Almond: A native of Syria and Palestine. In form, blossoms, and fruit it
resembles the peach tree. Its blossoms are of a very pale pink
colour, and appear before its leaves. Its Hebrew name, shaked,
signifying "wakeful, hastening," is given to it on account of its
putting forth its blossoms so early, generally in February, and
sometimes even in January. In
(Ecclesiastes 12:5) it is referred to as
illustrative, probably, of the haste with which old age comes. There
are others, however, who still contend for the old interpretation
here. "The almond tree bears its blossoms in the midst of winter, on
a naked, leafless stem, and these blossoms (reddish or flesh-coloured
in the beginning) seem at the time of their fall exactly like white
snow-flakes. In this way the almond blossom is a very fitting symbol
of old age, with its silvery hair and its wintry, dry, barren,
unfruitful condition." In
(Jeremiah 1:11) "I see a rod of an almond tree
[shaked] for I will hasten [shaked] my word to perform it" the word
is used as an emblem of promptitude. Jacob desired his sons
(Genesis 43:11)
to take with them into Egypt of the best fruits of the land, almonds,
etc., as a present to Joseph, probably because this tree was not a
native of Egypt. Aaron's rod yielded almonds
(Numbers 17:8; Hebrews 9:4) Moses
was directed to make certain parts of the candlestick for the ark of
carved work "like unto almonds"
(Exodus 25:33,34) The Hebrew word luz,
translated "hazel" in the Authorized Version
(Genesis 30:37) is rendered in
the Revised Version "almond." It is probable that luz denotes the
wild almond, while shaked denotes the cultivated variety.
