Eshel Tree

Biblical Text

The eshel tree appears three times in the Old Testament.

• Genesis 21:33: Abraham planted an eshel tree at Beersheba and "called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God." The verses immediately before this (Genesis 21:22–32) relate how Abraham swore an oath and made a covenant with Abimelech, king of Gerar, over a dispute about a well, and named the place Beersheba.
• 1 Samuel 22:6: Saul sits under an eshel tree on the height at Gibeah with a spear in his hand, while his servants stand around him. This scene is followed by the account of the killing of the priests of Nob, who had helped David.
• 1 Samuel 31:13: After Saul and his sons die in battle against the Philistines, the men of Jabesh-gilead gather their bones, bury them under the eshel tree at Jabesh, and fast for seven days. In 1 Chronicles 10:12, which records the same event, the New Korean Revised Version renders this tree as "oak."

Terminology and Background

The name eshel is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. Most scholars and translations today identify the tree as the tamarisk. The tamarisk has small, scale-like leaves and thrives even in dry, saline soil, so it provides shade even in arid regions such as the southern Negev, where Beersheba is located. Older translations differed on the meaning of the word. The King James Version, for example, renders eshel in Genesis 21:33 as "grove."

Significance in the Wider Biblical Context

In Genesis 21:33, the planting of the tree is recorded together with Abraham's worship of God at the place where he had made a covenant and secured a well. The patriarchal narratives repeatedly mention trees marking places where God was encountered and worshiped, such as the oak of Moreh (Genesis 12:6) and the oaks of Mamre (Genesis 13:18). The title "the everlasting God" in this verse (Hebrew El Olam) is frequently discussed as one of the names of God.

The New Testament does not mention the eshel tree directly. However, Hebrews 11 discusses the faith of Abraham, who lived as a stranger on the earth while looking to God (Hebrews 11:13–16). For this reason, the Beersheba scene in Genesis 21 is sometimes read in light of this theme.

Interpretations and Debates

• An act of worship or a marker? Some interpret the planting of the tree as establishing a place of worship. Others see it as a sign commemorating the covenant or as a mark of settlement. Because later law (Deuteronomy 16:21) forbids setting up an Asherah pole or planting a tree beside an altar, there is also discussion about how these two texts relate.
• Jewish tradition: The Talmud is reported to record a disagreement among the rabbis over whether the eshel was an orchard or an inn where travelers lodged. This interpretation is connected with Abraham's hospitality.
• Explanations beyond the text: Sermons often add that because the tamarisk grows slowly, Abraham planted it with future generations of his descendants in view. There is also a hypothesis that tamarisk sap was the true identity of manna. Neither claim, however, is stated in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, Genesis 21:33 is sometimes used as a sermon text on a faith that establishes a place of worship or on passing the faith on to the next generation.