HONEY (h5n'y). In the Scripture there are three words denoting different sweet substances, all of which are rendered by 'honey' in the Author ized Version. These it is necessary to distinguish.
1. V-s. yah'ar, which only occurs in Sam. xiv :25, 27, 29; Cant. v :t ; and denotes the honey of bees and that only.
t-tr 7', no'lelh, honey that drops, usually as sociated with the comb, and therefore bee-honey. This occurs in Ps. xix :to; Prov. v:3; xxiv :t3; xxvii :7: Cant. iv at.
3. 7:7?. deb-esh'. This is the most frequent word. It sometimes denotes bee-honey, as in Judg. xiv :8, but more commonly a vegetable honey distilled frotn trees, and called manna by chemists; also the syrup of dates, and even dates themselves. It appears also sometimes to stand as a general term for all kinds of honey.
It is very evident that the land of Canaan abounded in honey. It is indeed described as 'a land flowing with milk and honey' (Exod.
8, etc.) ; which we apprehend to refer to all the sweet substances which the different Hebrew words indicate, as the phrase seems too large to be confined to the honey of bees alone. Yet the great number of bccs in Palestine has been noticed by many travelers; and they were doubtless still more common in ancient times when the soil was under more general cultivation.
The wild honey, which, with locusts, formed the diet of John the Baptist, was probably the vegetable honey. (See MANNA.) Honey was not permitted to be offered on the altar (Lev. ii :tt). As it is coupled with leaven in this prohibition, it would seem to amount to an interdiction of things sour and sweet. Aben Ezra and others allege that it was because honey partook of the fermenting nature of leaven. and when burnt yielded an unpleasant smell--quali ties incompatible with offerings made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. But Maimonides and others think it was for the purpose of making a difference between the religious customs of the Jews and the heathen, in whose offerings honey %vas much employed. The first-fruits of honev were, however. to be presented, as these were des. tined for the support of the priests, and not to be offered upon the altar.
The remarkable incident related in I Sam. xiv: 24-32, requires to be here noticed. Jonathan and his party .coming to the wood, find honey drop ping from the trees to the ground, and the prince extends his rod to the honeycomb to taste the honey. On this the present writer is unable to
add anything to what is said by Kitt° (Pic torial Bible, in loc.), which is to the following effect: First, we are told that the honey was on the ground, then that it dropped, and lastly, that Jonathan put his rod into the honeycomb. From all this it is clear that the honey was bee honey, and that honeycombs were above in the trees; from which honey dropped upon the ground ; but it was not clear whether Jonathan put his rod into a honeycomb that was in the trees or shrubs, or into one that had fallen to the ground, or that had been formed there.
Where %vild bees are abundant they form their combs in any convenient place that offers, par ticularly in cavities or even on the branches of trees; nor are they so nice as is commonly sup posed in the choice of situations. In India par ticularly, and in the Indian islands, the forests often swarm with bees.
We have good reason to conclude, from many allusions in Scriptnre, that this was also, to a con siderable extent, the case formerly in Palestine.
The woods on the western coast of Africa, between Cape Blanco and Sierra Leone, and par ticularly near the Gatnbia, are full of bees. to which the negroes formerly, if they do not now, paid considerable attention for the sake of the wax. They had bee-hives, like baskets, made of reeds and sedge, and hung on the out-boughs of the trees, which the bees easily appropriated for the purpose of forming their combs in them. In some parts these hives were so thickly placed that at a distance they looked like fruit. As to the other supposition, that the honeycomb had been formed on the ground, we think the context rather bears against it ; but the circumstance is not in itself unlikely, or incompatible with the habits of wild bees. For want of a better resource they sometimes form their honey in any tolerably convenient spot they can find in the ground. such as small hollows or even holes formed by ani mals.* Figuratitie. (t) Whatever is sweet, delight ful, and healing is likened to "honey ;" as the word of God (Ps. xix :to; cxix :103) ; the pray ers, praises. and edifying talk of the saints— Christ's gospel truths. and his people's graces. and the knowledge of wisdom (Prov. xxiv :t3). (2)