Willow

There are two kinds of willow in Palestine, the White Willow Salix alba being the northern one, and the Common Willow Salix acmophylla being the southern, more heat-tolerant one. In the Jordan Valley the willow gives way to the salt-tolerant Euphrates poplar as the river gets close to the Dead Sea. Some confusion of names arises from the fact that the Euphrates poplar has two kinds of leaves. The younger shoots produce a narrow leaf like the willow, and the mature shoots produce a wider, ovate leaf.

Zohary states confidently that the species in Leviticus 23:40 and Isaiah 44:4 is definitely the willow. Presumably the same Hebrew word ‘aravah in Job 40:22 also refers to the willow. Hepper, translating this word as “willows” in Isaiah 44:4, apparently agrees with Zohary. FFB concedes that putting “willows” in Leviticus 23:40 may be correct, but goes on to reverse itself by saying that “poplar” is justified in all passages by the fact that the Arabic name gharab is cognate with the Hebrew word. In response, Zohary argues that Arabs use gharab for both poplars and willows, the leaves of the two trees being very similar.

Considering the context, the word ‘aravah found in Psalm 137:2 most likely refers to the Euphrates poplar (see 1.20 Poplar). Ezekiel’s reference to a plant (tsaftsafah in Hebrew) that grew by a stream could refer either to a poplar or to a willow. According to Zohary, Arabs in Egypt call willows safsaf, whereas elsewhere in North Africa safsaf refers to the Euphrates poplar.