Question 1

What does "Tree" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Tree" means "plant." The narrative arc from Genesis to Revelation. The tree of life appeared in Eden, was lost at the fall, and reappears in Revelation 22 -- its leaves 'for the healing of the nations.' The cross was a tree (Acts 5:30 -- 'whom ye slew and hanged on a tree'). The entire biblical story moves from tree to tree, garden to garden.

Question 2

Why did the word "Tree" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Hebrew ets ('tree/wood/the axis mundi connecting heaven and earth/source of life and knowledge') was de-symbolized into a botanical category. Trees in scripture were cosmic symbols connecting creation's beginning to its end. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but de-symbolized (~1700).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Tree"?

Accepted Answer

"Tree" was replaced by: "plant" (though this biological organism; the tree of life was the source of immortality and the symbol of god's sustaining presence); "timber" (though this construction material; the wood of the cross connected back to the tree in eden); "vegetation" (though this ecological category; trees in scripture were the backbone of the cosmic story from eden to revelation).

What Does “Tree” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost

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