File:Rambles in Bible lands (1909) (14803756543).jpg

Identifier: ramblesinbiblela00neil (find matches)
Title: Rambles in Bible lands
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Neil, C. Lang
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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for Hispoor people a life-giving and delightful shade, whilstthey feed on Him by faith in their hearts, who isthe bread of life sent down from heaven, the gloriousantitype of the tree of life in the midst of the lostParadise, of the fruit of which we may now eat andlive for ever! Its singularly reviving and refreshing scent, whichunder the alternately subtropical heat and subtropicalrain is one of the strongest in nature, sheds a flood oflight on a passage which would otherwise be withoutany meaning, and has greatly puzzled the commentators.In our version it is : Comfort me with apples,For I am sick of love.1 But the word rendered comfort, raphad, which occurshere, in the only two other passages where we findit,2 means to spread, or strew; hence it shouldbe strew me, not comfort me. Observe it is thebride in the Song of Songs who is represented asusing these words when faint with emotion. Nowthe idea of spreading over a bride under such circum- 1 Cant. ii. 5. 2 Job xvii. 13 ; xli. 30.
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THE ORANGE. Apples of gold in framework of s\\\ex.—Fyoverbs xxv. 11, JOPPA AND THE SHEPHAILAH stances branch, blossom, or fruit of the apple treepossesses no significance whatever. But if we supplythe name of the true tree, do we not at once see thestriking appropriateness of the exclamation of thebride, 4 Strew me with orange ? This is just what isdone with a bride down to the present day ; and here,surely, in the bridal song of the Bible, we have theoften-inquired-for, natural, Eastern origin of thecustomary bridal wreath. Still more, we have the veryreason for its adoption in the lands from which it firstcame—namely, that its pungent perfume serves, ashere a smelling-bottle does, to revive some sensitive,fainting maiden ! Observe, too, in the light of this explanation, thebeauty of that proverb which tells of the excellence ofgraceful and gentle speech : A word spoken on its wheels Is like oranges \tappoohheem\ of gold in network (orframework) of silver.1 The flowers and fruit,

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