Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon is a common name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is disputed among biblical scholars. In neither case does it refer to actual roses, although one of the species it refers to in modern usage is a member of Rosaceae. The deciduous flowering shrub known as the Rose of Sharon is a member of the mallow family which is distinct from the Rosaceae family. The name's colloquial application has been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which can potentially cause confusion. 'Rose of Sharon' has become a frequently used catch phrase in poetry and lyrics. Rose of Sharon is a common name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is disputed among biblical scholars. In neither case does it refer to actual roses, although one of the species it refers to in modern usage is a member of Rosaceae. The deciduous flowering shrub known as the Rose of Sharon is a member of the mallow family which is distinct from the Rosaceae family. The name's colloquial application has been used as an example of the lack of precision of common names, which can potentially cause confusion. 'Rose of Sharon' has become a frequently used catch phrase in poetry and lyrics. The name 'rose of Sharon' first appears in Hebrew in the Tanakh. In the Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs or Song of Solomon) 2:1, the speaker (the beloved) says 'I am the rose of Sharon, a rose of the valley'. The Hebrew phrase חבצלת השרון (ḥăḇatzeleṯ hasharon) was translated by the KJV editors as 'rose of Sharon'; however, previous translations had rendered it simply as 'the flower of the field' (Septuagint 'ἐγὼ ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου', Vulgate 'ego flos campi',Wiclif 'a flower of the field').Contrariwise, the Hebrew word ḥăḇatzeleṯ occurs two times in the scriptures: in the Song, and in Isaiah 35:1, which reads, 'the desert shall bloom like the rose.' The word is translated 'rose' in KJV, but is rendered variously as 'lily' (Septuagint 'κρίνον', Vulgate 'lilium', Wiclif 'lily'), 'jonquil' (Jerusalem Bible) and 'crocus' (RSV).