Honey

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Honey —Honey is mentioned very frequently in the OT: twenty times in the proverbial expression ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’ ( Exodus 3:8;  Exodus 3:17;  Exodus 13:5;  Exodus 33:3,  Leviticus 20:24,  Numbers 13:27;  Numbers 14:8;  Numbers 16:13 f.,  Deuteronomy 6:3;  Deuteronomy 11:9;  Deuteronomy 26:9;  Deuteronomy 26:15;  Deuteronomy 27:3;  Deuteronomy 31:20,  Joshua 5:6,  Jeremiah 11:5;  Jeremiah 32:22,  Ezekiel 20:6;  Ezekiel 20:15); or in other connexions, either literally, as a product of the soil and as food ( Genesis 43:11,  Deuteronomy 8:8;  Deuteronomy 32:13,  Judges 14:8 f., 18,  1 Samuel 14:25 f., 29, 43,  2 Samuel 17:29,  1 Kings 14:3,  2 Kings 18:32,  2 Chronicles 31:5,  Job 20:17,  Psalms 81:16,  Isaiah 7:15;  Isaiah 7:22,  Jeremiah 41:8,  Ezekiel 16:13;  Ezekiel 16:19,  Sirach 11:3;  Sirach 39:26); or figuratively, as a term of comparison for sweetness ( Exodus 16:31,  Psalms 19:10;  Psalms 119:103,  Proverbs 5:3;  Proverbs 16:24;  Proverbs 24:13 f.,  Proverbs 25:16;  Proverbs 25:27,  Song of Solomon 4:11;  Song of Solomon 5:1,  Ezekiel 3:3,  Sirach 24:20;  Sirach 49:1). On the other hand, it is very rarely named in the NT, and especially in the Gospels. There is no direct evidence that the Jews were acquainted with any other honey than that of wild bees. Yet the fact that in  2 Chronicles 31:5 honey is included among the products of which the first-fruits were to be offered, would appear to represent it as an object of culture, and the mention of ‘wild honey’ as part of the food of John the Baptist ( Matthew 3:4,  Mark 1:6 [Syriac Sin. [Note: Sinaitic.] , perhaps under the influence of  Deuteronomy 32:13 and  Psalms 81:16, has ‘honey of the mountains’]) appears to point by way of contrast to the existence of honey derived from domesticated bees. As to artificial honey, made from boiled fruits (dates, raisins, figs), and to which the Arabs give the name of dibs (the phonetic equivalent of Heb. דְּבָשׁ ‘honey’ [of bees]), it is not impossible that it was known to the Israelites and the Jews; but we have no decisive Biblical proof of this (cf. Josephus BJ iv. viii. 3; Urquhart, The Lebanon , 1860, i. p. 393; Berggren, Guide Français-Arabe , col. 266, Nr. 94 and 95).

The two parallel passages cited above, relating to the food of John the Baptist, are the only ones in the Gospels in which the word μέλι, ‘honey,’ is found. Wild honey (μέλι ἅγριον) is named along with locusts as forming the very simple and frugal sustenance of an ascetic, a Nazirite, such as John was.* [Note: One might be tempted, however, following a hint of Diodorus Siculus (xix. 94), to see in the ‘wild honey’ the designation of a vegetable and nutritive substance, such as the resin of the tamarisks or some other sweet and savoury exudation from a tree. To collect nourishment of this kind in the thickets along the Jordan would have been an easier task for the Baptist, and would have required less time, than to hunt for the honey of bees (cf. Berggren, op. cit. col. 564).] Further, in another Gospel passage ( Luke 24:42) there is mention, at least in the TR [Note: R Textus Receptus.] and Authorized Version, of a piece ‘of a honeycomb’ (ἀπὸ μελισσίου κηρίου) as having been offered along with ‘a piece of broiled fish’ to Jesus after His resurrection. But a number of the most ancient MSS [Note: SS Manuscripts.] of the NT (אABDLΠ) do not contain the former phrase, and the disposition of modern commentators, almost without exception, is to consider it as an addition. ‘A singular interpolation, evidently from an extraneous source, written or oral,’ say Westcott and Hort. The Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 omits it. But this method of solving the problem cannot be regarded as satisfactory and final. In fact, if it is very hard to imagine, to use the language of Dean Burgon, ‘that such a clause as that established itself universally in the sacred text, if it be spurious,’ it is much less difficult to explain ‘how such a clause became omitted from any manuscript, if it be genuine.’ One can discover no possible motive for the surreptitious introduction of these words into the text. On the other hand, if they are regarded as an integral part of the primitive and authentic text, it is not impossible to disentangle the reason of their suppression in some MSS [Note: SS Manuscripts.] . With a view to this we must place the narrative of  Luke 24:41-43 alongside of  John 21:9-13, compare these two descriptions of a meal, and note that in many of the writings of the Fathers, and probably in various attempts to establish ‘harmonies of the Four Gospels’ (but not in the Diatessaron of Tatian), these two scenes are in fact identified (although they differ in all their essential features). Now, perhaps, we may be able to explain how the mention of the honeycomb came to disappear. The influence of  Leviticus 2:11 f., which forbids the use of honey (probably because easily subject to fermentation) in any kind of sacrifice; that of the allegorical interpretation of  Song of Solomon 5:1 (especially in the LXX Septuagint version) applied to Christ; an ascetic tendency to proscribe sweet foods; the possible intervention of the Valentinians with their Veritatis Evangelium  ; and, finally, the proneness to polemize against the Gnostics, who made large use of honey in their solemn ‘mysteries’ (cf. Carl Schmidt, Gnostische Schriften in koptischer Sprache , Leipzig, 1892, pp. 203, 508), and who may have appealed for support to this text;—such are the motives which, either singly or all combined, may have brought about the removal of the disputed words. The present writer is strongly inclined, in common with the three authors cited below in the Literature, to retain them as authentic.

Literature.—Burgon-Miller, The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels , London, 1896, Appendix I. ‘Honeycomb,’ pp. 240–252; Merx, Evang. des Markus und Lukas , Berlin, 1905, pp. 540–543; Nestle, ThL Z [Note: hLZ Theol. Literaturzeitung.] , 1906, col. 40. See also, for bees, Bochart, Hicroz . ii. 502 ff.; J. G. Wood, Bible Animals , 1869, pp. 605–612; Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible 8 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] , 1889, pp. 322–326.

Lucien Gautier.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

HONEY . The appreciation of honey by the Hebrews from the earliest times, and its abundance in Canaan, are evident from the oft-recurring description of that country as a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ (  Exodus 3:8;   Exodus 3:17 onwards). In the absence of any mention of bee-keeping in OT, it is almost certain that this proverbial expression has reference to the honey of the wild bee (see Bee). The latter had its nest in the clefts of rocks, hence the ‘honey out of the rock’ of   Deuteronomy 32:13 , in hollow tree-trunks (  1 Samuel 14:26 , but the Heb. text is here in disorder), and even, on occasion, in the skeleton of an animal (  Judges 14:8 ff.). In later times, as is evident from the Mishna, bee-keeping was widely practised by the Jews. The hives were of straw or wicker-work. Before removing the combs the bee-keepers stupefied the bees with the fumes of charcoal and cow-dung, burnt in front of the hives.

In Bible times honey was not only relished by itself (cf. Sir 11:3 ‘the bee is little, but her fruit is the chief of sweet things’), and as an accompaniment to other food ( Matthew 3:4 ,   Mark 1:6 ‘locusts and wild honey,’   Luke 24:42 , AV [Note: Authorized Version.] with fish), but was also largely used in the making of ‘bakemeats’ and all sorts of sweet cakes (  Exodus 16:31 ), sugar being then, of course, unknown. Although it formed part of the first-fruits presented at the sanctuary, honey was excluded from the altar, owing to its liability to fermentation.

Honey for domestic use was kept in earthen jars ( 1 Kings 14:3 EV [Note: English Version.] ‘cruse’), in which, doubtless, it was also put for transport (  Genesis 43:11 ) and export (  Ezekiel 27:17 ). Many scholars, however, would identify the ‘honey’ of the two passages last cited with the grape syrup (the Arab. [Note: Arabic.] dibs , equivalent of the Heb. debash , ‘honey’) of ‘Honey’ in EBi [Note: Encyclopædia Biblica.] col. 2105). Indisputable evidence of the manufacture of dibs in early times, however, is still lacking.

In addition to the proverbial expression of fertility above quoted, honey, in virtue of its sweetness, is frequently employed in simile and metaphor in Heb. literature; see  Psalms 19:10;   Psalms 119:103 ,   Proverbs 16:24;   Proverbs 24:13 f.,   Song of Solomon 4:11;   Song of Solomon 5:1 , Sir 24:20; Sir 49:1 etc.

A. R. S. Kennedy.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

דבש . It is probable, that it was is order to keep the Jews at a distance from the customs of the Heathen, who were used to offer honey in their sacrifices, that God forbade it to be offered to him, that is to say, burnt upon the altar,  Leviticus 2:11; but at the same time he commanded that the first-fruits of it should be presented. These first-fruits and offerings were designed for the support and sustenance of the priests, and were not consumed upon the altar. In hot weather, the honey burst the comb, and ran down the hollow trees or rocks, where, in the land of Judea, the bees deposited great store of it. This, flowing spontaneously, was the best and most delicious, as it was quite pure, and clear from all dregs and wax. The Israelites called it יערה , wood honey. It is therefore improperly rendered "honeycomb,"   1 Samuel 14:27;  Song of Solomon 5:1; in both which places it means the honey that has distilled from the trees, as distinguished from the domestic, which was eaten with the comb. Hasselquist says, that between Acra and Nazareth, great numbers of wild bees breed, to the advantage of the inhabitants; and Maundrell observes of the great plain near Jericho, that he perceived in it, in many places, a smell of honey and wax as strong as if he had been in an apiary. Milk and honey were the chief dainties of the earlier ages, and continue to be so of the Bedoween Arabs now. So butter and honey are several times mentioned in Scripture as among the most delicious refreshments,  2 Samuel 17:29;  Job 20:17;  Song of Solomon 4:11;  Isaiah 7:15 . Thus Irby and Mangles, in their Travels, relate, "They gave us some honey and butter together, with bread to dip in it, Narsah desiring one of his men to mix the two ingredients for us, as we were awkward at it. The Arab, having stirred the mixture up well with his fingers, showed his dexterity at consuming, as well as mixing, and recompensed himself for his trouble by eating half of it." The wild honey, μελι αγριον , mentioned to have been a part of the food of John the Baptist,  Matthew 3:4 , was probably such as he got in the rocks and hollows of trees. Thus, "honey out of the stony rock,"

 Psalms 81:16;  Deuteronomy 32:13 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

Old Testament During Bible times, honey appeared in three forms: (1) honey deposited from wild bees ( Deuteronomy 32:13 ), (2) honey from domesticated bees (one of the products “of the field”  2 Chronicles 31:5 ), and (3) a syrup made from dates and grape juice ( 2 Kings 18:32 ). Honey served as a food stuff ( Genesis 43:11 ) and as an item of trade ( Ezekiel 27:17 ).

Almost all references to honey in the Old Testament are to wild honey. Bees made their honeycombs and deposited their honey in holes in the ground ( 1 Samuel 14:25 ); under rocks or in crevices between rocks ( Deuteronomy 32:13 ); or in the carcasses of animals ( Judges 14:8 ).

Honey was prohibited from being used in burnt offerings because it fermented easily ( Leviticus 2:11 ). Honey was rare enough to be considered a luxury item ( Genesis 43:11;  1 Kings 14:3 ). Honey was so ample in Canaan that the land there was described as a land “flowing with milk and honey” ( Exodus 3:8 ).

Bee keeping is not mentioned specifically in the Old Testament. In later times bee keeping was practiced by the Jews. The hives were of straw and wicker. Before removing the combs, the bee keeper stupefied the bees with fumes of charcoal and cow dung burnt in front of the hives.

The Lord's ordinances are “sweeter than honey” ( Psalm 19:10 ). God's goodness to Jerusalem was expressed by the phrase “you ate honey” ( Ezekiel 16:13 ).

New Testament Honey is mentioned in three New Testament passages ( Matthew 3:4;  Mark 1:6;  Revelation 10:9-10 ). In New Testament times, honey was viewed as a food eaten by lowly people ( Matthew 3:4;  Mark 1:6 ).

Gary Hardin

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Was formerly very plentiful in Palestine, and hence the frequent expressions of Scripture which import that that country was a land flowing with milk and honey,  Leviticus 20:24 . Wild bee honey was often found in hollow trees and clefts in the rocks,  Deuteronomy 32:13   Psalm 81:16; and on this John the Baptist fed,  Matthew 3:4 . Honey was highly prized,  Psalm 19:10   Proverbs 5:3   27:7 . Modern travellers observe that it is still very common there, and that the inhabitants mix it in all their sauces. Forskal says the caravans of Mecca bring honey from Arabia to Cairo, and that he has often seen honey flowing in the woods in Arabia. It would seem that this flowing honey is bee honey, and this fact illustrates the story of Jonathan,  1 Samuel 14:25,27 . But there is also a vegetable honey that is very plentiful in the East. Burckhardt, speaking of the productions of the Ghor, or valley of the Jordan, says one of the most interesting productions of this place is the Beyrouk honey, as the Arabs call it. It was described to him as a juice dropping from the leaves and twigs of a tree called Gharrab, of the size of an olive tree, with leaves like those of the popular, but somewhat broader. The honey collects on the leaves like dew, and is gathered from them, or from the ground under the tree. Another vegetable product is referred to in the Bible as honey,  2 Corinthians 13:14 . It is syrup, prepared by boiling down the juice of dates, etc. That made from grapes is called dibs, and is much used by the Arabs as a condiment with food. It resembles thin molasses, and is pleasant to the taste,  Genesis 43:11 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

There is frequent mention made in Scripture concerning honey. It is made, indeed, by the Lord himself, a type of the promised land. And the manna from heaven, that the Lord fed the church with in the wilderness forty years, is said in taste, to have been "like wafers made with honey." ( Exodus 16:31) Notwithstanding this, it is somewhat remarkable, that the Lord forbade the offering of it upon the altar. ( Leviticus 2:11) The Lord Jesus, in commending the loveliness and sweetness of his church, compares her lips to the "droppings of the honeycomb." ( Song of Song of Solomon 4:11) We may well suppose the figure is just, as well as beautiful, because Christ himself useth it. And when the church is in public prayer, or a believer is in private devotion, and the Holy Ghost is leading the soul in those sacred exercises, it is indeed "sweet as the honeycomb to the soul, and health to the bones." ( Proverbs 16:24) And when Jesus's name and salvation are the gracious themes of the believer's exercise; whether in prayer or praise or reading the word, or religious conversation; every act, like the sweetness of honey, is grateful. The prophet describes the blessed effect in a very lively manner. ( Malachi 3:16-17) "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."

See Milk

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Exodus 3:8 (b) Honey and milk are the products of life. The one comes from the living bee, the other from the living cow. The land of Canaan represents that place in the Christian's life wherein by utter consecration he begins to receive his richest blessings from the living Lord on the throne. (See  Deuteronomy 8:8).

 Deuteronomy 32:13 (a) The rock represents the Lord Jesus and the honey represents the sweetness, the loveliness and all those precious graces which one receives from Christ by faith.

 Leviticus 2:11 (c) Here honey represents natural human sweetness. In the sacrifices to the Lord, nothing is acceptable to GOD except the virtues of CHRIST. All the natural graces which we admire in one another are to be completely omitted from everything that pertains to sacrifice for sins or for merit before the Lord. Honey is a type of all that is good and best in the human heart and which some desire to offer as a sacrifice for sin.

 Judges 14:9 (c) The lion represents the Lord JESUS and the honey represents the lovely and delightful sweetness which the believer enjoys as he comes and takes out of CHRIST's heart and life the blessings which are so freely given.

 Job 20:17 (b) This evidently refers to an abundance of comforts, the luxuries of life, things over and above the natural blessings.

 Psalm 19:10 (b) The Word of GOD is to the soul what honey is to the body. The Scriptures are frequently referred to as honey and the honeycomb. (See  Psalm 119:103;  Ezekiel 3:3;  Revelation 10:9).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

"Wild honey" ( Matthew 3:4 ) may have been the vegetable honey distilled from trees, but rather was honey stored by bees in rocks or in trees ( Deuteronomy 32:13;  Psalm 81:16;  1 Samuel 14:25-29 ).

Canaan was a "land flowing with milk and honey" ( Exodus 3:8 ). Milk and honey were among the chief dainties in the earlier ages, as they are now among the Bedawin; and butter and honey are also mentioned among articles of food ( Isaiah 7:15 ). The ancients used honey instead of sugar ( Psalm 119:103;  Proverbs 24:13 ); but when taken in great quantities it caused nausea, a fact referred to in  Proverbs 25:16,17 to inculcate moderation in pleasures. Honey and milk also are put for sweet discourse ( Song of Solomon 4:11 ).

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Honey'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/h/honey.html. 1897.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Honey. The Hebrew, debash in the first place applied to the product of the bee, to which exclusively we give the name of honey. All travellers agree in describing Palestine as a land "flowing with milk and honey,"  Exodus 3:8, bees being abundant even in the remote parts of the wilderness, where they deposit their honey in the crevices of rocks or in hollow trees. In some parts of northern Arabia, the hills are so well stocked with bees that no sooner are hives placed than they are occupied.

In the second place, the term debash applies to a decoction of the juice of the grape, which is still called dibs , and which forms an article of commerce in the East. It was this, and not ordinary bee-honey, which Jacob sent to Joseph,  Genesis 43:11, and which the Tyrians purchased from Palestine.  Ezekiel 27:17.

A third kind has been described by some writers as a "vegetable" honey, by which is meant the exudations of certain trees and shrubs, such as the Tamarix mannifera , found in the peninsula of Sinai, or the stunted oaks of Luristan and Mesopotamia. The honey which Jonathan ate in the wood,  1 Samuel 14:25, and the "wild honey" which supported John the Baptist,  Matthew 3:42, have been referred to this species. But it was probably the honey of wild bees.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Honey. Canaan is described as a land "flowing with milk and honey."  Exodus 3:8;  Exodus 3:17;  Exodus 13:5;  Psalms 19:10;  Psalms 81:16. And travellers now speak of the immense swarms of bees found in some rocky parts of the country.  Deuteronomy 32:13. With this "wild honey" John Baptist was fed.  Matthew 3:4. There was a kind of honey-syrup obtained from dates.  2 Chronicles 31:5. Honey was forbidden as an offering.  Leviticus 2:11. It is often joined with milk, both being natural products; and "honey and milk" are sometimes figuratively put for pleasant discourse.  Song of Solomon 4:11. Honey was sometimes made from the juice of grapes boiled down to the half or third part. This, called Dibs, is still prepared in many parts of Syria and Palestine, especially in the neighborhood of Hebron, and is in great quantities exported into Egypt.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Μέλι (Strong'S #3192 — Noun Neuter — meli — mel'-ee )

occurs with the adjective agrios, "wild," in  Matthew 3:4;  Mark 1:6; in  Revelation 10:9,10 , as an example of sweetness. As "honey" is liable to ferment, it was precluded from offerings to God,  Leviticus 2:11 . The liquid "honey" mentioned in  Psalm 19:10;  Proverbs 16:24 is regarded as the best; a cruse of it was part of the present brought to Ahijah by Jeroboam's wife,   1—Kings 14:3 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Bee .) Bees deposit it in the crevices of rocks ( Psalms 81:16), and in hollow trees. Its "dropping" symbolizes speech, sweet, loving, and profitable ( Song of Solomon 4:11). The word of God ( Psalms 19:10). As wine and meat express strong spiritual nourishment in faith, so honey and milk sometimes symbolize incipient faith ( Song of Solomon 5:1). The vegetable honey exuded from trees, as the Tamarix mannifera, and is found only in small globules which must he carefully collected and strained, so that it cannot be what Jonathan ate in the wood ( 1 Samuel 14:25), or the "wild honey" which John Baptist ate ( Matthew 3:4). Honey was forbidden in meat offerings, for it soon turns sour and was used for making vinegar (Pliny, 21:48). It produces fermentation, which is a symbol of the working of corruption in the heart ( Leviticus 2:11-12;  1 Corinthians 5:7).

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) That which is sweet or pleasant, like honey.

(2): ( n.) Sweet one; - a term of endearment.

(3): ( n.) A sweet viscid fluid, esp. that collected by bees from flowers of plants, and deposited in the cells of the honeycomb.

(4): ( v. t.) To make agreeable; to cover or sweeten with, or as with, honey.

(5): ( v. i.) To be gentle, agreeable, or coaxing; to talk fondly; to use endearments; also, to be or become obsequiously courteous or complimentary; to fawn.

King James Dictionary

HON'EY, n. hun'y.

1. A sweet vegetable juice, collected by bees from the flowers of plants, and deposited in cells of the comb in hives. Honey, when pure, is of a moderate consistence, of a whitish color,tinged with yellow,sweet to the taste, of an agreeable smell, soluble in water, and becoming vinous by fermentation. In medicine, it is useful as a detergent and aperient. It is supposed to consist of sugar, mucilage, and an acid. 2. Sweetness lusciousness.

The king hath found

Matter against him, that forever mars

The honey of his language.

3. A word of tenderness sweetness sweet one.

HON'EY, To talk fondly. Little used.

1. To sweeten.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

This was so plentiful in Palestine, that the country was often described as a land 'flowing with milk and honey.'  Exodus 3:8,17 . It is symbolical of what is sweet in nature; to be partaken of with discretion, lest it cause vomiting.  Proverbs 25:16,27 . It was strictly forbidden to add honey to the offerings of the Lord made by fire.  Leviticus 2:11 . What is of nature, though it be sweetness, can have no place in what is offered to God. The Lord Jesus when in service on earth said to His mother, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" though when His service was over He commended her to John.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( דְּבִשׁ , Debash', sometimes rendered "Honey comb," in composition with, יר , ya'ar or צוּ , Tsuph; while נֹפֶת , No'Pheth, singly, is sometimes translated "honey-comb;" Greek Μέλι ) is represented by several terms, more or less accurately, in the original languages of Scripture.

1.' יר , Ya'Ar, which only occurs (in this sense) in  1 Samuel 14:25;  1 Samuel 14:27;  1 Samuel 14:29;  Song of Solomon 5:1; and denotes the honey of bees, and that only. The word properly signifies a Copse or forest, and refers to the honey found in the woods.

2. נֹפֶת , No'Pheth, honey that drops (from נוּ , to Sprinkle or distil), usually associated with the comb, and therefore bee-honey. This occurs in  Psalms 19:10;  Proverbs 5:3;  Proverbs 24:13;  Proverbs 27:7;  Song of Solomon 4:11.

3. דְּבִשׁ , Debash (from its Glutinous nature). This is the most frequent word. It sometimes denotes beehoney, as in  Judges 14:8, but may also refer to a vegetable honey distilled from trees, and called Manna by chemists; also the sirup of dates, and even dates themselves. It appears also sometimes to stand as a general term for all kinds of honey, especially the sirup of grapes, i.e. the newly-expressed juice or must boiled down. At the present day this sirup is still common in Palestine, under the same Arabic name Dibs (Robinson's Researches, 2: 442, 453), and forms an article of commerce in the East; it was this, and not ordinary bee-honey, which Jacob sent to Joseph ( Genesis 43:11), and which the Tyrians purchased from Palestine ( Ezekiel 27:17). The mode of preparing it is described by Pliny (14:11): the must was either boiled down to a half (in which case it was called defurutum), or to a third (when it was called siracum, or sapa, the Σίραιος Οϊ v Νος , and Ἕψημα of the Greeks): it was mixed either with wine or milk (Virg. Georg. 1, 296; Ovid, Fast. 4:780): it is still a favorite article of nutriment among the Syrians and has the appearance of coarse honey (Russell, Aleppo, 1, 82). It was used for sweetening food, like sugar with us ( Exodus 16:31).

4. צוּ , Tsuph (literally a Flowing), denotes rather the Cells of the honey- comb full of honey ( Proverbs 16:24;  Psalms 19:11).

5. The "wild honey" ( Μέλι Ἄγριον ) which, with locusts, formed the diet of John the Baptist, was, according to some, the Manna or vegetable honey noticed under Debash (No. 3, above), but may very naturally refer to the honey stored by bees in the rocks of Judaea Deserta, in the absence of the trees to which they usually resort. Such wild honey is clearly referred to in  Deuteronomy 22:13; Psalm 81:17. Josephus (War, 4, 8, 3) specifies bee-honey among the natural productions of the plain of Jericho: the same Greek expression is certainly applied by Diodorus Siculus (19:94) to honey exuding: from trees; but it may also be applied, like the Latin Mel Silvestre (Pliny, 11:16), to a particular kind of bee honey. A third kind has been described by some writers as "vegetable" honey, by which is meant the exudations of certain trees and shrubs, such as the Tamnarix Mannifera, found in the peninsula of Sinai, or the stunted oaks of Luristan and Mesopotamia. A kind of honey is described by Josephus (1. C.) as being manufactured from the juice of the date.

Honey was not permitted to be offered on the altar ( Leviticus 2:11). 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-qualities incompatible with offerings made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. The prohibition appears to have been grounded on the fermentation produced by it, honey soon turning sour, and even forming vinegar (Pliny, 21:48). This fact is embodied in the Talmudical word Hidbish "to ferment" derived from Debash. Other explanations have been offered, as that: bees were unclean (Phil. 2, 255), or that the honey was the artificial Dibs (Bahr, Symbol. 2, 323). 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 was much employed. The first fruits of honey were, however, to be presented, as these were destined for the support of the priests, and not to be offered upon the altar ( 2 Chronicles 31:5). It is related in  1 Samuel 14:24-32, that Jonathan and his party, coming to the wood, found honey dropping from the trees to the ground, and the prince extended his rod to the honey-comb to taste the honey. From all this it is clear that the honey was bee-honey, and that honey-combs were above in the trees, from which honey dropped upon the ground; but it is not, clear whether Jonathan put his rod into a honey-comb that was in the trees or shrubs, or into one that had fallen to the ground, or that had been formed there (Kitto's Pict. Bible, ad loc.). Moreover, the vegetable honey is found only in small globules, which must be carefully collected and strained before being used (Wellsted, 2, 50).

In India, "the forests," says Mr. Roberts, "literally flow with honey; large combs maybe seen hanging on the trees as you pass along, full of honey" (Oriental Illustrations). We have good reason to conclude, from many allusions in Scripture, that this was also, to a considerable extent, the case formerly in Palestine. It is very evident that the land of Canaan abounded in honey. It is indeed described as "a land flowing with milk and honey" ( Exodus 3:8, 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 bees 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. Where bees are very numerous, they sometimes resort to places for the deposit of their honey, which we would little think of. The skeleton of a lion, picked clean by birds, dogs, and insects, would afford no bad substitute for a hive, as in  Judges 14:8-9 (Kitto's Daily Bible Illus. ad loc.). A recent traveler, in a sketch of the natural history of Palestine, names bees, beetles, and mosquitoes as the insects, which are most common in the country (Schubert, Reise Im Morgenlande, 2, 120). In some parts of Northern Arabia the hills are so well stocked with bees that no sooner are hives placed than they are occupied (Wellsted's Travels, 2: 123). Dr. Thomson speaks of immense swarms of bees in the cliffs of wady Kum, and compares  Deuteronomy 22:13(Land and Book, 1, 460). Prof. Hackett saw hives in several places in Palestine (Illustrations of Script. p. 96). Milk and honey were among the chief dainties in the earlier ages, as they are now among the Bedawin; and butter and honey are also mentioned among articles of food ( Isaiah 7:15). The ancients used honey instead of sugar ( Psalms 119:103;  Proverbs 24:13); but when taken in great quantities it causes nausea, a fact employed in  Proverbs 25:16-17, to inculcate moderation in pleasures. Honey and milk are put also for sweet discourse ( Song of Solomon 4:11). The preservative properties of honey were known in ancient times. Josephus records that the Jewish king Aristobulus, whom Pompey's partisans destroyed by poison, lay buried in honey till Antony sent him to the royal cemetery in Judsea (Ant. 14, 7, 4). (See Bee).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun´i ( דּבשׁ , debhash  ; μέλι , méli ): One familiar with life in Palestine will recognize in debhash the Arabic dibs , which is the usual term for a sweet syrup made by boiling down the juice of grapes, raisins, carob beans, or dates. Dibs is seldom, if ever, used as a name for honey (compare Arabic 'asal ), whereas in the Old Testament debhash probably had only that meaning. The honey referred to was in most cases wild honey (  Deuteronomy 32:13;  Judges 14:8 ,  Judges 14:9;  1 Samuel 14:25 ,  1 Samuel 14:26 ,  1 Samuel 14:29 ,  1 Samuel 14:43 ), although the offering of honey with the first-fruits would seem to indicate that the bees were also domesticated ( 2 Chronicles 31:5 ). The bees constructed their honeycomb and deposited their honey in holes in the ground ( 1 Samuel 14:25 ); under rocks or in crevices between the rocks ( Deuteronomy 32:13;  Psalm 81:16 ). They do the same today. When domesticated they are kept in cylindrical basket hives which are plastered on the outside with mud. The Syrian bee is an especially hardy type and a good honey producer. It is carried to Europe and America for breeding purposes.

In Old Testament times, as at present, honey was rare enough to be considered a luxury ( Genesis 43:11;  1 Kings 14:3 ). Honey was used in baking sweets ( Exodus 16:31 ). It was forbidden to be offered with the meal offering ( Leviticus 2:11 ), perhaps because it was fermentable, but was presented with the fruit offering ( 2 Chronicles 31:5 ). Honey was offered to David's army ( 2 Samuel 17:29 ). It was sometimes stored in the fields ( Jeremiah 41:8 ). It was also exchanged as merchandise ( Ezekiel 27:17 ). In New Testament times wild honey was an article of food among the lowly ( Matthew 3:4;  Mark 1:6 ).

Figurative: "A land flowing with milk and honey" suggested a land filled with abundance of good things (  Exodus 3:8 ,  Exodus 3:17;  Leviticus 20:24;  Numbers 13:27;  Deuteronomy 6:3;  Joshua 5:6;  Jeremiah 11:5;  Ezekiel 20:6 ,  Ezekiel 20:15 ). "A land of olive trees and honey" had the same meaning ( Deuteronomy 8:8;  2 Kings 18:32 ), and similarly "streams of honey and butter" ( Job 20:17 ). Honey was a standard of sweetness ( Song of Solomon 4:11;  Ezekiel 3:3;  Revelation 10:9 ,  Revelation 10:10 ). It typified sumptuous fare ( Song of Solomon 5:1;  Isaiah 7:15 ,  Isaiah 7:22;  Ezekiel 16:13 ,  Ezekiel 16:19 ). The ordinances of Yahweh were "sweeter than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb" ( Psalm 19:10;  Psalm 119:103 ). "Thou didst eat ... honey" ( Ezekiel 16:13 ) expressed Yahweh's goodness to Jerusalem.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

In the Scripture there are three words denoting different sweet substances, all of which are rendered by 'honey' in the Authorized Version. These it is necessary to distinguish.

1. Yaar, which only occurs in;;;; and denotes the honey of bees, and that only.

2. Nopeth, honey that drops, usually associated with the comb, and therefore bee-honey. This occurs in;;;; .

3. Debesh. This is the most frequent word. It sometimes denotes bee-honey, as in , but more commonly a vegetable honey distilled from 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.

We shall here confine our remarks to honey in general, and that of bees in particular, referring for the vegetable honey to Manna, and for the date-honey to Drink, Strong.

It is very evident that the land of Canaan abounded in honey. It is indeed described as a 'land flowing with milk and honey' (, 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 bees 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 [[[Bee; Food]]]

The 'wild honey' which, with locusts, formed the diet of John the Baptist, was probably the vegetable honey, which we refer to Manna.

Honey was not permitted to be offered on the altar . 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—qualities 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 was much employed. The first fruits of honey were, however, to be presented, as these were destined for the support of the priests, and not to be offered upon the altar.

Under the different heads to which we have referred, the passages of Scripture relating to honey are explained. The remarkable incident related in , requires, however, to be here noticed. Jonathan and his party coming to the wood, find honey dropping 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 he has stated elsewhere (Pictorial 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 is 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 wild bees are abundant they form their combs in any convenient place that offers, particularly in cavities, or even on the branches of trees. In India particularly, and in the Indian islands, the forests often swarm with bees. We have good reason to conclude, from many allusions in Scripture, that this was also, to a considerable extent, the case formerly in Palestine. The woods on the western coast of Africa, between Cape Blanco and Sierra Leone, and particularly near the Gambia, 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 tree: 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. There was also much wild honey in the cavities of the trees. 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 animals.