Apple; Apple Tree
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Song 2:3; Joel 1:12)—the Hebrew tappuach has traditionally been rendered “apple,” though interpreters have also proposed citron, apricot, quince, or another fragrant fruit. The source preferred a citron or orange because the ordinary apple seemed to it too rare and insufficiently fragrant in the East to fit the Song of Songs. The exact species remains uncertain, and the biblical poetry emphasizes beauty, fragrance, sweetness, and refreshment rather than botanical classification.