“Drink with a joyous heart the wine stored up for thee in the garden of Eden, on account of the wine which thou hast mingled for the poor and lonely when athirst."

Where God accepteth man's works, he is justified in partaking of the Divine bounties with a joyful and merry heart, whether the produce of the field or the vineyard. The condition that this fruit is good in itself is presupposed, and corn which has been mildewed, or yayin which has passed into the state of a 'mocker,' is excluded from the nature of the case. Those who conclude that the wine approved in Scripture must have been intoxicating because said to give pleasure, are refuted by this very passage, in which the eating of 'bread' is associated with 'gladness'—simkhah,— —a term descriptive of the highest delight.

CHAPTER X. VERSE 17.

Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.

AND NOT FOR Drunkenness] Hebrew, vè-lo vashti, ‘and not for drinking’= carousing, or gluttony. The Lxx. has kai ouk aischuntheesontai, ‘and shall not be ashamed,'—having evidently read boshu, the third person plural preterite of bush, 'to be ashamed.' The V. has et non ad luxuriam, 'and not for luxury.' As 'eating' includes 'eating and drinking,' so 'drinking' here includes all table

excess.

The rule of eating—for strength, to recruit and benefit the body, and not for animal indulgence-is an admirable definition of physical temperance; and happy would be our land, if not its princes only, but its people, would make that rule the law of their lives. The 'pleasures of the table' are not to be discarded in so far as they are subservient to the principal purpose of all eating—the health and support of the body. Whatever in degree, or kind, is inconsistent with this purpose ought to be faithfully and conscientiously rejected.

CHAPTER X. VERSE 19.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

A FEAST IS MADE for laughter] Hebrew, liskhoq osim lekhem, 'for laughter they make bread.' So the Lxx., eis gelōta poiousin arton, 'for laughter they make bread'; and the V., in risum faciunt panem.

AND WINE MAKETH MERRY] Hebrew, vè-yayin yesammakh khayim, 'and wine will rejoice the living.' The Lxx., Codex B, has kai oinon kai elainon tou euphrantheenai zōntas, 'and (they make) wine and oil that the living may rejoice.' The V. reads, et vinum ut epulentur viventes, ‘and wine that the living may feast.' The T. reads, ‘and the wine which they mingle for the thirsty shall be to them for a joy in the age to come.'

Nothing here said renders it needful to associate the idea of 'wine' with an intoxicating quality; and in taking the juice of the grape as God has created it, enjoyment and thankfulness may most completely and fitly blend.

THE BOOK OF CANTICLES,

OR SONG OF SOLOMON.

CHAPTER I. VERSE 2.

For thy love is better than wine.

Hebrew, tovim dodikah miy-yayin, 'good (are) thy loves above wine.' So the Lxx., huper oinon, 'above wine'; and V., vino, 'than wine.'

CHAPTER I. VERSE 4..

We will remember thy love more than wine.

MORE THAN WINE] Hebrew, miy-yayin; Lxx., huper oinon; V., super

CHAPTER I. VERSE 6.

They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

KEEPER OF THE VINEYARDS] Hebrew, notārah eth-hak-kěramim, 'keeper of the vineyards.'

MINE OWN VINEYARD] Hebrew, karmi shelli, 'my vineyard, that which is mine' even mine.

CHAPTER I. VERSE 14.

My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi.

A CLUSTER OF CAMPHIRE] Hebrew, eshkol hak-kopher, ‘a bunch of cypress '; the Lxx., kupros, "a shrub or small tree, with whitish odoriferous flowers growing in clusters; the Lawsonia inermis of Linnæus, called kopher in Hebrew [from kaphar, 'to cover'], as has been well suggested by Job Simonis, from a powder being made of its leaves, with which, when mixed with water, women in the East smear over their nails so as to make them of a red color for the sake of ornament."-(Gesenius.)

IN THE VINEYARDS OF EN-GEDI] Hebrew, bě-karmai Ain gědi, ‘in the vineyards (or plantations) of Engedi.' Ain-gedi (signifying 'the fountain of the kid') was the name of a town (probably also of a district) situated near the Dead Sea, and abounding in palm trees. Some versions read, 'to those in Gaddi.'

The Targum of the Canticles is an attempt to convert the imagery of this glowing idyl into a relation by Solomon, half historical, half prophetical, concerning the Jewish State. One illustrative extract is selected, bearing upon the use of wine in the Levitical rites:-" Moses commanded the sons of Aaron, who were priests, that they should offer oblations upon the altar, and that they should pour out wine upon the oblations. Whence, however, could they procure the wine thus to pour out? How could they get it in that desert place which was not fit to be sowed, and where no fig trees, or vines, or pomegranate trees grew? But they went to the vineyard of Engedi, and they brought thence clusters of grapes, and they expressed from them wine [v'atzrin min’hon khamar], and they poured out from it upon the altar the fourth part of a hin upon each ram.' Later on, the T. refers to 'red wine and white wine' (khamar summaq v’khamar khivvar) as having been poured out upon the altar.

CHAPTER II. VERSES 4, 5.

4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. 5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.

V. 4. TO THE BANQUETING HOUSE] Hebrew, el baith hay-yayin, 'to the house of wine'-a cool recess or cave in the royal gardens. The Lxx., eis oikou tou oinou, 'into a house of the wine.' Symmachus, eis ton oinōna 'into the winecellar.' So the V.

V. 5. Stay me WITH FLAGONS] Hebrew, samkani ba-ashishoth, 'sustain me with cakes-of-grapes.' The Lxx., steerisate me en murois, 'support me with perfumes.' V., fulcite me floribus, ‘stay me with flowers.' Symmachus, epanaklinete me in anthei, 'make me recline on a flower.' Aquila, steeresate me oinanthōn, 'support me with vine-flowers.'

[As to ASHISHOTH, see Prel. Dis., and Notes on 2 Sam. vi. 19; 1 Chron. xvi. 3.]

COMFORT ME WITH APPLES] Hebrew, rapduni bat-tapukhim, 'refresh me with apples.' The Hebrew tapuakh had a width of meaning like the Latin pomum, including all round apple-like fruit, such as the peach, melon, citron. Lxx., stoibasate me en meelois, 'stay me with quinces.' V., stipate me malis, 'fill me with apples.'

CHAPTER II. VERSE 13.

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

AND THE VINES WITH THE TENDER GRAPE GIVE A GOOD SMELL] Hebrew, vě-hag-gephanim sẽmahdar, nathnu raiakh, and the vines (are in) blossom, they give forth sweet-odor.' The A. V. agrees with the Mishna in taking sèmahdar

to signify the tender grape '-the grape first out in bloom. Lxx., ai ampeloi kuprizousin edkōan osmeen, 'the vines are in flower, they have given a scent.' Symmachus, tōn ampelōn hee oinanthee, the flower of the vines.' V., vinea florentes, dederunt odorem suum, 'the vineyards are flowering; they have given their odor.' Pliny (chap. xiv. 2) states that no odor excels in pleasantness that of the flowering vine, ubicumque pubescentium odori nulla suavitas prefertur.

CHAPTER II. VERSE 15.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

THE FOXES] Hebrew, shuahlim, 'jackals,' which abounded in Palestine. Lxx. alopekas, V. vulpes, 'foxes.' Aristophanes compares soldiers who despoil countries to foxes who spoil vineyards; and Galen says that hunters eat foxes fattened on autumnal grapes. The Syrian jackal is as great a spoiler of vineyards as the common fox elsewhere.

THE VINES] Hebrew, kerahmim,

vineyards.' The shuahlim 'spoil'— lay

waste-not only particular vines, but whole vineyards.

FOR OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES] Hebrew, u-keramainu sěmahdar, ‘and our vineyards (are in) blossom.' Lxx., kuprizousai, 'are flowering.' V., floruit, 'is flowering.'

CHAPTER IV. VERSE 10.

How much better is thy love than wine!

THAN WINE] Hebrew, miy-yayin, ‘above wine' (as in chap. i. 2).

CHAPTER V. VERSE 1.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

I HAVE DRUNK MY WINE WITH MY MILK] Hebrew, shahthithi yayni im khalahvi, ‘I have drunk my wine with my milk.' Lxx., 'I have drunk my wine (oinon mou) with my milk.' V., vinum meum, ‘my wine.' The pure juice of the grape would form a suitable companion beverage with the fresh flowing milk, and both might be drunk freely, even by tender women, without injury either to body or mind.

DRINK, YEA, DRINK ABUNDANTLY, O BELOVED] Hebrew, shěthu vě-shikru dodim, drink, and drink to fulness, O loved ones.' Lxx., piete kai methustheete adelphoi, 'drink, and be satiated, O brothers.' V., bibite et inebriamini charissimi, 'drink and be filled to the full, ye dearest.' Here, beyond all cavil, the Hebrew shakar, the Greek methuō, and the Latin inebrio, have reference to ‘plentiful drinking'; none at all to an intoxicating effect of what is drunk.

CHAPTER VI. VERSE 11.

I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

TO SEE WHETHER THE VINE FLOURISHED] Hebrew, liroth hapharkhah haggephen, 'to see the budding of the vine.' Lxx. idein ei eentheesen hee ampelos, 'to see if the vine is in flower.' V., inspicerem si floruisset vinea, 'that I might observe if the vineyard had flowered.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 2.

Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor.

LIQUOR] Hebrew, ham-mazeg, 'the mixture.' Mezeg is equivalent to mesek, and alludes here not to a 'mixture' composed of intoxicating and inflaming drugs, but to such a sweet and healthful potion as Wisdom is said to mingle for her friends. [See Note on Prov. ix. 2, 5.] Lxx., krama, 'mixed-liquor.' V., poculis, 'in cups.'

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 7.

This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.

A PALM TREE] Hebrew, tahmar. Lxx., phoiniki, to a palm tree.' V., palme, 'to a palm tree.'

THE CLUSTERS OF GRAPES] Hebrew, le-cshkeloth, to clusters.' Lxx., tois botrusin, 'to the grape-clusters.' V., botris, 'to grape-bunches.' Gesenius thinks 'clusters of dates' are meant, which would carry out the figure of the palm tree; but analogy supports the A. V. in supplying ‘of grapes.'

I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples.

AS CLUSTERS OF THE VINE] Hebrew, kě-eshkeloth hag-gephen, as clustered branches of the vine.' So the Lxx., hōs botrues tees ampelou, and the V., sicut botri vinea.

CHAPTER VII. VERSE 9.

And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

AND THE ROOF OF THY MOUTH] Hebrew, vě-khikhak, 'and thy palate.' “The palate seems (here) to be delicately put for the moisture of the mouth perceived in kisses." (Gesenius.)