What Does Lily Mean in the Bible?

Lily has a real and beautiful connection to Scripture.

It traces back to the Hebrew word shoshannah, a flower name that appears throughout the Old Testament.

You’ll find it in Solomon’s love poetry and in the architecture of the temple itself.

This article walks through what Lily means in the Bible, where it appears, and what its symbolism can mean for your family today.

You’ll come away with an honest, well-researched answer — including where scholars still disagree.

Quick Answer: What Does Lily Mean in the Bible?

Lily comes from the Hebrew word shoshannah, meaning “lily” or “whiteness.”

It appears throughout the Old Testament as a symbol of beauty, purity, and God’s care.

Biblical Meaning of Lily

Hebrew Meaning

The Hebrew word is shoshan or shoshannah (שׁוֹשַׁנָּה), generally translated “lily.”

Scholars believe the root relates to “whiteness.”

Like the English word “lily” today, it was used broadly for several similar flowering plants, not one single species.

Literal Meaning

Literally, the word describes a flowering plant common to the region.

It likely included flowers we’d call lilies, irises, or even hyacinths today.

Ancient Hebrew didn’t categorize plants the way modern botany does, so scholars can’t identify the exact species with certainty.

Spiritual Meaning

Spiritually, the lily represents beauty, purity, and delicate flourishing.

In Song of Solomon, it describes romantic beauty.

In Matthew, it illustrates God’s tender provision for even the smallest details of creation.

Biblical Significance

The lily’s significance grows from its contrast with its surroundings.

Song of Solomon 2:2 calls it “the lily among thorns” — something beautiful and set apart, standing out against a harsher backdrop.

Key Scripture Reference

Matthew 6:28 is the most quoted lily verse: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.”

Jesus uses the flower to teach trust in God’s provision — one of the most beloved images in the Gospels.

New Testament Relevance

The lily appears in Jesus’s teaching in both Matthew 6:28 and Luke 12:27.

In both passages, Jesus points to the lily’s effortless beauty as proof that God clothes creation with care.

He will certainly care for his people too.

Cultural Understanding in Biblical Times

In the ancient Near East, these lily-like flowers grew wild across fields and valleys.

This made them a familiar, everyday image for the original audience, not a rare or cultivated flower.

Is Lily Mentioned in the Bible?

Yes.

It appears in poetic literature (Song of Solomon), prophecy (Hosea), historical description (1 Kings, 2 Chronicles), and Jesus’s own teaching (Matthew, Luke).

This gives it one of the richest floral presences in all of Scripture.

Where Does the Name Lily Come From?

The English name Lily comes from the Latin word lilium, which traces back to the Greek leirion.

Its biblical connection comes through translation — English Bibles render the Hebrew shoshannah and Greek krinon as “lily.”

What is the Greek word for lily?

Question: What is the Greek word for lily?

Answer: The Greek word is krinon. It’s used in the New Testament passages where Jesus references the lily in Matthew 6:28 and Luke 12:27.

What About Similar Names — Liliana, Lilian, Lillian, and Lilly?

Liliana, Lilian, Lillian, and Lilly are all name variations built on the same root as Lily.

They share its connection to shoshannah and its symbolism of purity and beauty.

None of these specific spellings appear as a person’s name in the Bible. Like Lily, their biblical connection comes through the flower’s meaning, not a named figure.

Is Lily a Jewish name?

Question: Is Lily a Jewish name?

Answer: Lily has Jewish roots through the Hebrew word shoshannah, and Shoshana remains a popular Hebrew name today. “Lily” itself is more common in English, Christian, and secular contexts.

Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism

Purity vs. Worldliness

The lily’s association with purity and whiteness became a symbol in later Christian art.

It represents staying beautiful and clean even while growing “among thorns” (Song of Solomon 2:2).

Anxiety vs. Trust

In Matthew 6, the lily contrasts human anxiety with God’s provision.

Jesus makes an argument: if God dresses a temporary wildflower so beautifully, how much more will he care for people made in his image.

God’s Perspective

Scripture uses the lily to reflect God’s character — his attention to beauty and his care for small, fleeting things.

Hosea’s promise that Israel will blossom again “as the lily” shows his delight in restoring what has withered.

Lessons for Today

The lily invites believers to release anxious striving and trust that God notices and provides.

This lesson is as relevant to modern worry as it was to Jesus’s first listeners in Galilee.

Lily in Christian Tradition (Beyond the Bible)

Beyond Scripture, the lily became an important symbol in later Christian art and tradition.

St. Joseph and St. Anthony are often depicted holding a lily, representing purity and chastity.

This tradition developed after the biblical era — it isn’t found in the Bible text itself, but it draws on the flower’s biblical association with purity.

Lily in Scripture: Old Testament vs. New Testament Usage

Aspect	Old Testament	New Testament
Main appearances	Song of Solomon, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Hosea	Matthew 6:28, Luke 12:27
Primary symbolism	Beauty, romantic love, temple decoration, restoration	Trust in God’s provision
Tone	Poetic and celebratory	Teaching and reassuring
Hebrew/Greek word	shoshannah (Hebrew)	krinon (Greek)

Bible Verses About Lily

Song of Solomon 2:1 “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

The beloved describes herself using natural, unpretentious beauty.

True beauty, in Scripture’s poetry, is compared to something delicate and God-given.

Song of Solomon 2:2 “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”

This shows how beauty and goodness can stand out precisely because of a difficult surrounding.

It’s a picture of remaining distinct even in a harsh environment.

Song of Solomon 4:5

“Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.”

Part of the extended poetic imagery of Song of Solomon.

Here, lilies represent a lush, flourishing, and safe place.

Song of Solomon 6:2-3 “My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.”

The lily represents intimacy and delight within a shared, cultivated space.

It’s a picture of relational closeness.

Hosea 14:5 “I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily.”

God promises restoration to a wayward Israel.

The lily symbolizes fresh, tender growth after a season of dryness — grace after failure.

1 Kings 7:19 “And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily-work in the porch, four cubits.”

The lily’s beauty was considered worthy of decorating the temple itself.

This shows its symbolic weight in sacred spaces.

2 Chronicles 4:5 “And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies.”

Another temple reference.

It reinforces the flower’s association with beauty fit for worship.

Matthew 6:28

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.”

Jesus’s central lily teaching.

It urges trust over anxiety by pointing to how effortlessly God clothes even a wildflower.

Matthew 6:29 “Yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

This verse elevates the lily above royal wealth.

It teaches that God’s simple provision outshines human luxury.

Luke 12:27 “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Luke’s parallel account reinforces the same lesson of trust.

It’s delivered to a slightly different audience with the same enduring message.

Is there a separate “parable of the lily”?

Question: Is there a separate “parable of the lily”?

Answer: Not exactly. It’s part of Jesus’s broader Sermon on the Mount, within his teaching on worry in Matthew 6:25-34.

Real-Life Biblical Case Study: The Shulamite’s Song

Song of Solomon presents the Shulamite woman describing herself as “a lily of the valleys” (2:1).

Her beloved affirms it, calling her “a lily among thorns” (2:2).

This exchange isn’t just romantic poetry. It models a biblical pattern of affirming beauty and worth within a relationship.

Many readers throughout church history have also read this as a picture of God’s affectionate love for his people — cherished and set apart like a lily standing out from thorns.

Life Lessons for Christians

• Beauty doesn’t require striving. Growth and beauty can come from simply being rooted where God has placed you.
• You can flourish even in a hard environment. “A lily among thorns” reminds believers that surroundings don’t have to define them.
• God notices small, ordinary things. If Jesus points to a wildflower as evidence of God’s care, nothing in your life is too small for his attention.
• Restoration is always possible. Hosea’s promise shows that even after failure, fresh growth is available through God’s grace.
• Anxiety can be released through trust. Matthew 6 uses the lily to move believers from worry to confidence in God’s provision.

Common Misunderstandings

Misunderstanding: The “lily of the valley” in Song of Solomon refers to the plant sold in florist shops today (Convallaria majalis).

Misunderstanding: The lily always symbolizes the same single thing in every verse.

In reality, its meaning shifts by context — romantic beauty in Song of Solomon, restoration in Hosea, and trust in Matthew and Luke.

Expert Insight 💡

When studying a flower or plant name in the Bible, compare at least two translations side by side (like the KJV and a modern version such as the ESV or NIV).

Ancient Hebrew plant names, including shoshannah, often don’t map neatly onto one modern species.

Comparing translations helps you see where scholars have made different calls.

FAQs

Question: Is Lily a biblical name?

Answer: It doesn’t appear as a person’s name in most English Bible translations. It comes from shoshannah, meaning “lily,” used thirteen times in the Old Testament.

Question: What does the lily symbolize in the Bible?

Answer: Purity, beauty, and God’s care. It represents romantic beauty in Song of Solomon, restoration in Hosea, and provision in Matthew and Luke.

Question: Where is the lily mentioned in the Bible?

Answer: In Song of Solomon (2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 6:3), 1 Kings 7:19, 2 Chronicles 4:5, Hosea 14:5, Matthew 6:28, and Luke 12:27.

Question: What does “lily of the valley” mean in Song of Solomon?

Answer: A poetic self-description of the Shulamite woman’s beauty. Scholars note it’s likely not the modern plant Convallaria majalis.

Question: What does Jesus teach using the lily?

Answer: In Matthew 6:28 and Luke 12:27, he points to its effortless beauty to teach that God provides for creation — so believers can trust him instead of worrying.

Question: What is the Greek word for lily?

Answer: Krinon — used in the New Testament passages where Jesus references the lily.

Question: Is Lily a Jewish name?

Answer: It has Jewish roots through shoshannah, and Shoshana is a popular Hebrew name today. Lily itself is more common in English contexts.

Question: Where does the name Lily come from?

Answer: From the Latin lilium, tracing back to the Greek leirion. Its biblical link comes through Bible translation.

Question: Is there a separate “parable of the lily”?

Answer: Not exactly — it’s part of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount teaching on worry, in Matthew 6:25-34.

Conclusion

Lily is one of the rare baby names with a genuine, well-documented biblical root, tracing back to the Hebrew shoshannah.

It appears across the Old and New Testaments — from Solomon’s love poetry to Jesus’s teaching on trust.

The lily consistently points to beauty that doesn’t strive, purity that stands out, and a God who notices even the smallest details of his creation.

If you’re choosing this name for your daughter, or simply reflecting on its meaning, you’re connecting to a flower Scripture returns to again and again — always as a picture of grace, beauty, and God’s faithful care.