Hypertext Webster Gateway: "MYRRH"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Myrrh
Heb. mor. (1.) First mentioned as a principal ingredient in the
holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:23). It formed part of the gifts
brought by the wise men from the east, who came to worship the
infant Jesus (Matt. 2:11). It was used in embalming (John
19:39), also as a perfume (Esther 2:12; Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17).
It was a custom of the Jews to give those who were condemned to
death by crucifixion "wine mingled with myrrh" to produce
insensibility. This drugged wine was probably partaken of by the
two malefactors, but when the Roman soldiers pressed it upon
Jesus "he received it not" (Mark 15:23). (See {GALL}.)
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. The "bundle of myrrh" in
Cant. 1:13 is rather a "bag" of myrrh or a scent-bag.
(2.) Another word _lot_ is also translated "myrrh" (Gen.
37:25; 43:11; R.V., marg., "or ladanum"). What was meant by this
word is uncertain. It has been thought to be the chestnut,
mastich, stacte, balsam, turpentine, pistachio nut, or the
lotus. It is probably correctly rendered by the Latin word
ladanum, the Arabic ladan, an aromatic juice of a shrub called
the Cistus or rock rose, which has the same qualities, though in
a slight degree, of opium, whence a decoction of opium is called
laudanum. This plant was indigenous to Syria and Arabia.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Myrrh \Myrrh\, n. [OE. mirre, OF. mirre, F. myrrhe, L. myrrha,
murra, Gr. ?; cf. Ar. murr bitter, also myrrh, Heb. mar
bitter.]
A gum resin, usually of a yellowish brown or amber color, of
an aromatic odor, and a bitter, slightly pungent taste. It is
valued for its odor and for its medicinal properties. It
exudes from the bark of a shrub of Abyssinia and Arabia, the
{Balsamodendron Myrrha}. The myrrh of the Bible is supposed
to have been partly the gum above named, and partly the
exudation of species of {Cistus}, or rockrose.
{False myrrh}. See the Note under {Bdellium}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
myrrh
n 1: aromatic resin used in perfume and incense [syn: {gum myrrh},
{sweet cicely}]
2: aromatic resin burned as incense and used in perfume [syn: {gum
myrrh}]
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