Honey
“From a root meaning to be gummy or sticky”
Summary
Honey in Scripture refers primarily to bee honey but also to date syrup and other sweet substances; it was so abundant in Palestine that the land was famously described as 'flowing with milk and honey.'
☩Types of Honey in Scripture
Several Hebrew words designate honey. Debash is the most frequent term, sometimes meaning bee honey but also the syrup of dates or boiled grape juice still called dibs in the East. Ya'ar refers specifically to wild bee honey found in forests. Nopheth denotes dripping honey from the comb. Tsuph refers to the cells of the honeycomb full of honey. This 'vegetable honey' or grape syrup was what Jacob sent to Joseph in Egypt and what Tyre purchased from Palestine, not ordinary bee honey.
☩Abundance in Palestine
Palestine abounded in honey, justifying its description as 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' Wild bees were extremely numerous, depositing their honey in rock crevices, hollow trees, and even unusual places like the carcass of a lion in Samson's riddle. The expression seems too comprehensive to be confined to bee honey alone, likely including all sweet substances the Hebrew words indicate. In some parts of Arabia the hills are so well stocked with bees that hives placed there are immediately occupied. Honey and milk were among the chief dainties in ancient times, as among the Bedouin today.
☩Prohibition in Offerings
Honey was not permitted to be offered on the altar as a burnt sacrifice. Since it is coupled with leaven in this prohibition, it seems to amount to an interdiction of things that ferment. Honey produces fermentation, quickly turning sour and even forming vinegar. This symbolic unfitness—representing the working of corruption—made it incompatible with offerings made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. Yet the first fruits of honey could be presented for the support of the priests, as these were not burned on the altar.
☩Symbolic Uses
Honey symbolized sweetness and pleasantness. The word of God is described as 'sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.' Pleasant words are compared to a honeycomb, 'sweet to the soul and health to the bones.' Yet wisdom warns against excess: 'Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it.' This proverb inculcates moderation in all pleasures. In Song of Solomon, honey and milk under the tongue symbolize sweet discourse.
☩Wild Honey
The 'wild honey' that sustained John the Baptist in the wilderness was the honey of wild bees deposited in rocks and trees. Some have suggested it was the manna-like exudation from tamarisk trees, but this occurs only in small globules requiring careful collection, unlike what is described of Jonathan finding honey flowing on the ground in the woods. Wild honey is clearly referenced in passages about honey from the rock. The Baptist's diet of locusts and wild honey represented extreme simplicity and asceticism appropriate to his role as the forerunner.
Related Verses58 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Honey," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Honey," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.George Morrish, "Honey," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Honey," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 5.James Hastings (ed.), "Honey," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).