Plants and Foods of the Bible · The Garden · Fruit

The Pomegranate

The fruit full of red seeds that God chose as a decoration for the high priest’s robe

Key verse
Exodus 28:33-34
Where we find it
The gardens and orchards of the promised land, next to fig trees and vines
What it reminds us of
Beauty, plenty and honor given to God
Illustration: The Pomegranate

Stories from Scripture

The Pomegranate in the stories of the Bible

  1. Moses and Aaron

    Bells and pomegranates on the high priest’s robe

    God told Moses how the high priest’s robe should be made: all around the hem, pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, and between them bells of gold — a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate.

    Exodus 28:33-34

  2. King Solomon

    Two hundred pomegranates at Solomon’s Temple

    When King Solomon built the Temple, rows of pomegranates were made on top of the two great pillars of the porch, two hundred around each one, next to flowers like lilies. Whoever came to the Temple saw the beauty given to God.

    1 Kings 7:18-20

  3. The twelve spies

    The fruit the spies brought back

    The spies Moses sent to explore the promised land came back with a huge cluster of grapes carried by two men on a pole, and they also brought pomegranates and figs. They were the proof that the land God gave was truly good.

    Numbers 13:23

From the world of the Bible

Did you know?

  • A single pomegranate hides hundreds of seeds inside, each one wrapped in red, juicy pulp.

  • The pomegranate is a small tree that stands up well to heat and drought, just right for the climate of the land of Israel.

  • The hard rind protects the fruit, so a pomegranate can be kept for a long time after it is picked.

From the Holy Scriptures

What do we read in the Bible about the pomegranate?

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

In kids’ words: God chose pomegranates as the decoration for the high priest’s robe: service done with care and beauty matters to Him.

7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

In kids’ words: Pomegranates were among the gifts of the good land that God promised His people.

Verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Read each passage in the context of its chapter in the Bible.

What the pomegranate teaches us

Beauty for the service of God

God could have commanded a plain robe, but He asked for colorful pomegranates and golden bells. He is a God of beauty, and He teaches us to bring Him the best we have, made with care and with joy.

How we can live this out today

When you do something for God — a drawing, a song or tidying your room — do it with care, like a beautiful gift for Him.

Mini-Quiz

What did you learn about the pomegranate?

Where did pomegranates appear in the service at the Tabernacle and the Temple?

For parents and children

At home and in Sunday school

A question for parents and children

What beautiful thing could you do together this week, as a gift for God or for someone else?

My prayer
“Lord, You made the pomegranate so beautiful and so full of seeds. Teach me to bring You my best, with care and a cheerful heart. Amen.”

Activity at home

Pomegranate seeds

Open a pomegranate and count a few seeds together. Talk about the beauty made with care for God.