Trees in The Bible

Andy McIlvain
Mar 19, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Mar 4, 2024

Trees in The Bible

Jesus was killed on the Cross which was a tree stripped of roots and branches. Of all the ways the Romans could have killed Jesus, why did God choose to have Jesus executed on a tree?

We find a tree on the first page of Genesis, in the first Psalm, the first page of the New Testament, and on the last page of Revelation. Trees are favored by God, we see them first in the fall, the flood, then the overthrow of the Pharaoh, every major event in the Bible has a tree associated with it.

God is always trying to teach us to think long-term and have a vision of the future. Trees can live as long as 10,000 years. God wants us to see the forest and the trees and to understand that as people who will be living for eternity, we must think into the future.

The symbol of Jesus being lifted on a tree is the one that the Bible offers as a door to eternal life. As Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) Through his sacrifice, our sin is forgiven and none of this is possible without a tree.

For more about trees watch the excellent documentary above on the video feed; Judy Dench - "My Passion for Trees".

References to trees in the Bible:

Acacia:Exodus 26:15

Almond:Numbers 17:8;Ecclesiastes 12:5

Apple:Joel 1:12;Song of Songs 2:2-5

Cedar:I Kings 9:11;II Chronicles 2:3-8

Cypress:Isaiah 41:19;I Kings 9:11

Date Palm:Psalms 92:12-14

Fig:Song of Songs 2:11-13

Henna:Song of Songs 1:14

Oak:Joshua 24:26;Genesis 35:8

Olive:Judges 9:8-9