Bible Dictionary
TEMPLES
The temples are the thin areas at the sides of the skull above the cheeks. The term is used literally in Judges and figuratively in descriptions of the bride’s beauty in Song of Solomon.
Definition
The temples are the thin areas at the sides of the skull, above the cheeks. The term comes from a word expressing thinness and refers to the upper cheek or temple region.
Biblical Usage
The term is used literally in the account of Jael’s killing of Sisera. In the Song of Solomon, the bride’s cheeks or temples are compared with pomegranates, apparently because of the rich coloring seen in a slice of the fruit.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>tem'-p'lz (raqqah, "thinness," "upper cheeks"): The original signifies the thinnest part of the skull (Jud 4:21,22; 5:26). In So 4:3; 6:7, the bride's cheeks are likened to pomegranates because of the rich coloring of a slice of this fruit.</p>