### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **çarpâd**, represented by `{{H5636}}`, refers to a **nettle** or **brier**. Its definition suggests something that stings like a burn. It is an exceedingly rare term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible, where its single usage carries significant symbolic weight.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H5636}}` is in [[Isaiah 55:13]], where it is used to illustrate a dramatic, positive transformation. The verse prophesies that "instead of the **brier** shall come up the myrtle tree." Here, the **brier** stands as a symbol of a wild, uncultivated, and undesirable state, which will be miraculously replaced by a pleasant and valuable tree as a sign of God's blessing and restoration.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{H5636}}` in [[Isaiah 55:13]] places it in direct relationship with several other key terms that highlight its meaning through contrast:
* `{{H5285}}` **naʻătsûwts** (thorn): Appearing in the same verse, this term for a thorny bush is used in parallel with **brier**. It is what will be replaced by the fir tree, reinforcing the theme of exchanging the wild and harmful for the cultivated and useful [[Isaiah 55:13]].
* `{{H1918}}` **hădaç** (myrtle tree): This is the direct, positive counterpart to the **brier**. The prophecy states the myrtle tree will come up in place of the **brier**, symbolizing beauty and blessing replacing desolation [[Isaiah 55:13]].
* `{{H1265}}` **bᵉrôwsh** (fir tree): This tree is promised to replace the thorn. As a desirable tree, its emergence further emphasizes the theme of divine restoration from a cursed state to one of fruitfulness and value [[Isaiah 55:13]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5636}}` is derived entirely from its symbolic role in its single biblical appearance.
* **Symbol of a Cursed State:** Like the thorn `{{H5285}}`, the **brier** represents the effects of a fallen or desolate condition—a land that is unproductive and painful.
* **Promise of Radical Transformation:** The replacement of the **brier** with the myrtle tree is not a mere improvement but a complete reversal. It serves as a powerful metaphor for God's redemptive power to change circumstances from barren to fruitful.
* **A Lasting Testimony:** This transformation is explicitly for a purpose: "it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off" [[Isaiah 55:13]]. The removal of the **brier** is a permanent witness to God's glory.
### Summary
In summary, while **çarpâd** `{{H5636}}` is one of the rarest words in the biblical lexicon, its meaning is clear and potent. It functions as a powerful symbol of a desolate condition. Its solitary mention in [[Isaiah 55:13]] frames it as the "before" in a divine "after" picture, where God's power transforms the painful and useless into something beautiful and enduring, like the myrtle tree.
TRV