Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 11. Best fruits: Hebrew lit. “of the praise, or song of the earth;” or of those things for which the country is most renowned, and which are not found in Egypt. Origen.—Balm. Literally, rosin, resinæ; but here by that name is meant balm. Challoner. See Calmet. 37:25.—Honey, or all sorts of sweet fruit.—Storax: Septuagint “incense,” or perfumes. It is like balm; thick, odoriferous, and medicinal.—Myrrh, (stactes); Hebrew Lot. A liquor stamped from fresh myrrh pilled, with a little water. Calmet.—Sometimes it is translated Gutta, a drop. Psalms 44:9. Menochius.—Turpentine. Saint Jerome and the Septuagint seem to have read Bothmin instead of the present Hebrew Batenim, which some translate, “nuts of the pistacium,” (Bochart); which hand in clusters, and are of an oblong shape. Vitellius first brought them out of Syria. Plin. xv. 22.—Almonds; Septuagint nuts, of which almonds are one species. Menochius.