Definition and Description:
Gum, in the context of the Bible, refers to a resinous substance that is derived from certain trees and plants. It is often associated with aromatic properties and was used in ancient times for various purposes, including as a component in incense and as a trade commodity. The term "gum" in biblical texts may refer to different types of resins, such as myrrh, frankincense, or other similar substances.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 37:25 : "As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, and they were on their way down to Egypt." In this passage, the term "myrrh" is often associated with gum, as it is a resinous substance used for its fragrance and medicinal properties. The Ishmaelites' caravan carrying myrrh highlights its value as a trade item.

2. Genesis 43:11 : "Then their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.'" Here, myrrh is again mentioned as a valuable gift, indicating its importance and desirability in ancient trade and diplomacy.

3. Ezekiel 27:17 : "Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise." Although gum is not explicitly mentioned, the reference to balm, a resinous substance, suggests the trade of similar aromatic products.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In biblical times, gum resins like myrrh and frankincense were highly prized for their aromatic qualities and were often used in religious rituals, including offerings and anointing. These substances were also valued for their medicinal properties and were commonly used in embalming practices. The trade of gum and similar resins was a significant aspect of ancient commerce, with regions like Arabia and Africa being primary sources.

Symbolism and Use in Worship:
Gum resins held symbolic significance in biblical worship. They were integral to the composition of incense used in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. The sweet-smelling smoke of burning incense symbolized the prayers of the faithful ascending to God. The use of gum in religious contexts underscored the importance of purity and devotion in worship practices.

Theological Implications:
The mention of gum and its derivatives in the Bible reflects the broader theme of offering one's best to God. The use of valuable and aromatic substances in worship signifies the desire to honor God with the finest offerings. This practice serves as a reminder of the call to present oneself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not provide extensive details on the specific types of gum, its references to myrrh and similar substances highlight their significance in ancient culture and worship. The use of gum in biblical times serves as a testament to the enduring value placed on beauty, fragrance, and the act of giving one's best in devotion to God.1. (n.) The dense tissues which invest the teeth, and cover the adjacent parts of the jaws.

2. (v. t.) To deepen and enlarge the spaces between the teeth of (a worn saw). See Gummer.

3. (n.) A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes, but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic; gum tragacanth; the gum of the cherry tree. Also, with less propriety, exudations that are not soluble in water; as, gum copal and gum sandarac, which are really resins.

4. (n.) See Gum tree, below.

5. (n.) A hive made of a section of a hollow gum tree; hence, any roughly made hive; also, a vessel or bin made of a hollow log.

6. (n.) A rubber overshoe.

7. (v. t.) To smear with gum; to close with gum; to unite or stiffen by gum or a gumlike substance; to make sticky with a gumlike substance.

8. (v. i.) To exude or from gum; to become gummy.

3131. manna -- manna
... manna. Of Hebrew origin (man); manna (ie Man), an edible gum -- manna. see HEBREW
man. (manna) -- 4 Occurrences. 3130, 3131. manna. 3132 . Strong's Numbers
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3131.htm - 7k

250. aloe -- aloe
... aloes. Of foreign origin (compare akanthinos); aloes (the gum) -- aloes. see GREEK
akanthinos. (aloes) -- 1 Occurrence. 249, 250. aloe. 251 . Strong's Numbers
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/250.htm - 6k

5219. nekoth -- (a spice) perhaps tragacanth gum
... 5218b, 5219. nekoth. 5220 . (a spice) perhaps tragacanth gum. Transliteration:
nekoth Phonetic Spelling: (nek-ohth') Short Definition: gum. ...
/hebrew/5219.htm - 6k

2464. chelbenah -- gum (a type used in incense)
... 2463, 2464. chelbenah. 2465 . gum (a type used in incense). Transliteration:
chelbenah Phonetic Spelling: (khel-ben-aw') Short Definition: galbanum. ...
/hebrew/2464.htm - 6k

5198b. nataph -- perhaps stacte, a kind of gum
... 5198a, 5198b. nataph. 5199 . perhaps stacte, a kind of gum. Transliteration:
nataph Short Definition: stacte. Word Origin from nataph ...
/hebrew/5198b.htm - 5k

916. bedolach -- probably bdellium
... bdellium. Probably from badal; something in pieces, ie Bdellium, a (fragrant) gum
(perhaps amber); others a pearl -- bdellium. see HEBREW badal. 915, 916. ...
/hebrew/916.htm - 6k

3910. lot -- myrrh
... myrrh. Probably from luwt; a gum (from its sticky nature), probably ladanum -- myrrh.
see HEBREW luwt. 3909, 3910. lot. 3911 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3910.htm - 5k

5198. nataph -- a drop
... drop From nataph; a drop; specifically, an aromatic gum (probably stacte) -- drop,
stacte. see HEBREW nataph. 5197, 5198. nataph. 5198a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5198.htm - 5k

1057. baka -- balsam tree
... mulberry tree. The same as Baka'; the weeping tree (some gum- distilling tree, perhaps
the balsam) -- mulberry tree. see HEBREW Baka'. 1056, 1057. baka. 1058 ...
/hebrew/1057.htm - 6k

The Illusion of the Sealed Letters; Object in Detailing These ...
... But they say, likewise, that wax itself with fir-wood gum possesses a similar potency,
as well as two parts of mastich with one part of dry asphalt. ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxxiv the illusion of the.htm

Finally, that we May Always Abide by the Rule and Definition by ...
... But yet, O piety, what or how great is this honour which is caused by
the odour of a fire, and produced from the gum of a tree? ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/27 finally that we may.htm

Letter vii. Tact --Unobtrusiveness.
... She will not eat peanuts or fruit or candy, or chew gum, in public places.
In fact, I cannot imagine a really refined young lady ...
/.../letter vii tactunobtrusiveness.htm

Chapter xliii
... take of the choice fruits of the land in your receptacles and take a present down
for the man, a little balm, and a little honey, gum, laudanum, pistachio nuts ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xliii.htm

The Unjust Steward - Dives and Lazarus - Jewish Agricultural Notes ...
... substances. [4557] Gum Arabic and Egyptian (Qumos and Quma) and vitriol
(Qanqanthos) seem also to have been used [4558] in writing. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xviii the unjust steward.htm

The Early Training of a Race.
... of this South Country. They then gather the gum that exudes from the tamarisk
tree or the lichens from the rocks. From these they ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study xi the early training.htm

Poison-Labels
... Others are proud. Others chew gum. I have not time to mention all of these
different labels. You can think of them for yourselves. ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/poison-labels.htm

"How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds. "
... wa win. 5 Shah gwe we muh gud ewh nin da, Tuh ke sin koo kuh ya; Uh pe
dush ween wah buh me naun, Quuh yuk nin guh nuh gum. 6 Ke ...
/.../a collection of gospel hymns in ojibway and english/nuhguhmoowin 14 c m how.htm

"Lord, Dismiss us with Thy Blessing. "
... 3 Uh pe dush puh gum me uh yaug Uh ke che nuh guh duh maung, Uh pe an je nug ish
pe ming E zhe we zhe yun gid wah, Mah noo moon zhug Nin guh oo ge mah we min. ...
/.../a collection of gospel hymns in ojibway and english/nuhguhmoowin 23 8 7 4.htm

Joseph Sold as a Slave by his Brothers
... they sat down to eat and, when they looked up, they saw a band of Ishmaelites coming
from Gilead; and their camels were loaded with spices, gum, and ladanum on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/joseph sold as a slave.htm

Gum (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A vegetable secretion of many trees or plants that hardens when it exudes,
but is soluble in water; as, gum arabic; gum tragacanth; the gum of the ...
/g/gum.htm - 8k

Myrrh (22 Occurrences)
... This was the gum or viscid white liquid which flows from a tree resembling the acacia,
found in Africa and Arabia, the Balsamodendron myrrha of botanists. ...
/m/myrrh.htm - 18k

Acacia (28 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews shittim) Exodus 25:5, RV probably the Acacia
seyal (the gum-arabic tree); called the "shittah" tree (Isaiah 41:19). ...
/a/acacia.htm - 16k

Galbanum (1 Occurrence)
... It is a gum, probably from the Galbanum officinale. ... (n.) A gum resin exuding from
the stems of certain Asiatic umbelliferous plants, mostly species of Ferula. ...
/g/galbanum.htm - 8k

Frankincense (22 Occurrences)
... (n.) A fragrant, aromatic resin, or gum resin, from trees the genus Boswellia, burned
as an incense in religious rites or for medicinal fumigation. ...
/f/frankincense.htm - 19k

Tragacanth (2 Occurrences)
... (n.) A kind of gum procured from a spiny leguminous shrub (Astragalus gummifer)
of Western Asia, and other species of Astragalus. ... Called also gum tragacanth. ...
/t/tragacanth.htm - 8k

Bdellium (2 Occurrences)
... It was probably an aromatic gum like balsam which exuded from a particular tree
(Borassus flabelliformis) still found in Arabia, Media, and India. ...
/b/bdellium.htm - 8k

Stacte (1 Occurrence)
... Others regard it as the gum of the storax tree, or rather shrub, the Styrax
officinale. "The Syrians value this gum highly, and ...
/s/stacte.htm - 8k

Spice (25 Occurrences)
... 40:27 2 Chronicles 2:4, we have qsToreth cammim, "incense of sweet spices." (3)
(nekho'th; thumiamata (Genesis 37:25, "spicery," margin "gum tragacanth or ...
/s/spice.htm - 18k

Spices (64 Occurrences)
... 40:27 2 Chronicles 2:4, we have qsToreth cammim, "incense of sweet spices." (3)
(nekho'th; thumiamata (Genesis 37:25, "spicery," margin "gum tragacanth or ...
/s/spices.htm - 32k

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