Oil Tree

OIL TREE [SMITH]

(Heb. ets shemen). The Hebrew words occur in (Nehemiah 8:15) (Authorized Version "pine branches"), (1 Kings 6:23) ("olive tree") and in (Isaiah 41:19) ("oil tree"). From the passage in Nehemiah, where the ets shemen is mentioned as distinct from the olive tree, if may perhaps be identified with the zackum tree of the Arabs, the Balanites aegyptiaca , a well-known and abundant shrub or small tree in the plain of Jordan. The zackum oil is held in high repute by the Arabs for its medicinal properties. [OLIVE]

OIL TREE [ISBE]

OIL TREE - oil tre ('ets shemen (Isa 41:19), margin "oleaster," in Neh 8:15, translated "wild olive," the King James Version "pine"; 'atse shemen, in 1 Ki 6:23,31,32, translated "olive wood"): The name "oleaster" used to be applied to the wild olive, but now belongs to quite another plant, the silver-berry, Eleagnus hortensis (Natural Order Elaeagnaceae), known in Arabic as Zeizafan. It is a pretty shrub with sweet-smelling white flowers and silver-grey-green leaves. It is difficult to see how all the three references can apply to this tree; it will suit the first two, but this small shrub would never supply wood for carpentry work such as that mentioned in 1 Kings, hence, the translation "olive wood." On the other hand, in the reference in Neh 8:15, olive branches are mentioned just before, so the translation "wild olive" (the difference being too slight) is improbable. Post suggests the translation of 'ets shemen by PINE (which see), which if accepted would suit all the requirements.

E. W. G. Masterman