TAMARISK. The word “tamarisk” does not occur in the Bible in the KJV, but is found in the Moffatt and Goodspeed translations, where the word “shrubs” in Genesis 21:15 and “tree” in 1 Samuel 22:6 and 31:13 is tr. as “tamarisk” or “tamarisk tree.” Tamarisk would certainly be quite suitable as these shrubs would grow in droughty regions. This is prob. the reason why Abraham made his grove of tamarisks in Beersheba (Gen 21:33).

Tamarisks have tiny, scale-like leaves which hardly transpire at all; thus, they are suited for hot, dry places. They grow well in sandy soils, and so would grow in the Shur Desert, where Hagar wandered (21:9-17), and it was in the shade of the tamarisk tree (prob. Tamarisk aphylla) that she laid her boy Ishmael.