And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
All Commentaries on Genesis 43:11 Go To Genesis 43
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Best fruits: Hebrew literally, "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 chap. xxxvii. 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. (Psalm xliv. 9.) (Menochius)
Turpentine. St. Jerome and the Septuagint seem to have read Bothmin instead of the present Hebrew Batenim, which some translate, "nuts of the pistacium "(Bo chart); which hand in clusters, and are of an oblong shape. Vitellius first brought them out of Syria. (Pliny, Natural History xv. 22.)
Almonds; Septuagint nuts, of which almonds are one species. (Menochius)
