Broom

BROOM.—See Juniper.

broom: Occurs in 1Ki 19:4 m (“broomtree”); Job 30:4, and Psa 120:4 m as the translation of the Hebrew רתם, rōthem, where the King James Version employed “juniper” which is retained in the Revised Version (British and American) text in 1Ki 19:4 and Job 30:4. Juniper is certainly incorrect and broom is not a particularly happy rendering. The rōthem was doubtless the shrub called by the Arabs ratam, a shrub which casts so little shadow that it would be used for shade only when there was no other refuge from the desert sun, and would be eaten only in case of the direst necessity, but which could be burned and used for the making of charcoal. See JUNIPER.

Broom. A dense, twiggy bush, almost leafless, which grew to about 3. 6 meters (12 feet). It has small white blooms. Common in the desert regions of Palestine, Arabia, and Egypt, it was used as charcoal ( Psa 120:4) and provided shade for the prophet Elijah ( 1Ki 19:4-5). The roots which Job ate were not from the broom, which was not edible, but may have been an edible parasite which infested the bush ( Job 30:4). The broom is sometimes referred to as juniper in the NKJV, KJV, and NASB. Many scholars believe this to be the shrub or heath referred to in ( Jer 17:6) and ( Jer 48:6).