The plant behind Esther’s original name — and Scripture’s image of beauty replacing barrenness.
Myrtle is a fragrant, evergreen shrub that carried quiet but meaningful symbolism throughout Scripture — most famously as the root of Queen Esther’s original Hebrew name, Hadassah, which means "myrtle." It was also one of the specified plants used to build temporary shelters during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Isaiah uses myrtle in one of his most quoted prophetic images, promising that where briers and thorns once grew, myrtle trees would rise instead — a picture of restoration and blessing replacing barrenness and difficulty.
Myrtle carries a long history in Scripture and folk tradition. Here's what it's most known for.
Shared for educational and historical interest, not as medical advice.
A little of the "why" behind the tradition.
Myrtle leaves contain aromatic essential oils, including cineole and myrtenol, which give the plant its characteristic fresh fragrance and have made myrtle leaf and oil a traditional, gentle option in folk herbalism, particularly in Mediterranean traditions.
Start with a simple dried myrtle leaf infusion — it’s a gentle way to connect with the same plant behind Esther’s original name and Isaiah’s promise of restoration.
Steep dried myrtle leaf in hot water as a traditional aromatic tea.
Infuse dried leaf in a carrier oil — by Infuzium at 110°F for 3 hours.
Myrtle’s quiet presence in Scripture carries more weight than its small mentions might suggest. It gives Queen Esther her original Hebrew name, Hadassah, tying an entire book of the Bible back to this fragrant shrub. It’s named specifically among the branches used to build shelters for the Feast of Tabernacles, and it anchors one of Isaiah’s most hopeful prophecies — a promise that myrtle would rise where only thorns and briers had grown before, a picture of restoration available to anyone walking through a difficult season.
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