Nut

Nuts surface twice in scripture, both times as a marker of the land's good produce — once in a gift basket assembled by Jacob, once in the orchard imagery of the Song of Songs.

Among the Choice Fruits of the Land

When Jacob is finally pressed into sending his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin, he loads them with a sampler of Canaan's best to give the unknown ruler. "And their father Israel said to them, If it is so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your⁺ vessels, and carry down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds" (Gen 43:11). Nuts and almonds close the list — table goods Egypt did not produce in quantity.

The Garden of Nuts

The Song of Songs slows down to walk a planted valley. "I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, [And] the pomegranates were in flower" (Song 6:11). The orchard is one panel in a layered scene of vines, pomegranates, and green growth — nuts here name an entire grove rather than a basket of produce.