King James Bible Dictionary

Of Eden

Eden, 1
Of Gethsemane
Gethsemane

Gardens in the East, as the Hebrew word indicates, are enclosures on the outskirts of towns, planted with various trees and shrubs. From the allusions in the Bible we learn that they were surrounded by hedges of thorn, (Isaiah 5:5) or walls of stone. (Proverbs 24:31) For further protection lodges, (Isaiah 1:8; Lamentations 2:6) or watchtowers, (Mark 12:1) were built in them, in which sat the keeper, (Job 27:18) to drive away the wild beasts and robbers, as is the case to this day. The gardens of the Hebrews were planted with flowers and aromatic shrubs, (Solomon 6:2; 4:16) besides olives, fig trees, nuts or walnuts, (Solomon 6:12) pomegranates, and others for domestic use. (Exodus 23:11; Jeremiah 29:5; Amos 9:14) Gardens of herbs, or kitchen gardens, are mentioned in (11:10) and 1 Kings 21:2 The rose garden in Jerusalem, said to have been situated westward of the temple mount, it is remarkable as having been one of the few gardens which, from the time of the prophets, existed within the city walls. The retirement of gardens rendered them favorite places for devotion.

G'ARDEN, noun [Eng. yard, an inclosed place; Latin hortus.]

1. A piece of ground appropriated to the cultivation of herbs, or plants, fruits and flowers; usually near a mansion-house. Land appropriated to the raising of culinary herbs and roots for domestic use, is called a kitchen-garden; that appropriated to flowers and shrubs is called a flower garden; and that to fruits, is called a fruit garden But these uses are sometimes blended.

2. A rich, well cultivated spot or tract of country; a delightful spot. The intervals on the river Connecticut are all a garden Lombardy is the garden of Italy.

Garden, in composition, is used adjectively, as garden-mold, a rich fine mold or soil; garden-tillage, the tillage used in cultivating gardens.

G'ARDEN, verb intransitive To layout and to cultivate a garden; to prepare ground to plant and till it, for the purpose of producing plants, shrubs, flowers and fruits.

G'ARDENER, noun One whose occupation is to make, tend and dress a garden.

G'ARDENING, participle present tense Cultivating or tilling a garden.

G'ARDENING, noun The act of laying out and cultivating gardens; horticulture.

G'ARDEN-PLOT, noun The plot or plantation of a garden.

Mentioned in Scripture, of Eden (Genesis 2:8, 9); Ahab's garden of herbs (1 Kings 21:2); the royal garden (2 Kings 21:18); the royal garden at Susa (Esther 1:5); the garden of Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:41); of Gethsemane (John 18:1).

The "king's garden" mentioned 2 Kings 25:4, Nehemiah 3:15, was near the Pool of Siloam.

Gardens were surrounded by hedges of thorns (Isaiah 5:5) or by walls of stone (Proverbs 24:31). "Watch-towers" or "lodges" were also built in them (Isaiah 1:8; Mark 12:1), in which their keepers sat. On account of their retirement they were frequently used as places for secret prayer and communion with God (Genesis 24:63; Matthew 26:30-36; John 1:48; 18:1, 2). The dead were sometimes buried in gardens (Genesis 23:19, 20; 2 Kings 21:18, 26; 1 Samuel 25:1; Mark 15:46; John 19:41). (See PARADISE.)

G'ARDEN-STUFF, noun Plants growing in a garden; vegetables for the table. [A word in popular use.]

G'ARDEN-WARE, noun The produce of gardens. [Not in use.]