In Egypt and the East 259 



their defeat by the Amorites because they went to war 

 against the command of God. 



" And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, 

 came out against you and chased you, as bees do, and 

 destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah." 



We have aheady heard of tlie bees attacking and defeating 

 armies and depopulating villages in the East, and no doubt 

 the sting of the tropical bee is a matter to put armies to rout. 



In the beautiful imagery of the Psalms, the bee is likened 

 to hostile nations. 



" All nations compassed me about : but in the name of 

 the Lord will I destroy them. 



" They compassed me about ; yea, they compassed me 

 about : but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 



" They compassed me about like bees ; they are quenched 

 as the fire of thorns : for in the name of the Lord I will 

 destroy them." 



The Hebrews, like the Hindus, believed that honey 

 bestowed knowledge, as is shown in the following verse : 



" Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to 

 refuse the evil and choose the good." 



The high regard in which honey was held is well ex- 

 pressed in the following : — 



" My son, eat thou honey, because it is good ; and the 

 honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste : so shall the knowl- 

 edge of wisdom be unto the soul." 



Concerning prophecy and honey, of which we hear so 

 much in the Greek and Latin myths, we have in Hebrew 

 the prophetess Deborah, who foretold the downfall of 

 Sisera, Deborah in Hebrew meaning " a bee." 



The word of God is compared to honey in the Psalm 

 where David exclaims : — 



''■ How sweet are thy words unto my taste ! Yea, 

 sweeter than honey to my mouth." 



