The term "honey-comb" in the Bible refers to the natural structure produced by bees to store honey and pollen. It is often used metaphorically to convey sweetness, abundance, and the richness of God's provision. The honey-comb is mentioned in various contexts throughout Scripture, symbolizing both physical and spiritual nourishment.

Biblical References:

1. Proverbs 16:24 : "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." This verse highlights the power of kind and wise words, comparing them to the sweetness and health-giving properties of honeycomb. It underscores the importance of speech that uplifts and edifies, reflecting the wisdom literature's emphasis on the moral and spiritual dimensions of communication.

2. Psalm 19:10 : "They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." Here, the psalmist extols the value of God's laws and commandments, likening them to the sweetness of honeycomb. This comparison emphasizes the desirability and delight found in divine instruction, suggesting that spiritual truths are more satisfying and enriching than the finest earthly treasures.

3. Song of Solomon 4:11 : "Your lips, my bride, drip honey; honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon." In this poetic and romantic imagery, the bride's lips are compared to honeycomb, symbolizing the sweetness and allure of love. The Song of Solomon often uses such vivid metaphors to celebrate the beauty and intimacy of marital love, reflecting the deeper spiritual relationship between God and His people.

4. 1 Samuel 14:27 : "But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath. So he reached out with the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened." This narrative illustrates the physical revitalization that honeycomb provides. Jonathan's consumption of honeycomb during a time of battle serves as a literal example of its nourishing properties, offering a moment of refreshment and clarity.

Symbolism and Themes:

· Sweetness and Delight: The honey-comb is frequently associated with sweetness, both in taste and in the experience of God's word and wisdom. It serves as a metaphor for the joy and satisfaction found in a righteous life and in communion with God.

· Nourishment and Health: Just as honeycomb provides physical sustenance, it symbolizes spiritual nourishment. The Scriptures often use it to illustrate the life-giving and restorative power of God's truth and love.

· Abundance and Provision: The presence of honeycomb in the Promised Land (Exodus 3:8) signifies God's abundant provision for His people. It represents the richness and fertility of the land, a tangible sign of God's blessing and faithfulness.

In summary, the honey-comb in biblical literature is a multifaceted symbol that conveys the sweetness, nourishment, and abundance of God's creation and His divine word. It serves as a powerful image of the spiritual sustenance and joy that believers find in their relationship with God.2781. kerion -- honeycomb.
... honeycomb. Diminutive from keos (wax); a cell for honey, ie (collectively) the comb --
(honey-)comb. 2780, 2781. kerion. 2782 . Strong's Numbers.
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2781.htm - 5k

3193. melissios -- made by bees.
... Word Origin from melissa (a bee) Definition made by bees. honeycomb. From meli;
relating to honey, ie Bee (comb) -- honeycomb. see GREEK meli. 3192, 3193. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3193.htm - 6k

6688. tsuph -- (honey) comb
... Definition: honeycomb. Word Origin from tsuph Definition (honey) comb NASB
Word Usage honeycomb (1), honeycomb* (1). honeycomb. From ...
/hebrew/6688.htm - 6k

3295. yarah -- honeycomb
... Definition: honeycomb. Word Origin fem. of yaar Definition honeycomb NASB
Word Usage honeycomb* (1). honey comb, forest. Feminine of ...
/hebrew/3295.htm - 6k

3293b. yaar -- honeycomb
... yaar. 3294 . honeycomb. Transliteration: yaar Short Definition: honeycomb. Word
Origin from an unused word Definition honeycomb NASB Word Usage honeycomb (1). ...
/hebrew/3293b.htm - 5k

1706. debash -- honey
... honeycomb. From an unused root meaning to be gummy; honey (from its stickiness);
by analogy, syrup -- honey((-comb)). 1705, 1706. debash. 1707 . ...
/hebrew/1706.htm - 5k

3293. ya'ar -- wood, forest, thicket
... honeycomb, forest, wood ... to thicken with verdure; a copse of bushes; hence, a forest;
hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees) -- (honey-)comb, forest, wood ...
/hebrew/3293.htm - 5k

5317. nopheth -- flowing honey, honey from the comb
... honeycomb. From nuwph in the sense of shaking to pieces; a dripping ie Of honey
(from the comb) -- honeycomb. see HEBREW nuwph. 5316, 5317. nopheth. 5318 . ...
/hebrew/5317.htm - 6k

6689. Tsuph -- ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel
... Or Tsowphay {tso-fah'-ee}; or Tsiyph {tseef}; from tsuwph; honey-comb; Tsuph or
Tsophai or Tsiph, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine -- Zophai ...
/hebrew/6689.htm - 6k

Taking the Passage Concerning the Honeycomb in the Song of Songs.. ...
... Three Books Concerning Virgins. To Marcellina, His Sister. Book I. Chapter VIII.
Taking the passage concerning the honeycomb in the Song of Songs? ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter viii taking the passage.htm

Thy Lips, O My Spouse, Drop as the Honeycomb; Honey and Milk are ...
... CHAPTER IV. 11. Thy lips, O my Spouse, drop as the honeycomb; honey and milk are
under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/11 thy lips o my.htm

"Honey in the Mouth!"
... by showing them unto us, and making us to eat and drink with Christ, and share of
these 'all things'; yea, not only eat the honey, but the honeycomb with the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/honey in the mouth.htm

Let My Beloved Come into his Garden and Eat the Fruit of His
... I am come into my garden, my sister Spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spices;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/1 let my beloved come.htm

That Contemplation is Made Without Labour, which is the Third ...
... And how did he eat his honey-comb with his honey, but when he lived a new ... sweet than
honey, to his pierced and wounded body, with more holes than a honeycomb? ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vi that contemplation is.htm

Psalm XIX.
... "And sweeter than honey and the honey comb." And whether one be even now honey,
who, disenthralled already from the chains of this life, is awaiting the day ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xix.htm

Introduction
... a constellation of beauties. He whose lips were not only sweet as the
honey-comb, but did drop as the honey-comb. His words, an ...
/.../watson/the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/1 introduction.htm

Chapter v.
... 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 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/chapter v.htm

The Joy of Unbroken Communion
... And the smell of thine ointments than all manner of spices! Thy lips, O My bride,
drop as the honeycomb: ... I have eaten My honeycomb with My honey; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/union and communion/section iii the joy of.htm

The Disciple, -- Master, in These Days Some Learned Men and their ...
... 6. To many people life is full of peril, and they are like that hunter who caught
sight of a honeycomb on the branch of a tree overhanging a stream. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/singh/at the masters feet/section ii the disciple 2.htm

Honeycomb (9 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Any substance, as a easting of iron, a piece of worm-eaten wood, or of triple,
etc., perforated with cells like a honeycomb. ...Honeycomb (9 Occurrences). ...
/h/honeycomb.htm - 9k

Honey-comb (9 Occurrences)
Honey-comb. Honeycomb, Honey-comb. Honeyed . Multi-Version Concordance
Honey-comb (9 Occurrences). ... (WBS). Honeycomb, Honey-comb. Honeyed . Reference
/h/honey-comb.htm - 8k

Comb (3 Occurrences)
... 11. (n.) The curling crest of a wave. 12. (n.) The waxen framework forming the walls
of the cells in which bees store their honey, eggs, etc.; honeycomb. 13. ...
/c/comb.htm - 8k

Honey (62 Occurrences)
... (4.) Tsuph, the cells of the honey-comb full of honey (Proverbs 16 ... that collected
by bees from flowers of plants, and deposited in the cells of the honeycomb. ...
/h/honey.htm - 34k

Zuph (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Honeycomb, a Kohathite Levite, ancestor of Elkanah and
Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1); called also Zophai (1 Chronicles 6:26). Zuph, Land of. ...
/z/zuph.htm - 9k

Droppings (4 Occurrences)
... Psalms 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter
also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. (ASV). ...
/d/droppings.htm - 7k

Spouse (7 Occurrences)
... Song of Songs 4:11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk
are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon ...
/s/spouse.htm - 9k

Bride (31 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV). Song of Songs 4:11 Your lips, my bride, drip
like the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. ...
/b/bride.htm - 17k

Drop (32 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her
mouth is smoother than oil: (KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT). ...
/d/drop.htm - 20k

Milk (66 Occurrences)
... Song of Songs 4:11 Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb. Honey and milk
are under your tongue. The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon. ...
/m/milk.htm - 34k

What does it mean to love God? | GotQuestions.org

Why was Israel called the land of milk and honey? | GotQuestions.org

How can I recognize and understand biblical symbolism? | GotQuestions.org

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