Flowing myrrh meets us in this tear-dropping Holy Week, completing The Bride’s Garden with a mesmerizing impression of the Bridegroom, resounding our Messiah. Myrrh is an epic landscape reference in the Bible, flowing intensely through Song of Songs. Its scent first appeared in the anointing oil for God’s Tabernacle in the Sinai Desert, moving forward to the gifts from the wisemen at Jesus’ birth and the burial spices saturating him in the garden tomb.
Hunt for true Biblical myrrh in conservatories and botanic garden greenhouses across the country, as this rare desert tree is a bit aloof to home cultivation. Yet the botanical imagery of flowing myrrh will wow you, and we will see how a “mock myrrh” might grace our own gardens and remind us always of our Lord Jesus.
Myrrh, a Mysterious Tree
Myrrh, Commiphora myrrha, is a stout, thorny tree classified in Burseraceae, the torchwood family. The tree’s form consists of a condensed, deciduous canopy spread atop a singular, knotty trunk, growing sparsely in Arabia, south to Somalia and surrounding regions. It stands stalwart in semiarid exposure, among sun-enduring shrubs and scruffy savannas, tolerating drought, growing about 15 feet tall. Leaflets are medium green; flowers bloom in small racemes, producing inconsequential berries.
Nothing in its appearance is attractive; instead, its alluring aroma comes from the tree’s sap, oozing out of pores in trunk and branches. The amber-colored substance dries into resinous nuggets, which are sold in spice markets. To achieve a greater yield, harvesters make small cuts all over the tree’s bark, allowing more sap to drip and dry from these wounds.
Several similar species make up the myrrh trade, including C. kataf, C. guidottii, and C. abyssinica, with some more fragrant and others more medicinal. Like spikenard and henna, myrrh would have been available to ancient Israelites through trade caravans. Merchants marketed its camphoraceous scent across the middle east for thousands of years.
And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry them down to Egypt. Genesis 37:25 KJV
From the beginning, myrrh has been on the move!
Flowing Myrrh
Flowing myrrh is constantly in mind as the Song of Songs encounter unfolds, mentioned multiple times throughout most of the book. The beloved is quick to associate her Bridegroom’s presence with pleasing fragrance—
There is a fragrance about you; the sound of your name recalls it. No woman could keep from loving you. Song of Songs 1:3 GNT
—and soon reveals sources of his scent: spikenard, myrrh, and blossoming henna.
As the king surrounded me at his table, the sweet fragrance of spikenard awakened the night. A sachet of myrrh is my lover, like a tied up bundle of myrrh resting over my heart. He is like a bouquet of henna blossoms— Song of Songs 1:13-14 TPT
see Blossoming Henna in The Bride’s Garden for more on henna & Fragrance Everywhere in The Bride’s Garden for more about spikenard
Describing his presence in terms of spikenard and myrrh adds an earthy grip to the pretty smell of flowers, since; spikenard scent comes from its roots and myrrh fragrance resides in its resinous tree sap. She seems to say: To be with him is to rest in the woods, in the retreat of shady canopies and rugged shelter. She desires to hold his essence close to her heart, and pines for him.
How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! Song of Songs 1:16 NIV
Later she compares his words to myrrh dripping from his lips, hinting to the way myrrh resin forms droplets on the bark of its trunk and branches:
His bearded cheeks are like a spice garden, with towers of spice: His lips are lilies dripping and flowing with myrrh… Song of Songs 5:13 VOICE
Lilies and myrrh: again, a flower’s perfume is married to rustic notes of myrrh, suggesting a grounded strength to his attractiveness, a welcoming realness to his conversation. I love how The Message translation relays this inference:
His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage, His voice, his words, warm and reassuring. Song of Songs 5:13 The Message
Musing further, his standing calls to the wilderness, as if he had walked deserted lands and endured rough terrain and took it all in stride.
“Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground, smelling of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice that can be bought? Song of Songs 3:6 TLB
This majestic description alludes to the wandering path of the ancient Israelites, following God’s Presence in a pillar of cloud by day, where the recipe for holy anointing oil was revealed as artisans constructed the Tabernacle.
Moreover, the Lord said to Moses, Take the best spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, of sweet-scented cinnamon half as much, 250 shekels, of fragrant calamus 250 shekels, And of cassia 500 shekels, in terms of the sanctuary shekel, and of olive oil a hin. And you shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer; it shall be a sacred anointing oil. Exodus 30:22-25 AMPC
Remember how mindful the Lord was for pleasing scent in His sanctuary:
the cohen is to cause all of it to go up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering; it is an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma for Adonai. Leviticus 1:9 CJB*
Myrrh was one the of the main ingredients of the oil that would anoint everything in the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, creating an aromatic atmosphere. All the anointing spices and more enthrall the Bridegroom as he meets his bride and beckons her to a life shared with him. Compare plant lists and find myrrh in glorious company.
My sweetheart, my bride, is a secret garden, a walled garden, a private spring; there the plants flourish. They grow like an orchard of pomegranate trees and bear the finest fruits. There is no lack of henna and nard, of saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, or incense of every kind. Myrrh and aloes grow there with all the most fragrant perfumes. Song of Songs 4:12-14 GNT
Myrrh joins a multitude of amazing scents, and the richness of these fruits and flavors brings magnitude to the gift of myrrh at Jesus’ birth—
…lo, the star, which [the wise men] saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was…they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11 KJV
—and represents a holy history at Jesus’ death.
Nicodemus, who first came to Jesus under the cloak of darkness, brought over 100 pounds of myrrh and ointments for His burial. [With Joseph of Arimathea], they took Jesus’ body and wrapped Him in linens soaked in essential oils and spices, according to Jewish burial customs. Near the place He was crucified, there was a garden with a newly prepared tomb. Because it was the day of preparation, they arranged to lay Jesus in this tomb so they could rest on the Sabbath. John 19:39-42 VOICE
Now the Lord was the One in a secret garden (Song of Songs 4:12), a garden tomb walling off his body in a cloud of sacred scents.
Come to Jesus
In another layer of myrrh metaphor, the Bridegroom tells his beloved that he would retreat in the dark, shadowy night to the “mountain of myrrh.”
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I’ll go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. Song of Songs 4:6 ISV
The foreboding shadows before dawn can be a prophetic Word describing the crushing night in Gethsemane and Jesus pressing through trial and crucifixion, until the evil darkness fully disperses in the light of His victory. The Bridegroom suggests that somehow pleasing aromas were spiritually a soothing shelter during the horror Christ endured, perhaps an allusion to the atmosphere of the heavenly realm, a refuge of fragrant joy. At the last word of Song of Songs, the beloved answers the Bridegroom, accepting his offer to join him, going up in the mystery of spice mountains.
Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. Song of Songs 8:14 NIV
Now she gives chase to pursue the higher place together, with the energetic gait of gazelle and dashing deer, patterning the precious call of the Spirit and Bride at the end of Revelation:
“Come,” says the Holy Spirit and the Bride, in divine duet. Let everyone who hears this duet join them in saying, “Come!” Revelation 22:17 TPT
Each of us can enter into this eternal call; this is the incredible invitation through Jesus’ suffering and rise to eternal life, the message in myrrh, a calling to higher places with our handsome, holy One.
Grow a “Mock Myrrh” Instead
While true myrrh is worlds away from our personal garden cultivation, we have a great “mock myrrh” as a stand-in: sweet cicely, Myrrhis odorata. Like the relationship between spikenard and American spikenard, there is no botanical connection between Myrrhis odorata and Biblical myrrh, Commiphora myrrha. The plants are complete opposites, sweet cicely a perennial shrub hardy to zone 4, while myrrh a spikey tree hardy to zone 10.
They only share a similar scientific name, reflecting their noticeable odors; yet the leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds of sweet cicely are delightfully fragrant, giving a pleasing aroma from garden to table. From the carrot family, the shrub grows to about 4 feet tall, tolerates gentle shade, and spreads by seed to fill the garden with bridal-like white flowers midsummer. Grow from seed sown in the fall.
For more information visit Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder or Edible Acres
Words for Reflection
Pause with me to reflect on Scriptures connecting to the themes of flowing myrrh, its horticulture and fragrance, bride and Bridegroom, and our hearts for Jesus.
For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. Isaiah 53:2 CJB
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. Isaiah 53:2 The Message
But it was our sins that caused his wounds. The bad things that we had done crushed him. The punishment that he received has brought peace to us. The wounds that he received have made us well. Isaiah 53:5 EASY
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. “By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 ISV
He heals the wounds of every shattered heart. Psalm 147:3 TPT
Because the king yearns for your beauty, humble yourself before him, for he is now your lord. Psalm 45:11 VOICE
the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord. Leviticus 1:9 KJV*
Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the Lord. Leviticus 1:9 GW*
His stunning splendor ascends higher than the heavens. He anoints his people with strength and authority, showing his great favor to all his godly lovers, even to his people, Israel, who are so close to his heart. Psalm 148:13-14 TPT
Let the dawning day bring me revelation of your tender, unfailing love. Psalm 143:8 TPT
To worship God in wonder and awe opens a fountain of life with you, empowering you to escape death’s domain. Proverbs 14:27 TPT
For this reason, they are [standing] before the throne of God; and they serve Him [in worship] day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them and shelter and protect them [with His presence]. Revelation 7:15 AMPC
Closing Prayer
O Holy Lord, thank you for revealing yourself in horticultural detain and making my gardening passion into an adventure with You! I am glad to be Your bride and glad to have so many plants in Your Word that help me get to know the beauty of who You are. Mostly through myrrh, I remember Your willingness to engage my life on earth, to be wounded for me and bear the thorny wilderness. Your love stands up to death (Song of Songs 8:6), overcoming its stench with pleasing aroma forever! Let flowing myrrh mark my encounter with You; yes! I will come up the spice-mountains with You—I accept! Amen.
For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. Isaiah 54:5 The Message
Happy Resurrection Day!
I am so glad you have travelled with me through The Bride’s Garden. Click here for a complete listing of the series to catch up with any plants that you missed. Visit my Instagram for more garden views!
Devotions Blog returns April 18th
The Bride’s Garden is a 7-week series for the Lenten Season, focusing our thoughts and meditations on God’s Words of garden matrimony. Especially, the Scriptures swooning with flowering, fruiting plants contained in Song of Songs. While God hints throughout the Bible of His Bridegroom-like devotion to His people, He goes all-out with lavish botanicals in King Solomon’s bridal songbook, describing scents and fruits and enthralling garden views, giving us things to have and to hold as we cultivate a deeper longing for Him.
Naturally, Song of Songs has been a joy to dig into for years in the Devotions Blog at Garden in Delight, with a wide range of enticing plants to spice up a Biblical Garden. Refer to these articles for additional ideas for your Bride’s Garden: Verdant (maidenhair fern, Songs 1:16); A Father’s Tree, The Lollipop® Crabapple Story (Songs 2:3); Strengthen Me with Raisins, Refresh Me with Apples (Songs 2:5); Under your Own Vine and Fig Tree (Songs 2:13); Cultivating Calamus (Songs 4:14); God’s Focus in Saffron Crocus (Songs 4:14); Eaglewood in God’s Word (aloes, Songs 4:14); Pistachio Cookies or A Lenten Look at Trees: Almond (nut trees, Songs 6:11); Blue Wheat (Songs 7:2); Fresh Kale & Date Salad (Songs 7:8). Additionally, Song of Songs includes 5 of the 7 Species, read more at The 7 Species: A Garden-to-Table Guide
Do you love connecting God’s Word to your gardening work and the trees and plants around you? You will love my new book, My Father is the Gardener, Devotions in Botany and Gardening of the Bible, order at this link.
Read more devotions on the Song of Songs gardens in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible in the Garden Tour section on En Gedi, beginning on page a-16
*From Parashah Vayikra (He Called), Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26/6:7, appointed this week. Parashah are weekly portions of Torah read throughout the year by Jewish people
Find each year’s Lent series from the Devotions Blog on a new webpage called Series of 7 Studies. They are 7-part, successive devotions focused on garden topics in God’s Word to dig into at any time
Photo Credits: Cover image is NOT Biblical myrrh, but a “mock myrrh” that should grow well in our home gardens, full of pleasing aroma—and very bridal-looking, don’t you think?! Photo 218634832 © Marjatta Caján | Dreamstime.com A big group of Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, growing in a garden in spring [cropped view]; Photo 13805611 | Commiphora Myrrha © Vladimir Melnik | Dreamstime.com Myrrh tree (Commiphora myrrha is a tree in the Burseraceae family); Photo 110408243 | Commiphora Myrrha © Cristina Dini | Dreamstime.com Myrrh, Commiphora myrrha, fragrant resin. gum resin; botanical illustration by Carson, Joseph, M.D. Illustrated by J.H. Colen. Illustrations of Medical Botany. Vol. 1 (Philadelphia: Robert P. Smith, 1847). Plate 20. From www.plantillustrations.org; Photo 278269067 © Kagab4 | Dreamstime.com Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, herbal medicine. Close up; final photo is full view of cover image.
AMPC notes Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Classic Edition, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
CJB notes Scripture quotations taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.
EASY denotesEasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 – Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
GNT denotes Scripture quotations from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
GW denotes Scripture quotations taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. Used by permission.
ISV denotes Scripture quotations from The Holy Bible: International Standard Version. Release 2.0, Build 2015.02.09. Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
KJV denotes Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version published in 1611, authorized by King James I of England, which is public domain in the United States.
The Message denotes Scripture quotations taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
NIV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
TLB denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.
TPT denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com
VOICE denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
