron is the commercial name for several crocus plants, especially Crocus sativus. In the spring, Israel’s landscape explodes with more than a dozen species of white, pink, purple, lilac, blue and orange-yellow blossoms. It is tiny in stature but beautiful to behold with its profuse cup-shaped blossom, produced over a bunched group of narrow leaves. A lavender blossom with a delicate scent in autumn is also available.
We associate the word wise with Solomon. To this you can add poet and gardener for certainly he was both. Enjoy.
Blessings Always,
Vern Schanilec
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