דבש. It is probable, that it was in order to keep the Jews at a
distance from the customs of the Heathen, who were used to offer honey
in their sacrifices, that God forbade it to be offered to him, that is
to say, burnt upon the altar, Lev. ii, 11; but at the same time he
commanded that the first-fruits of it should be presented. These
first-fruits and offerings were designed for the support and sustenance
of the priests, and were not consumed upon the altar. In hot weather,
the honey burst the comb, and ran down the hollow trees or rocks, where,
in the land of Judea, the bees deposited great store of it. This,
flowing spontaneously, was the best and most delicious, as it was quite
pure, and clear from all dregs and wax. The Israelites called it יערה,
_wood honey_. It is therefore improperly rendered “honeycomb,” 1 Sam.
xiv, 27; Cant. v, 1; in both which places it means the honey that has
distilled from the trees, as distinguished from the domestic, which was
eaten with the comb. Hasselquist says, that between Acra and Nazareth,
great numbers of wild bees breed, to the advantage of the inhabitants;
and Maundrell observes of the great plain near Jericho, that he
perceived in it, in many places, a smell of honey and wax as strong as
if he had been in an apiary. Milk and honey were the chief dainties of
the earlier ages, and continue to be so of the Bedoween Arabs now. So
butter and honey are several times mentioned in Scripture as among the
most delicious refreshments, 2 Sam. xvii, 29; Job xx, 17; Cant. iv, 11;
Isaiah vii, 15. Thus Irby and Mangles, in their Travels, relate, “They
gave us some honey and butter together, with bread to dip in it, Narsah
desiring one of his men to mix the two ingredients for us, as we were
awkward at it. The Arab, having stirred the mixture up well with his
fingers, showed his dexterity at consuming, as well as mixing, and
recompensed himself for his trouble by eating half of it.” The _wild
honey_, μέλι ἄγριον, mentioned to have been a part of the food of John
the Baptist, Matt. iii, 4, was probably such as he got in the rocks and
hollows of trees. Thus, “honey out of the stony rock,” Psalm lxxxi, 16;
Deut. xxxii, 13.
distance from the customs of the Heathen, who were used to offer honey
in their sacrifices, that God forbade it to be offered to him, that is
to say, burnt upon the altar, Lev. ii, 11; but at the same time he
commanded that the first-fruits of it should be presented. These
first-fruits and offerings were designed for the support and sustenance
of the priests, and were not consumed upon the altar. In hot weather,
the honey burst the comb, and ran down the hollow trees or rocks, where,
in the land of Judea, the bees deposited great store of it. This,
flowing spontaneously, was the best and most delicious, as it was quite
pure, and clear from all dregs and wax. The Israelites called it יערה,
_wood honey_. It is therefore improperly rendered “honeycomb,” 1 Sam.
xiv, 27; Cant. v, 1; in both which places it means the honey that has
distilled from the trees, as distinguished from the domestic, which was
eaten with the comb. Hasselquist says, that between Acra and Nazareth,
great numbers of wild bees breed, to the advantage of the inhabitants;
and Maundrell observes of the great plain near Jericho, that he
perceived in it, in many places, a smell of honey and wax as strong as
if he had been in an apiary. Milk and honey were the chief dainties of
the earlier ages, and continue to be so of the Bedoween Arabs now. So
butter and honey are several times mentioned in Scripture as among the
most delicious refreshments, 2 Sam. xvii, 29; Job xx, 17; Cant. iv, 11;
Isaiah vii, 15. Thus Irby and Mangles, in their Travels, relate, “They
gave us some honey and butter together, with bread to dip in it, Narsah
desiring one of his men to mix the two ingredients for us, as we were
awkward at it. The Arab, having stirred the mixture up well with his
fingers, showed his dexterity at consuming, as well as mixing, and
recompensed himself for his trouble by eating half of it.” The _wild
honey_, μέλι ἄγριον, mentioned to have been a part of the food of John
the Baptist, Matt. iii, 4, was probably such as he got in the rocks and
hollows of trees. Thus, “honey out of the stony rock,” Psalm lxxxi, 16;
Deut. xxxii, 13.