Pomegranate

A pomegranate is a round fruit full of seeds, and in Scripture it is used as decoration. Around the hem of the priest’s robe, Moses was told to make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, with golden bells between them. In Solomon’s temple, rows of pomegranates were worked into the network covering the tops of the great pillars, four hundred in all for the two networks. The Song of Solomon uses the fruit more tenderly, offering “the juice of my pomegranate” as a gift from a lover. Exodus 28 and 1 Kings 7 describe the carved and woven versions in detail.

6 verses

Exodus

Exodus 28:33

And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

Exodus 28:34

A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

1 Kings

1 Kings 7:18

And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

1 Kings 7:20

And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

1 Kings 7:42

And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 8:2

I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

I.e., “grained apple” (pomum granatum), Heb. rimmon. Common in Egypt (Num. 20:5) and Palestine (13:23; Deut. 8:8). The Romans called it Punicum malum, i.e., Carthaginian apple, because they received it from Carthage. It belongs to the myrtle family of trees. The withering of the pomegranate tree is mentioned among the judgments of God (Joel 1:12). It is frequently mentioned in the Song of Solomon (Cant. 4:3, 13, etc.). The skirt of the high priest’s blue robe and ephod was adorned with the representation of pomegranates, alternating with golden bells (Ex. 28:33,34), as also were the “chapiters upon the two pillars” (1 Kings 7:20) which “stood before the house.”

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

The pomegranate tree, Punicu granatum , derives its name from the Latin pomum granatum , "grained apple." The Romans gave it the name of Punica, as the tree was introduced from Carthage. It belongs to the natural order Myrtaceae (Myrtle), being, however, rather a tall bush than a tree, The foliage is dark green, the flowers are crimson, the fruit, which is about the size of art orange, is red when which in Palestine is about the middle of October. It contains a quantity of juice. Mention is made in (Solomon 8:2) of spiced wine of the juice of the pomegranate. The rind is used in the manufacture of morocco leather, and together with the bark is sometimes used medicinally. Mr. Royle (Kitto’s Cyc., art "Rimmon") states that this tree is a native of Asia and is to be traced from Syria through Persia, even to the mountains of northern India. The pomegranate was early cultivated in Egypt; hence the complaint of the Israelites in the wilderness of Zin, (Numbers 20:5) this "is no place of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates." Carved figures of the pomegranate adorned the tops of the pillars in Solomon’s temple, (1 Kings 7:18,20) etc.; and worked representations of this fruit, in blue, purple and scarlet, ornamented the hem of the robe of the ephod. (Exodus 28:33,34)