Thorns, Thistles, and Thorny Shrubs
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Gen. 3:18)—general biblical terms for harmful, useless, or obstructive vegetation; the exact plants cannot always be identified. Thorns and thistles enter the judgment pronounced upon the ground after Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:17–19). Elsewhere they signify neglect and ruin (Prov. 24:30–31; Isa. 5:6), hostile obstacles (Num. 33:55), and impediments in a person’s way (Prov. 22:5). The plants existed within creation, but after the Fall they become emblematic of toil, frustration, and the disorder of the cursed ground.