Difference between revisions of "Aloes; Lignaloes"

<p> ''''' al´ōz ''''' , ''''' lı̄n ''''' - ''''' al´oz ''''' , ''''' lig ''''' - ''''' nal´ōz ''''' ( אהלים , <i> ''''' 'ăhālı̄m ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Numbers 24:6 , translation "lign-aloes" (= lignum aloes, "wood of aloes"), &nbsp;Proverbs 7:17; אהלות , <i> ''''' 'ăhālōth ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Psalm 45:8; &nbsp;Song of [[Solomon]] 4:14; ἀλόη , <i> ''''' alóē ''''' </i> , &nbsp;John 19:39 ): [[Mentioned]] as a substance for perfuming garments (&nbsp;Psalm 45:8 ) and beds (&nbsp;Proverbs 7:17 ). In &nbsp;Song of Solomon 4:14 , it occurs in a list of the most precious spices. The most memorable use of aloes as a spice is in &nbsp;John 19:39 : "There came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him at night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds." This was an immense quantity and if the aloes bore any large proportion to the myrrh the mixture must have been purchased at a very high cost. The most difficult mention of aloes is the earliest where (&nbsp; Numbers 24:5 , &nbsp;Numbers 24:6 ) [[Balaam]] in his blessing on [[Israel]] exclaims - </p> <p> "How goodly are thy tents, [[[[O]] J]]  acob, </p> <p> [[Thy]] tabernacles, O I srael! </p> <p> As valleys are they spread forth, </p> <p> As gardens by the river-side, </p> <p> As lign-aloes which [[Yahweh]] hath planted, </p> <p> As cedar-trees beside the waters." </p> <p> As the aloes in question grow in East Asia it is difficult to see how Balaam could have come to speak of them as living trees. Post ( <i> HDB </i> , I, 69) suggests that they may possibly have been growing at that time in the [[Jordan]] valley; this is both improbable and unnecessary. Balaam need have had no actual tree in his mind's eye but may have mentioned the aloe as a tree famous over the Orient for its preciousness. That the reference is poetical rather than literal may be supposed by the expression in the next verse "cedar-trees beside the waters" - a situation very unnatural for the high-mountain-loving cedar. Yet another explanation is that the [[Hebrew]] has been altered and that אילים , <i> ''''' 'ēlı̄m ''''' </i> , "terebinths" instead of הלים ), <i> ''''' 'ăhālı̄m ''''' </i> , "aloes" stood in the original text. </p> <p> The aloe wood of the Bible is eaglewood - so misnamed by the Portuguese who confused the Malay name for it ( <i> ''''' agora ''''' </i> ) with the Latin <i> aquila </i> , "eagle" - a product of certain trees of the Natural Order <i> Aquilariaceae </i> , growing in Southeast Asia The two most valued varieties are <i> Aquilaria malaccensis </i> and <i> [[Aloes]] agallocha </i> - both fine spreading trees. The resin, which gives the fragrant quality to the wood, is formed almost entirely in the heart wood; logs are buried, the outer part decays while the inner, saturated with the resin, forms the "eagle wood" or "aloe wood" of commerce; "aloes" being the same wood in a finely powdered condition. To the Arabs this wood is known as <i> ''''' ‛ud ''''' </i> ̌ . It shows a beautiful graining and takes a high polish. </p> <p> These aloes must be clearly distinguished from the well-known medicinal aloes, of ancient fame. This is a resin from <i> Aloes socatrina </i> , and allied species, of the Natural Order <i> Liliaceae </i> , originally from the island of Socotra, but now from Barbados, the Cape of Good Hope and other places. The "American aloe" ( <i> Agave americana </i> ) which today is cultivated in many parts of Palestine, is also quite distinct from the Biblical plant. </p>

<p> ''''' al´ōz ''''' , ''''' lı̄n ''''' - ''''' al´oz ''''' , ''''' lig ''''' - ''''' nal´ōz ''''' ( אהלים , <i> ''''' 'ăhālı̄m ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Numbers 24:6 , translation "lign-aloes" (= lignum aloes, "wood of aloes"), &nbsp;Proverbs 7:17; אהלות , <i> ''''' 'ăhālōth ''''' </i> , &nbsp;Psalm 45:8; &nbsp;Song of [[Solomon]] 4:14; ἀλόη , <i> ''''' alóē ''''' </i> , &nbsp;John 19:39 ): [[Mentioned]] as a substance for perfuming garments (&nbsp;Psalm 45:8 ) and beds (&nbsp;Proverbs 7:17 ). In &nbsp;Song of Solomon 4:14 , it occurs in a list of the most precious spices. The most memorable use of aloes as a spice is in &nbsp;John 19:39 : "There came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him at night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds." This was an immense quantity and if the aloes bore any large proportion to the myrrh the mixture must have been purchased at a very high cost. The most difficult mention of aloes is the earliest where (&nbsp; Numbers 24:5 , &nbsp;Numbers 24:6 ) [[Balaam]] in his blessing on [[Israel]] exclaims - </p> <p> "How goodly are thy tents, [[[[O]] J]]  acob, </p> <p> [[Thy]] tabernacles, O I srael! </p> <p> As valleys are they spread forth, </p> <p> As gardens by the river-side, </p> <p> As lign-aloes which [[Yahweh]] hath planted, </p> <p> As cedar-trees beside the waters." </p> <p> As the aloes in question grow in East Asia it is difficult to see how Balaam could have come to speak of them as living trees. Post ( <i> HDB </i> , I, 69) suggests that they may possibly have been growing at that time in the [[Jordan]] valley; this is both improbable and unnecessary. Balaam need have had no actual tree in his mind's eye but may have mentioned the aloe as a tree famous over the Orient for its preciousness. That the reference is poetical rather than literal may be supposed by the expression in the next verse "cedar-trees beside the waters" - a situation very unnatural for the high-mountain-loving cedar. Yet another explanation is that the [[Hebrew]] has been altered and that אילים , <i> ''''' 'ēlı̄m ''''' </i> , "terebinths" instead of הלים ), <i> ''''' 'ăhālı̄m ''''' </i> , "aloes" stood in the original text. </p> <p> The aloe wood of the Bible is eaglewood - so misnamed by the Portuguese who confused the Malay name for it ( <i> ''''' agora ''''' </i> ) with the Latin <i> aquila </i> , "eagle" - a product of certain trees of the Natural Order <i> Aquilariaceae </i> , growing in Southeast Asia The two most valued varieties are <i> Aquilaria malaccensis </i> and <i> [[Aloes]] agallocha </i> - both fine spreading trees. The resin, which gives the fragrant quality to the wood, is formed almost entirely in the heart wood; logs are buried, the outer part decays while the inner, saturated with the resin, forms the "eagle wood" or "aloe wood" of commerce; "aloes" being the same wood in a finely powdered condition. To the Arabs this wood is known as <i> ''''' ‛ud ''''' </i> ̌ . It shows a beautiful graining and takes a high polish. </p> <p> These aloes must be clearly distinguished from the well-known medicinal aloes, of ancient fame. This is a resin from <i> Aloes socatrina </i> , and allied species, of the Natural Order <i> Liliaceae </i> , originally from the island of Socotra, but now from Barbados, the Cape of Good Hope and other places. The "American aloe" ( <i> Agave americana </i> ) which today is cultivated in many parts of Palestine, is also quite distinct from the Biblical plant. </p>

<ref name="term_944"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/international-standard-bible-encyclopedia/aloes;+lignaloes Aloes; Lignaloes from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]</ref>

<ref name="term_944"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/international-standard-bible-encyclopedia/aloes;+lignaloes Aloes; Lignaloes from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]</ref>

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