Bible Dictionaries
Dates

Holman Bible Dictionary

The fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera ), highly valued by desert travelers who consume dates fresh, dry them, or form them into cakes for a portable and easily-storable food. As part of the celebration of bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David gave gifts of food to each Israelite gathered in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:19; 1 Chronicles 16:3 ). The meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain. NAS and NIV use “cake of dates” at 2 Samuel 6:19 (also TEV margin). Other modern translations follow the KJV, understanding the food as a piece of meat. The NIV, but not the NAS, uses “cake of dates” in the parallel account in 1Chronicles.

The NAS of Song of Song of Solomon 5:11 describes the hair of the king as “like a cluster of dates,” perhaps a reference to a full head of hair. The REB translates the same term as “like palm-fronds”. Other translations speak of bushy hair (KJV), curly hair (KJV margin), or wavey hair (NIV, NRSV, TEV). See Palms .