Purple Yarn
Purple Yarn Deep purple wildflowers? What wildflowers, especially in the western or mountain regions, are deep purple? I just dyed a skein of yarn a fantastic purple and am trying to find a name for i...
Purple Yarn
What Do the Bible and Quran Say About the Pomegranates?
The Pomegranates are mentioned in the Bible 25 times and in the Quran three times, i.e., the Bible cites the Pomegranates eight times more than the Quran does.
Furthermore, the total words of the Bible are 788,280 while the total words of the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible has the likely of more than 10 times than the Quran word-wise to talk about the Pomegranates. In addition, the Bible has the prospective of more than 35 times than the Quran topic-wise to utter about the Pomegranates.
The Pomegranates in the Bible:
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely, Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate; I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates; there I will give you my love:
Song of Solomon 4:3
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Song of Solomon 4:13
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard,
Song of Solomon 6:7
Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Song of Solomon 6:11
[Lover] I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.
Song of Solomon 7:12
Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom— there I will give you my love.
Song of Solomon 8:2
I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house— she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.
The LORD commanded Moses to use pomegranates for decoration purposes. Then, it seems that it was a habit to use pomegranates for decoration. You may locate 13 verses out of the 25 are talking about the use pomegranates for decoration:
Exodus 28:33
Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.
Exodus 28:34
The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe.
Exodus 39:24
They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe.
Exodus 39:25
And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates.
Exodus 39:26
The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Then, it seems that it was a habit to use pomegranates for decoration
1Kings 7:18
He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital.
1 Kings 7:20
On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around.
1 Kings 7:42
The four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars
2 Kings 25:17
Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.
2 Chronicles 3:16
He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains.
2Chronicles 4:13
The four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars.
Jeremiah 52:22
The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.
Jeremiah 52:23
There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred.
A pomegranate tree was used to determine the borders of cities:
1 Samuel 14:2
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men,
Numbers 13:23
When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.
Deuteronomy 8:8
A land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
Protest against Moses:
Numbers 20:5
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"
The pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit, From this day on I will bless you:
Haggai 2:19
Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "'From this day on I will bless you.' "
The joy of mankind is withered away.
Joel 1:12
The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away.
The Pomegranates in the Quran:
Surah 6:99
It is He Who sendeth down rain from the skies; with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: from some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety, flavor and taste): when they begin to bear fruit, feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! In these things there are Signs for people who believe.
This verse emphasizes the importance of the rain for production of the different kinds of plants. The verse considers these biological processes as signs from Allah for the people who believe.
Surah 6:141
It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety, flavor and taste): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters (the prodigals, the extravagant).
This verse gives two meanings that are not found in the Bible:
One should render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered
Allah does not love the prodigals
Surah 55:68
Wherein is fruit, the date-palm and pomegranate.
The verse talks about the paradise(heaven), wherein there is fruit, Palm trees and pomegranate. This is another implication that is not found in the Bible.
Here again, you may notice that the Quran is interested in the afterlife while the Bible does not.
Back to the issue; this is my question to you smart readers:
Is the Quran quoted from the Bible?
About the Author
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers