Kuschi - what is it? Definition and lexical meaning of a word

It would seem that everyone knows the word "bush". What does it mean? Of course, bushes, most of our contemporaries will say. And it turns out not quite right. Although, of course, the writing and sounding of this word reminds us of greenery, foliage and more often, and in this sense is even fixed in the dictionary, in its other meaning to plantings and groves it has nothing to do. Let's look at the meaning of these mysterious "bush", trace where they came from, and how they ended up in paradise. Or over the sea.

Kuschi - what is it?

Experts of the Ukrainian language immediately exclaim: "Yes this is a bushes!" And this is also true. In fact, if we look at the meaning of the corresponding word in the plural in the Ukrainian dictionary, then right there it will be written. But here in Russian and some Slavic languages - a completely different story. For example, in Bulgarian, the same word "kashta" means a house, in Serbian - a building, a kitchen. In the Old Slavonic language, too, there were "booths". The meaning of this word was originally interpreted as a "tent", "tent" or hut. But over time, there was a transfer of meaning, and since the XIX century writers, and especially poets, began to use it as a synonym for forests and groves.

Religious history: Old Testament

If we turn to the Bible, we will see that in the autumn the Jews traditionally celebrate Sukkot. At this time, believing Jews should not live at home, but in tents or huts, that is, ritual buildings resembling bush. What do these actions mean? The fact is that Jews remember the wandering of their people along the Sinai desert, from the flight from Egyptian slavery to the attainment of Israel. In the Mosaic Pentateuch - this is one of the three main holidays. At that time, the Jews were ordered to make a pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple. According to writer Joseph Flavius, this is one of the most sacred festivities, for on the eighth day it was necessary to indulge in the presence of God, along with the whole family, as well as the have-nots, the poor and widows. On this day, too, it was recalled that God sent water from the rock as thirsty wanderers.

How they looked

Now let's see what these Jewish shrines were like. What were these ritual huts? These were temporary buildings, where poles and leaves were used instead of the walls. They protected the people who lived in them from the rain, but at the same time through the cracks people had to see by day - the sun, and at night - the stars. The Jews who stayed there, should not only remember the adversities of wandering through the desert, but also seek support only in divine protection. The tabernacles symbolized both the weakness of mankind and its last hope.

New Testament

But not only in the Old Testament it is said about this holiday. Sukkot is also mentioned in the Gospels - Jesus Christ also observes this Jewish tradition, because He was raised in it. It is on the Feast of Tabernacles, on its eighth day, that the Savior reveals to people that He is the true temple of God, the cornerstone, the source of truth and grace. This is the story of the apostle John. Christ promises to all believers in him deliverance and eternal life, just as the Jews were saved from slavery and found freedom. That's the spiritual meaning of "bush". The lexical meaning of the word in religious-historical content, therefore, is related not only to the material tent, house or dwelling, but also to eternal life. With water, after drinking it, you will not feel thirst any more. It is not for nothing that in the Gospel of Matthew, where the story of the Transfiguration of the Lord is told, the Apostle Peter offers Christ to make three bunches on Mount Tabor , including the prophet Elijah and Moses. Here these tents are a symbol of the heavenly tabernacles, where it will always be good. They are associated with the joy and jubilation that the apostle experienced while he saw the Glory of Christ.

Paradise Tabernacles - the Meaning of Phraseology

These words we heard often. Mostly they are used in an ironic meaning. This is the name of the place where bliss is experienced, or simply paradise. Sometimes the phrase is applied relatively to a beautiful, cozy house - often with a garden - where prosperous people live, which everyone has in abundance. But it happens that in the literature the word combination "paradise bush" is used in a menacing manner. That's what murder is called. "Send someone to the heavenly mansions" simply means to spend to the next world. So you can interpret, for example, the name of the film drama of Alexander Proshkin, whose hero receives a gift of his own funeral wreath. But if we study in detail and carefully the meaning of this phrase in the Christian context, we will see that it means "a place of residence in the Kingdom of Heaven." A variant of these words is the expression "overseas booths". True, their meaning varies from "wonderful places in distant countries, where a good life" to "wildness brought from foreign lands".

The word "booths": definition (short conclusions)

So, what do we have in the dry residue? The word "bush" has a long-standing origin. It means a dwelling, which can be collected, and sometimes even carried away - somehow: a tent, a tent, a hut. Sometimes they call a hut or a shepherd's summer. But in other languages, these words also mean a house, and even a kitchen. That is, the tabernacle is a dwelling, temporary or permanent. Therefore, in the Orthodox religious tradition this word is called the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. "Kushchy" - so it is customary to translate the name of the autumn festivities in Israel to the glory of God. This word in combination with the adjective "heavenly" also means "the abode of the blessed" and in a figurative sense - any pleasant, good place for living. But since the XIX century, with the light hand of the writers' class, bush (apparently, due to the similarity of sound), everything that is associated with foliage and trees has been called: groves, forests, bushes.