Honey in the Bible

• A land flowing with milk and honeyExod 3:8, Lev 20:24
  The verses

  Exod 3:8I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

  Lev 20:24But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples.
• A land of olive oil and honeyDeut 8:8
  The verses

  Deut 8:8a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey;
• Manna tasted like wafers made with honeyExod 16:31
  The verses

  Exod 16:31Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
• Honey was not to be burned as an offeringLev 2:11
  The verses

  Lev 2:11No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as an offering made by fire to the LORD.
• Honey from the rockDeut 32:13, Ps 81:16
  The verses

  Deut 32:13He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag,

  Ps 81:16But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

In the stories

• Jacob sent a little honey as a gift to EgyptGen 43:11
  The verses

  Gen 43:11Then 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.
• Samson ate honey from the lion's carcassJudg 14:8–9
  The verses

  Judg 14:8–9When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
• Jonathan tasted honey in the forest against Saul's oath1 Sam 14:25–27, 1 Sam 14:43
  The verses

  1 Sam 14:25–27Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

  1 Sam 14:43“Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?”
• His eyes brightened after tasting a little honey1 Sam 14:29
  The verses

  1 Sam 14:29“My father has brought trouble to the land,” Jonathan replied. “Just look at how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
• Friends brought honey to David's hungry men2 Sam 17:29
  The verses

  2 Sam 17:29honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
• Jeroboam's wife took a jar of honey to the prophet1 Kgs 14:3
  The verses

  1 Kgs 14:3Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the boy.”
• Judah traded honey with TyreEzek 27:17
  The verses

  Ezek 27:17Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise.
• John ate locusts and wild honeyMatt 3:4
  The verses

  Matt 3:4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Sayings

• Eat honey, my son, for it is goodProv 24:13
  The verses

  Prov 24:13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
• If you find honey, eat just what you needProv 25:16, Prov 25:27
  The verses

  Prov 25:16If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.

  Prov 25:27It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.
• The full loathe honey; to the hungry, bitter is sweetProv 27:7
  The verses

  Prov 27:7The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.
• Sweeter than honey from the combPs 19:10
  The verses

  Ps 19:10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
• Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycombSong 4:11
  The verses

  Song 4:11Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon.