Modern Hebrew
is rich with many expressions referring to trees. As the following chart shows,
many of these are rooted in our Biblical heritage.
|
Hebrew
expression
|
Literal
translation
|
Source
|
Modern
usage
|
|
Etz ha-da'at
|
Tree
of knowledge |
Genesis 2:9
|
Source of wisdom and
knowledge
|
|
Etz ha-hayyim
|
Tree of life
|
Genesis 3:22
|
The Torah
|
|
Etz hadar
|
Beautiful tree
|
Leviticus 23:40
|
Citrus tree
|
|
Etz-yaveish
|
Dry tree
|
Ezekiel 17:24; Isaiah
56:3
|
Infertile person
|
|
Etz ya'ar
|
Forest tree |
Ezekiel 15:2
|
Non-fruit bearing
tree
|
|
Etz ma'achal
|
Food tree
|
Deut. 20:20
|
Fruit-bearing tree
|
|
Etz tirosh
|
Wine tree |
Nehemiah 10:38 |
Grape vine
|
|
Etz avot
|
Thick tree
|
Leviticus 23:40
|
Myrtle
|
|
Bul etz
|
Tree stump
|
Isaiah 44:19
|
Dense person who has
trouble understanding
|
|
Daber el
ha-etzim
|
Talk to the trees
|
I Kings 5:13
|
Speaking to someone
who isn't listening
|
|
Al ha-etzim
v'al ha-avanim
|
About the trees and
the rocks
|
Talmud - Yevamot
60:b
|
Talking about anything
and everything
|
|
Meirov etzim
lo yir'eh et ha-ya'ar.
|
The forest cannot
be seen because there are so many trees.
|
|
Too much attention
to detail makes it difficult to understand the overall situation
|
|
Hatapuakh
eino nofel rahok me'ha-etz
|
The apple does not
fall far from the tree.
|
Tobias 3:4 (Apocrypha)
|
The children are similar
to their parents.
|