Original Word: רֶתֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rethem
Pronunciation: reh'-them
Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-them)
KJV: juniper (tree)
NASB: juniper tree, broom shrub, broom tree
Word Origin: [from H7573 (רָתַם - harness)]

1. the Spanish broom (from its pole-like stems)

juniper tree

Or rothem {ro'-them}; from ratham; the Spanish broom (from its pole-like stems) -- juniper (tree).

see HEBREW ratham

Word Origin
from ratham
Definition
broom plant, retem
NASB Translation
broom shrub (1), broom tree (1), juniper tree (2).

רֹ֫תֶם noun masculine^{1Kings 19:5} a kind of broom-shrub, broom-plant, retem (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic (on form Lag BN 152); ᵑ7 רִיתְמָא, all = Biblical Hebrew); — absolute אֶחָד ׳ר 1 Kings 19:5, אחת ׳ר V:4 Kt (אֶחָד Qr); plural שֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם Job 30:4 (on text see Bu Che below); גַּחֲלֵי רְתָמִים Psalm 120:4, Rob^{BR i. 84, 203, 205, 500} Löw^{No. 313} Post^{Hastings, DB 'Juniper'} Che^{Ency. Bib. 'Juniper'}.

Botanical Profile

Retem denotes the desert broom tree, generally identified with Retama raetam or closely related species that thrive in arid regions from the Sinai Peninsula through the Negev into the Jordanian and Arabian deserts. The plant reaches the height of a small tree, yet its leafless, green branches can create a surprising pocket of shade. Its deep-growing roots penetrate poor soils in search of moisture and become large enough to be harvested for fuel. When converted to charcoal, broom-wood produces an intense, long-lasting heat, an attribute reflected in the metaphorical use of its coals in Psalm 120:4.

Occurrences in Scripture

• 1 Kings 19:4-5 – Elijah, exhausted after the showdown on Mount Carmel and fleeing Jezebel, collapses “under a broom tree” and pleads for death, only to receive supernatural refreshment and renewed purpose from the Angel of the LORD.
• Job 30:4 – Job describes destitute outcasts who “plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food,” highlighting extreme deprivation.
• Psalm 120:4 – The psalmist compares deceitful tongues to “sharp arrows from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree,” invoking the tree’s fiercely hot charcoal as a picture of piercing judgment.

Literary and Symbolic Significance

Shade in the Wilderness: In 1 Kings 19 the broom tree marks the boundary between despair and divine provision. Even a scant refuge in the desert becomes sufficient when God meets His servant there, turning meager shade into a sanctuary of grace.

Refuge of the Destitute: Job 30:4 moves from Elijah’s prophetic crisis to the margin of society, where the same plant sustains those scorned by men. Retem thus stands at both ends of human vulnerability, testifying that the LORD “lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7).

Instrument of Judgment: Psalm 120:4 harnesses the broom tree’s charcoal to depict God’s righteous retribution against lying lips. The imagery reminds readers that the heat designed for comfort can, when misapplied, become an agent of severe discipline.

Historical and Geographical Context

Ancient travelers across the Negev and Sinai valued the broom tree as a landmark of shade and a practical fuel source, its branches gathered for quick fires and its roots dug for charcoal production. Bedouin accounts confirm that the embers can remain hot for extended periods, suiting overnight camps and metalworking alike. Archaeological surveys have located charred broom-wood in desert kilns, corroborating biblical references to its remarkable burning qualities.

The Broom Tree in Ministry and Devotional Life

1. Pastoral Care: Elijah’s experience under the broom tree encourages shepherds of God’s people to recognize burnout and to guide weary saints toward rest, nourishment, and a renewed encounter with the word of the LORD.
2. Mercy for the Marginalized: Job 30:4 challenges congregations to remember the poor who survive on society’s fringes. Practical compassion mirrors God’s heart, turning the broom tree from a symbol of desperation into one of redemptive generosity.
3. Truth and Accountability: Psalm 120:4 equips teachers to warn against deceit. Just as broom coals sear quickly and thoroughly, so falsehood invites divine scrutiny; therefore, the church must cultivate transparent speech seasoned with grace and truth.

Typological Reflections

Elijah’s solitary tree evokes the solitary cross where Christ bore sin’s weight outside the city gate (Hebrews 13:12-13). As the broom tree afforded shade before the journey to Horeb, so the cross grants shelter before the resurrection life empowered by the Spirit. In both scenes God meets the desperate in the wilderness with provision that anticipates greater deliverance.

Key Themes for Further Study

• Divine provision in barren places – 1 Kings 19.
• Social justice and identification with the outcast – Job 30.
• The purifying fire of judgment and truth – Psalm 120.
• Desert motifs as settings for revelation and transformation throughout Scripture (Exodus, Numbers, Luke 4, Galatians 1).

Retem, humble yet indispensable, weaves through Scripture as shade, sustenance, and smoldering warning—pointing ultimately to the God who supplies grace, disciplines sin, and shepherds His people through every wilderness.

רְתָמִ֣ים רְתָמִֽים׃ רֹ֣תֶם רתם רתמים רתמים׃ rə·ṯā·mîm retaMim rəṯāmîm rō·ṯem Rotem rōṯemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts