BREAST (brest). (Heb. "t, shad, the female nipple; dad, breast).
The females in the East are more anxiously desirous than those of northern climates of a full and swelling breast ; in fact, they study embon point of appearance to a degree uncommon among ourselves; and what in the temperate regions of Europe might be called an elegant slenderness of shape, they consider as a meagre appearance of starvation. They indulge these notions to ex cess. It is necessary to premise this before we can enter thoroughly into the spirit of the Ian This instance of self-approbation is peculiarly in character for a female native of Egypt, in which country, Juvenal sneeringly says, it is noth ing uncommon to see the breast of the nurse, or mother, larger than the infant she suckles. The same conformation of a long and pendent breast is marked in a group of women musicians found by Denon painted in the tombs on the mountain to the west of Thebes, on which he observes that the same is the shape of the bosom of the pres ent race of Egyptian females. The ideas couched in these verses appear to be these: "Our sister is quite young," says the bride; "but," says the bridegroom, "she is upright as a wall; and if her breasts do not project beyond her person, as kiosks project beyond a wall, we will ornament her dress (head-dress?) in the most magnificent manner with turret-shaped diadems of silver." This gives occasion to the reflection of the bride, understood to be speaking to herself aside: "As my sister is compared to a wall, I also in my person am upright as a wall; but I have this fur ther advantage, that my bosom is ample and full, as a kiosk projecting beyond a wall ; and, though kiosks offer repose and indulgence, yet my bosom offers to my spouse infinitely more effectual en joyment than they do." "This, it may be con
jectured," says Calmet, "is the simple idea of the passage; the difference being that turrets are built on the top of a wall; kiosks project from the front of it. The name kiosk is not restricted to this construction, but includes most of what are commonly called summer houses or pavilions." (Sec BosoN1).
Figurative. (1) In Ezek. xxiii:3.8, breasts, or teats of virginity, pressed and bruised, implies that even in the early ages of Israel's existence the people were given to idolatry. The same figures are employed by the prophets in depicting the continued and obstinate idolatries both of Judah and Israel (Ezek. xxiii; Hos. ii :2), and in the thirty-fourth verse of this latter chapter the plucking off the breast seems to denote the des perate anguish which the people would feel in parting with their beloved sin (Hos. ii :2) (2) To smite or taber on the breasts imports great affliction and grief (Nab. ii:7; Luke xxiii:48). (3) The Persian empire, according to the usual interpretation (see DANIEL), is compared to a breast and arms of silver to denote the prudence. humanity and valor wherewith it was founded and the wealth thereof (Dan. ii:32).