SHEMARIM (she-ma'am), shem aw-reem', from shaw'mar, to keep, to pre serve).
This term is generally understood to denote the lees or dregs of wine, and it is asserted that the radical idea expresses the fact that these pre serve the strength and flavor of the wine. There is evidently a reference to this in Ps. lxxv :8: 'For in the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, and the wine (1" yayin) is red (or thick and turbid, hhawnzar); it is full of mixture (mesech), and he poureth out this; but the dregs thereof (shent azercenz) all the rebels of the earth shall press and suck;' in this verse alone we have four of the terms rendered 'wine' by the translators of the English Bible. The inference is, that silent orim here denotes the dregs of wine. This cannot be the meaning of the term, however, in Is. xxv :6, where, we think, it most refer to some rich preserves appropriate to the feast of which that text speaks (Tirosh to l'ayin, iv: 8). The verse may be rendered thus:-'And Je hovah of hosts shall make to all peoples in this mountain a feast of fat things (shemawnim), a feast of preserves (shenzawrim), of the richest fatness. of preserves well refined.' Considerable diversity of opinion has obtained among Biblical critics in regard to both the literal meaning and prophetic bearing of this text. The most usual interpretation supposes a reference to wines on the Ices: but shemirim of this text was a solid article, different from grape-cake (Ge senius, Le.r.. sub voc.), as not being pressed in any particular form. and different from mukimz, dried grapes, as being refined and pre pared for being served up at a sumptuous enter tainment. Those commentators, however, who suppose that Isaiah here speaks of good old fermented wine, advocate an article which is rather offensive than agreeable to the Hebrew taste. In Cant. ii :4, the bride says of the object of her affection. 'He brought me to the house of grapes.' an arbor being referred to. probably simi lar to those found in our gardens and orchards, or perhaps larger (Robinson's Palestine, vol. i, p.
314). such houses or tents being common in vine yards, and resorted to at the time of the vintage. The sweetness of honey seems to have been pre ferred in their wines ; for in Cant. v :1, the bride groom says, 'I have eaten my honey (not honey comb, as 'some have falsely and carelessly ren dered it,—Gesenins; see HONEY) with my grape syrup' ; and the mildness of milk was also agree able, for he adds, 'I have drunk my wine with my milk.' That which 'goeth down sweetly' is
.pproved of (Cant. vii :9), as well as that which has the flavor of spices, with the addition of the juice of the pomegranate (Cant. viii :2), or that of other fruits. Wisdom, too (Prov. ix:2), is said to have 'mingled her wine,' a circumstance which plainly indicates that the wine referred to was thick and syrupy, and for use required to be mingled with a quantity of water equal to that which had been evaporated by boiling. The an cient Jews had two objects in view in mingling their wine—one of which we have now mentioned, and the other was by the mixture of drugs to produce a highly intoxicating drink (Is. v:22). It would be no compliment, therefore, to a sober Israelite to be promised an abundant supply of cld fermented wine at a rich entertainment ; in fact, it would be regarded as a kind of mockery.
We may state briefly the results to which the preceding observations conduct us: (a) The term shemdrim does not naturally call up the idea of wine.
(b) It properly signifies preservers or pre serves.
(c) There is a paronomasia in the text in the words shenzdnint (delicacies) and shemdrint (preserves), the beauty of which is increased by the repetition of these terms.
(d) The interpretation of rich preserves is the only one that suggests an article worthy of being placed side by side with the rich delicacies which interpreters acknowledge to be designated by the accompanying term.
(e) Wine filtered or drawn off from the lees was not in high repute.
(f) The Hebrew taste was in favor of a solid preparation of the grape.
Neither of the other passages (Jer. xlviii ; Zeph. i:12) which relate to shenhirim is invested with special interest. The wine was separated from the lees, sometimes at least, by being drawn off from one vessel to another, as appears from Jeremiah xlviii:11.
Moab is here represented as spending a life of quiet indifference, living undisturbed in sin. Such, too, was the situation of those of whom Jehovah says (Zeph. i :12), 'I will punish the men that are settled on their lees': that is, those who disre garded his admonitions and prosecuted their sin ful courses, unmoved by his threatenings. (See WINE.) P. M.