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Shedding Light on Scriptures (pg. 2) |
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"Bring the veil which thou hast upon thee."
Ruth 3:15 |
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Boaz told Ruth to bring her veil and hold it and he filled it with 6 measures of barley. It is custom in Bible lands, even today, for women to use their veils to carry their burdens if they have no basket or bag. Usually the veils (khirka) are made of heavy white linen embroidered with colors at the end and are around 6 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. The women place them over their caps and cover the entire head gear except the coins. It is considered very immodest of a woman to have her head or hair exposed in public. |
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"Quail"
Numbers 11:31, 32 |
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"And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought forth quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp,.....and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth."
The correct rendering is, "about two cubits above the face of the earth" (within the reach of the people to catch them).
The quail is a bird abundant in the temperate regions of Europe & western Asia, migrating from Africa in the proper season. In the spring they are found in great numbers in the Syrian deserts & Arabia. An immense supply was furnished to the Israelites on two occasions (Exodus 16:13 & Numbers 11:31, 32), both at the season of migration. The supply was great enough to feed several million people for over a month. They were dried in the sun & preserved with salt. |
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"Bosom"
Isaiah 40:11 |
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In the east, people carry things withing the fold of their robes that can't be carried in their hand. Isaiah tells us the Lord will carry the lambs in His bosom. Lazarus, after death, rested in Abraham's bosom. Jesus is in the bosom of the Father. |
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"Anointing"
Psalm 104:15 |
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"Oil to make the face shine", & in Gen. 31:13 is the earliest mention of anointing, "I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointest the pillar." It was the custom to anoint people & things to set them apart for the Lord's service; i.e. priests & sacred vessels. There was also an anointing for festive occasions, "anointed with the oil of gladness". The recipe for the oil can be found in Exodus 30:23-33. It was composed of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus & olive oil. In Egypt, is was customary to anoint the head of every guest. In Luke 7:38, 46, the host neglected to anoint the head of Jesus or provide water to wash his feet. The bodies of the dead were often anointed to preserve them. |
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"Ashes"
Genesis 18:27 |
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Ashes, in scripture, denotes human frailty (Gen 18:27); deep humiliation (Esther 4:1) To sit among ashes was a token of mourning (Job 2:8). Feeding on ashes appears to express grief Psalm 102:9). There was also water mixed with the ashes of a heifer sacrificed on the great day of expiation. The ashes were distributed to the people, & the water& ashes used in purification of sin. |
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"Whited Sepulchres"
Matthew |
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Then & now, whitewashed tombs mark the place of the dead. They all receive new whitening before days of feasting & worship, that they could be easily seen. The people believed that death was a result of sin, & to touch a tomb was to defile oneself. Jesus said the scribes & Pharisees were like whited tombs because they were hypocrites. They looked good on the outside, but were dead on the inside. |
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"Coals of Fire"
Romans 12:20 |
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The Bible has much to say about forgiveness. Paul said that if we give food & drink to our enenies, "we shall be heaping coals of fire on their heads." This sounds to us, like revenge. Not so! In Bible lands, almost everything is carried on the head (baskets, water jars, fish, etc.) through crowded streets with ease, without the use of the hands. In many homes, the only fire they have is kept in a brazier & is always kept burning. This was their source of heat & also cooking. Should the fire go out, they would take the brazier to the neighbor's house to borrow fire. If the neighbor was generous, he would heap the brazier with coals, at which time, the borrower would lift the brazier to their head & start for home. |
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"Selah" |
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This word occurs 73 times in Psalms & 3 times in Habakkuk. It is derived from the Hebrew word which means 'to be silent', & signifies a pause in the singing while the instruments play an interlude. |
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"Covenant of Salt"
Numbers 18:19 |
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"It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord, unto thee & to thy seed with thee." The act of eating another's salt has always been regarded as a token of fidelity & friendship. Sometimes, bread & salt were eaten together, making a covenant. "There is bread & salt between us, we are brothers." The custom came down from remotest antiquity, & the covenant can never be broken or forgotten.
I have also heard it taught this way. In the climate & culture of Bible lands, salt is a very valuable comodity as it meant survival. Soldiers were even paid in salt. Thus, the saying "worth his salt". Travelers carried salt in a pouch with them at all times. A covenant was often made between 2 men by taking a pinch of salt from each of their pouches & placing it in the other's pouch. The covenant could only be broken if the salt of each could again, be separated & given back to the original owner. |
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"The Wringing of Milk Bringeth Forth Butter"
Proverbs 30:33 |
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"Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter & the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood, so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife." In the Heberew, churning & wringing are the same word. Milk would be put in a bag made of the skin of an animal, called a 'bottle'. It is then kneaded & shaken until it becomes butter. They boil it & it is then put in smaller 'bottles' (goat skins). In the summer it is merely oil. In winter, it is the consistancy of candied honey. |
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