Myrrh

How Nave’s arranged it

• (A fragrant gum)
• A product of the land of Canaan So 4:6,14; 5:1
• One of the compounds in the sacred anointing oilExodus 30:23
• Used as a perfume So 3:6; 5:13Esther 2:12Psalms 45:8Proverbs 7:17
• Brought by the wise men (Magi) as a present to JesusMatthew 2:11
• Offered to Jesus on the crossMark 15:23
• Used for embalmingJohn 19:39
• Traffic inGenesis 37:25Genesis 43:11

The passages, in Bible order (9)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 9 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 37:25

   And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 37:252 voices

   “Every kind of honour and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, "My beloved ate and drank, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked." [Deuteronomy 32:15] Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity. So the worthless rose up against the honoured, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years.

   “Joseph was rejected by his brothers and was received by the Ishmaelites; in the same manner our Lord and Savior was rejected by the Jews and received by the pagans. The Ishmaelites who received Joseph carried along with them all kinds of perfumes, and this …

   Everything gathered on Genesis 37:25→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Genesis 43:11

   Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 43:111 voice

   “Nevertheless Benjamin, the youngest, was kept back and still stayed close to his loving father. The bonds of the law held him back, and ancestral custom. The famine was increasing because he was coming late. Two brothers, Reuben and Judah—that is, humility and confession—make intercession on his behalf. He has them as guarantees with his father; to them Benjamin is entrusted. One of them is the firstborn, the other restored to life. The firstborn represents the law; the one restored to life, the gospel.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 43:11→

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3. Exodus 30:23

   “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,

   ›Commentary on Exodus 30:232 voices

   “Take thou also unto thee principal spices,.... To make the anointing oil with, and are as follow: of pure myrrh five hundred shekels; it is strange that Saadiah, and so Maimonides (f), should take this for musk, which comes from a beast, and is confuted by Aben Ezra from Son 5:1 from whence it plainly appears to be what comes from a tree; and the word "mor", here used, gives the tree the name of myrrh almost in all languages.

   “Take - unto thee principal spices - From this and the following verse we learn that the holy anointing oil was compounded of the following ingredients: - Pure myrrh, מר דרור mar deror, 500 shekels Sweet cinnamon, קנמן בשם kinnemon besem, 250 shekels. (probably from Arabia) Sweet calamus, קנה בשם keneh bosem, or sweet 250 shekels. cane, Jer 6:20 - Calamus aromaticus. Cassia, קדה kiddah, (cassia lignea), brought 500 shekels. Also from Arabia. Olive oil, שמן זית shemen sayith, one hin, about 5 quarts.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 30:23→

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4. Esther 2:12

   In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.

   ›Commentary on Esther 2:121 voice

   “Now, why is it that the girls who were to be brought into the king's bedchamber were prepared for twelve months with oil and scent, i.e. for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh (which is known to have a pleasant odor) and …

   Everything gathered on Esther 2:12→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Psalms 45:8

   All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad.

   ›Commentary on Psalms 45:82 voices

   “The sweet odor of Christ gives forth the fragrance of myrrh because of his passion, and of aloes because he did not remain motionless and inactive for three days and three nights but descended to the lower world to distribute the graces of the resurrection.… And it breathes forth the fragrance of cassia, a very delicate and fragrant bark, … because of the suffering of the cross undertaken in kindness to every creature.

   “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,.... Either his human nature, as anointed with the oil of gladness, and filled with the graces of the Spirit, signified by the holy anointing oil in the tabernacle, of which the things mentioned were ingredients, Exo 30:23; or the garments of salvation and robe of righteousness, wrought out by him for his people, which are well pleasing and acceptable to his Father, and of a sweet smelling savour, being agreeable to his law and justice; and also to himself, as they are put upon his people; see Son 4:

   Everything gathered on Psalms 45:8→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Proverbs 7:17

   I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.

   ›Commentary on Proverbs 7:172 voices

   “I have scented my bed with myrrh, etc. They promise that they have such fragrances of heavenly virtues, by which they consecrate their hearts and those of their followers as if in beautiful bedchambers; so that they may say with the Apostle: For we are …

   “With a provocative movement of a prostitute, with a disrupted gait through delights, with wandering eyes, and with playful darting of her eyelids, she captures the precious souls of young men (for the eye of a prostitute is a snare of a sinner), and with doubtful perception, she accosts anyone passing by in the corner of her house, with charming words, causing the hearts of young men to flutter, restless at home, wandering in the streets, prodigal with kisses, cheap in modesty, rich in attire, painted cheeks.

   Everything gathered on Proverbs 7:17→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Matthew 2:11

   On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 2:112 voices

   “(Hom. in Evang. i. 106.) Gold, as to a King; frankincense, as sacrifice to God; myrrh, as embalming the body of the dead. (ubi sup.) Something further may yet be meant here. Wisdom is typified by gold; as Solomon saith in the Proverbs, A treasure to be desired is in the mouth of the wise. (Prov. 21:20.) By frankincense, which is burnt before God, the power of prayer is intended, as in the Psalms, Let my speech come before thee as incense. (Ps. 141:2.) In myrrh is figured mortification of the flesh.

   “(Verse 11.) And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The presbyter Juvencus beautifully captures the significance of the gifts in one verse. Thus, they bring gifts of gold, myrrh, and incense to the king, the people, and the God. And having received an answer in a dream, they returned to their own country by another way, so as not to go back to Herod. Those who had presented gifts to the Lord subsequently received a response.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 2:11→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Mark 15:23

   There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

   ›Commentary on Mark 15:231 voice

   “He is lifted up and nailed to the Tree, but by the Tree of Life He restoreth us; yea, He saveth even the Robber crucified with Him; yea, He wrapped the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned the water into wine, who is the destroyer of the bitter taste, who is Sweetness and altogether desire. He lays down His life, but He has power to take it again; and the veil is rent, for the mysterious doors of Heaven are opened; the rocks are cleft, the dead arise.

   Everything gathered on Mark 15:23→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. John 19:39

   Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

   ›Commentary on John 19:392 voices

   “And there came also Nicodemus,.... To the cross, at the same time as Joseph did; who, whether they were brethren, as some conjecture, and met here by consent, since one prepared one thing, and another, for the interment of Christ, is not certain. This Nicodemus is thought to be the same with Nicodemus ben Gorion, the Talmudists speaks of, who, they say (u), was one of the three rich men in Jerusalem; as this appears to be a rich man, from the large quantity of myrrh and aloes he brought with him, and which must be very costly.

   “He says that this disciple was not alone in taking counsel wisely, as well as in fervent zeal, to go to dress the sacred Body for burial, but he makes mention of a second along with the first. This was Nicodemus, who completed the body of testimony to the event that is respected by the Law. For, says the Law: In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

   Everything gathered on John 19:39→

   Verse page →Original language →