The vintage in Syria commences about the middle of
September, and continues till the middle of November. But grapes in
Palestine, we are informed, were ripe sometimes even in June or July,
which arose perhaps from a triple pruning, in which case there was also
a third vintage. The first vintage was in August, the second in
September, and the third in October. The grapes when not gathered were
sometimes found on the vines until November and December. The Hebrews
were required to leave gleanings for the poor, Lev. xix, 10. The season
of vintage was a most joyful one, Judges ix, 27; Isaiah xvi, 10; Jer.
xxv, 30; xlviii, 33. With shoutings on all sides, the grapes were
plucked off and carried to the wine press, פורה, פארה, ληνὸς, which was
in the vineyard, Isa. liii, 3; Zech. xiv, 10; Haggai ii, 16; Matt. xxi,
33; Rev. xiv, 19, 20. The presses consisted of two receptacles, which
were either built of stones and covered with plaster, or hewn out of a
large rock. The upper receptacle, called נת, as it is constructed at the
present time in Persia, is nearly eight feet square and four feet high.
Into this the grapes are thrown and trodden out by five men. The juice
flows out into the lower receptacle, through a grated aperture, which is
made in the side near the bottom of the upper one. The treading of the
wine press was laborious, and not very favourable to cleanliness; the
garments of the persons thus employed were stained with the red juice,
and yet the employment was a joyful one. It was performed with singing,
accompanied with musical instruments; and the treaders, as they jumped,
exclaimed, הידד, Isa. xvi, 9, 10; Jer. xxv, 30; xlviii, 32, 33.
Figuratively, vintage, gleaning, and treading the wine press, signified
battles and great slaughters, Isa. xvii, 6; lxiii, 1–3; Jer. xlix, 9;
Lam. i, 15. The must, as is customary in the east at the present day,
was preserved in large firkins, which were buried in the earth. The wine
cellars were not subterranean, but built upon the earth. When deposited
in these, the firkins, as is done at the present time in Persia, were
sometimes buried in the ground, and sometimes left standing upon it.
Formerly, also, new wine or must was preserved in leathern bottles; and,
lest they should be broken by fermentation, the people were very careful
that the bottles should be new, Job xxxii, 19; Matt. ix, 17; Mark ii,
22. Sometimes the must was boiled and made into syrup, which is
comprehended under the term דבש, although it is commonly rendered
“honey,” Gen. xliii, 11; 2 Chron. xxxi, 5. Sometimes the grapes were
dried in the sun and preserved in masses, which were called “bunches or
clusters of raisins,” 1 Sam. xxv, 18; 2 Sam. xvi, 1; 1 Chron. xii, 40;
Hosea iii, 1. From these dried grapes, when soaked in wine and pressed a
second time, was manufactured sweet wine, which is also called new wine,
γλεῦκος, Acts ii, 13.
WISDOM is put for that prudence and discretion which enables a man to
perceive that which is fit to be done, according to the circumstances of
time, place, persons, manners, and end of doing, Eccles. ii, 13, 14. It
was this sort of wisdom that Solomon intreated of God with so much
earnestness, and which God granted him with such divine liberality, 1
Kings iii, 9, 12, 28. It also signifies quickness of invention, and
dexterity in the execution of several works, which require not so much
strength of body, as industry, and labour of the mind. For example, God
told Moses, Exod. xxxi, 3, that he had filled Bezaleel and Aholiab with
wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent and perform several
sorts of work for completing the tabernacle. It is used for craft,
cunning, and stratagem, and that whether good or evil. Thus it is said
by Moses, that Pharaoh dealt wisely with the Israelites, when he opposed
them in Egypt, Exodus i, 10: it is observed of Jonadab, the friend of
Ammon, and nephew of David, that he was very wise, that is, very subtle
and crafty, 2 Sam. xiii, 3; and Job, v, 13, says, that God “taketh the
wise in their own craftiness.” Wisdom means also doctrine, learning, and
experience: “With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days
understanding,” Job xii, 12. It is put for true piety, or the fear of
God, which is spiritual wisdom: “So teach us to number our days, that we
may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” Psalm xc, 12; “The fear of the Lord
that is wisdom,” Job xxvii, 28. Wisdom is put for the eternal Wisdom,
the Word of God. It was by wisdom that God established the heavens, and
founded the earth, Prov. iii, 19. How magnificently does Solomon
describe the primeval birth of the eternal Son of God, under the
character of Wisdom personified; to which so many references and
allusions are to be found in the Old and New Testament! “The Lord
possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was
set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When
there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains
abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the
hills was I brought forth,” Prov. viii, 22–25. The apocryphal book of
Wisdom introduces, by a reference to this passage, the following
admirable invocation, Wisdom ix, 9, 10:--
“O send forth wisdom, out of thy holy heavens,
Even from the throne of thy glory;
That being present she may labour with me,
That I may know what is pleasing in thy sight!”
And our Lord assumes the title of Wisdom, Luke xi, 49; Matt. xxiii, 34;
and declares that “wisdom shall be justified of all her children,” Matt.
xi, 19; Luke vii, 35.
September, and continues till the middle of November. But grapes in
Palestine, we are informed, were ripe sometimes even in June or July,
which arose perhaps from a triple pruning, in which case there was also
a third vintage. The first vintage was in August, the second in
September, and the third in October. The grapes when not gathered were
sometimes found on the vines until November and December. The Hebrews
were required to leave gleanings for the poor, Lev. xix, 10. The season
of vintage was a most joyful one, Judges ix, 27; Isaiah xvi, 10; Jer.
xxv, 30; xlviii, 33. With shoutings on all sides, the grapes were
plucked off and carried to the wine press, פורה, פארה, ληνὸς, which was
in the vineyard, Isa. liii, 3; Zech. xiv, 10; Haggai ii, 16; Matt. xxi,
33; Rev. xiv, 19, 20. The presses consisted of two receptacles, which
were either built of stones and covered with plaster, or hewn out of a
large rock. The upper receptacle, called נת, as it is constructed at the
present time in Persia, is nearly eight feet square and four feet high.
Into this the grapes are thrown and trodden out by five men. The juice
flows out into the lower receptacle, through a grated aperture, which is
made in the side near the bottom of the upper one. The treading of the
wine press was laborious, and not very favourable to cleanliness; the
garments of the persons thus employed were stained with the red juice,
and yet the employment was a joyful one. It was performed with singing,
accompanied with musical instruments; and the treaders, as they jumped,
exclaimed, הידד, Isa. xvi, 9, 10; Jer. xxv, 30; xlviii, 32, 33.
Figuratively, vintage, gleaning, and treading the wine press, signified
battles and great slaughters, Isa. xvii, 6; lxiii, 1–3; Jer. xlix, 9;
Lam. i, 15. The must, as is customary in the east at the present day,
was preserved in large firkins, which were buried in the earth. The wine
cellars were not subterranean, but built upon the earth. When deposited
in these, the firkins, as is done at the present time in Persia, were
sometimes buried in the ground, and sometimes left standing upon it.
Formerly, also, new wine or must was preserved in leathern bottles; and,
lest they should be broken by fermentation, the people were very careful
that the bottles should be new, Job xxxii, 19; Matt. ix, 17; Mark ii,
22. Sometimes the must was boiled and made into syrup, which is
comprehended under the term דבש, although it is commonly rendered
“honey,” Gen. xliii, 11; 2 Chron. xxxi, 5. Sometimes the grapes were
dried in the sun and preserved in masses, which were called “bunches or
clusters of raisins,” 1 Sam. xxv, 18; 2 Sam. xvi, 1; 1 Chron. xii, 40;
Hosea iii, 1. From these dried grapes, when soaked in wine and pressed a
second time, was manufactured sweet wine, which is also called new wine,
γλεῦκος, Acts ii, 13.
WISDOM is put for that prudence and discretion which enables a man to
perceive that which is fit to be done, according to the circumstances of
time, place, persons, manners, and end of doing, Eccles. ii, 13, 14. It
was this sort of wisdom that Solomon intreated of God with so much
earnestness, and which God granted him with such divine liberality, 1
Kings iii, 9, 12, 28. It also signifies quickness of invention, and
dexterity in the execution of several works, which require not so much
strength of body, as industry, and labour of the mind. For example, God
told Moses, Exod. xxxi, 3, that he had filled Bezaleel and Aholiab with
wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent and perform several
sorts of work for completing the tabernacle. It is used for craft,
cunning, and stratagem, and that whether good or evil. Thus it is said
by Moses, that Pharaoh dealt wisely with the Israelites, when he opposed
them in Egypt, Exodus i, 10: it is observed of Jonadab, the friend of
Ammon, and nephew of David, that he was very wise, that is, very subtle
and crafty, 2 Sam. xiii, 3; and Job, v, 13, says, that God “taketh the
wise in their own craftiness.” Wisdom means also doctrine, learning, and
experience: “With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days
understanding,” Job xii, 12. It is put for true piety, or the fear of
God, which is spiritual wisdom: “So teach us to number our days, that we
may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” Psalm xc, 12; “The fear of the Lord
that is wisdom,” Job xxvii, 28. Wisdom is put for the eternal Wisdom,
the Word of God. It was by wisdom that God established the heavens, and
founded the earth, Prov. iii, 19. How magnificently does Solomon
describe the primeval birth of the eternal Son of God, under the
character of Wisdom personified; to which so many references and
allusions are to be found in the Old and New Testament! “The Lord
possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was
set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When
there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains
abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the
hills was I brought forth,” Prov. viii, 22–25. The apocryphal book of
Wisdom introduces, by a reference to this passage, the following
admirable invocation, Wisdom ix, 9, 10:--
“O send forth wisdom, out of thy holy heavens,
Even from the throne of thy glory;
That being present she may labour with me,
That I may know what is pleasing in thy sight!”
And our Lord assumes the title of Wisdom, Luke xi, 49; Matt. xxiii, 34;
and declares that “wisdom shall be justified of all her children,” Matt.
xi, 19; Luke vii, 35.