Sharon

Biblical References

• 1 Chronicles 27:29: The list of officials who managed the property of King David records: "And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite."
• Song of Solomon 2:1: "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." This is the passage that made the name Sharon most widely known.
• Isaiah 33:9; 35:2; 65:10: These passages prophesy that in judgment Sharon will become like a wilderness, that in restoration it will regain its beauty together with Carmel, and that it will become a fold for flocks.
• Acts 9:35: After Peter healed Aeneas, a paralyzed man, at Lydda, "all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord."

1 Chronicles 5:16 states that the descendants of Gad living east of the Jordan dwelt "in all the suburbs of Sharon." Many scholars regard this as a region distinct from the western coastal plain.

Background

The Hebrew name Sharon is commonly understood to mean "level ground" or "plain." The Plain of Sharon is generally thought to extend along the Mediterranean coast from the foot of Mount Carmel in the north to the vicinity of Joppa in the south, though scholars define its exact boundaries somewhat differently. In antiquity the area was a mixture of sand dunes, marshes, and woodland; it therefore had few large cities and is thought to have been used mainly as pastureland. In the New Testament period, the Roman administrative city of Caesarea stood on this coast.

Significance in Scripture

In Isaiah, Sharon, together with Lebanon, Carmel, and Bashan, represents the fertility and beauty of the land of Israel. Accordingly, the image of Sharon withering is used to depict judgment, and the image of it blossoming again to depict God's restoration.

In the New Testament, Sharon appears in Acts 9, where the gospel spreads into the region. The narrative then moves on to Peter's ministry in Joppa and the account of Cornelius in Caesarea, leading into the mission to the Gentiles. Some interpreters read this scene in connection with Isaiah's prophecies of restoration, but the text of Acts does not quote Isaiah directly.

Interpretation and Debated Questions

Identity of the flower: It is unclear which flower is meant by the Hebrew word ḥăbaṣṣelet in Song of Solomon 2:1, which the Korean Bible renders as "narcissus." The King James Version translates it as "rose," while other translations variously render it as crocus, lily, or narcissus.

The speaker: Based on the flow of the text, many interpreters take Song of Solomon 2:1 to be the words of the woman (the bride). On this reading, the verse is a humble expression in which she compares herself to a common flower of the field. The traditional allegorical interpretation, however, which reads the Song of Solomon as depicting the relationship between Christ and the church, has understood this verse as referring to Christ. This difference arises less from the positions of particular denominations than from differing approaches to reading the Song of Solomon. The text itself does not explicitly identify Christ.

In the English-speaking world, the name "Rose of Sharon" for the hibiscus Hibiscus syriacus (Korean mugunghwa) is borrowed from the biblical expression; the plant is not regarded as the same as the flower in the Song of Solomon.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, the spelling 샤론 (Sharon) is more familiar than 사론 (Saron). A representative example is hymn no. 89 in the Korean hymnal, "Jesus, Rose of Sharon," and in preaching and worship, "the Rose of Sharon" is used much like a title for Jesus. The name "Sharon" also appears in the names of some churches and Christian institutions.