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THE MUSTARD TREE.

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1 THE description which our Lord has given of the sinapi, or mustard tree, in Matt. xiii. 31, 32, and the parallel passages, has induced much speculation and conjecture among learned men. words are, 'A grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.' In order to account for the discrepancy which exists between this representation and the character of the sinapis nigra, or common mustard plant, it has been supposed that this may, in the more favorable climates of the East, exceed by far in its dimensions and strength that which is found in these colder counties. Lightfoot cites a passage from the Talmud, in which a mustard tree is said to have been possessed of branches sufficiently large to cover a tent; and Scheuchzer describes and represents a species of the plant several feet high, and possessing a tree-like appearance.

In support of this conjecture, Dr. Clarke remarks, 'some soils being more luxuriant than others, and the climate much warmer, raise the same plant to a size and perfection far beyond what a poorer soil, or a colder climate, can possibly do. Herodotus says, he has seen wheat and barley, in the country of Babylon, which carried a blade full four fingers in breadth, and that the millet and sesamum grew to an incredible size.' The doctor states, that he has himself seen a field of common cabbages in one of the Norman Isles, each of which was from seven to nine feet in height; and one, in the garden of a friend, which grew beside an apple tree, though the latitude of the place was only about 48° 18' north, was fifteen feet high. These facts and several others, which might be adduced, Dr. Clarke thinks fully confirm the possibility of what our Lord says of the mustard tree, however incredible such things may appear to those who are acquainted only with the productions of the northern regions and cold climates.

These are striking specimens, certainly, of the great difference existing among productions of the same species, in different climates and countries; but then, their distinctive character remains the same; whereas the reference in our Lord's parable implies so essential a difference as, on these principles, to convert an herbaceous plant into a tree, and thus destroy the identity of its character.

For the purpose of removing these difficulties, Mr. Frost, a gentleman eminent for his attainments in botanical science, published a work, in which he maintains that the sinapi of the New Testament does not signify any species of the genus we now designate sinapis, but a species of the phytolacca. We shall transcribe some passages from his work, and leave the reader to form his own judgment as to the conclusive nature of his arguments.

'The seed of an herbaceous plant, for such is the sinapis nigra or common mustard, cannot possibly produce a tree: and however great a degree of altitude and circumference the stem of common mustard might attain, yet it could not afford support for 'fowls of the air,' even allowing it grew to the height of eight feet, which it never does.

'Mustard seed is not the smallest of all seeds, as the translation implies, because those of foxglove (digitalis purpurea), and tobacco (nicotiana tabacum), are infinitely smaller: these are herbaceous, as well as mustard (sinapis nigra); and even granting, for a moment, that the common mustard seed was intended, the above evidence would annul the validity of the translation. This discordancy has been endeavored to be reconciled by a reference to sinapis erucoides, or shrubby mustard; but even this has not the smallest seed; and allowing, for the sake of argument, that this shrub could, by luxuriance of soil and climate, increase in height and circumference, and throw off large branches,—the size of the seed would remain the same, and the smallest of all seeds would not apply.

Among other statements made, as to the size to which the mustard plant will sometimes grow, Mr. Frost notices one writer, who observes that he saw one so large that it became a great bush, and was higher than the tallest man he had ever seen, and that he had raised it from seed. This our author readily conceives to be true but does not consider it at all explanatory of the subject, because an annual plant, such as sinapis nigra is, cannot become even a shrub, much less a tree.

Having thus endeavored to prove that the mustard seed of the New Testament is not procured from sinapis nigra, or any species of that genus, Mr. Frost next proceeds to show the identity that exists between kokkon sinapeos, and phytolacca dodecandra which he believes to be the dendron mega of the seripture. Phytolacca dodecandra grows abundantly in Palestine; it has the smallest seed of any tree, and obtains as great, or even greater, altitude than any other in that country, of which it is a native.

"Common mustard is both used for culinary and medicinal purposes; so are several species of phytolacca. It is rather remarkable, that the acridity of the latter induced Linnéus to place that genus in the natural order Piperitæ, whilst De Jussieu referred it to the family Atriplices, which certainly bears out its edible and acrid properties. The North Americans calls phytolacca dodecandra (commonly known in our gardens by the name of American pokeweed), wild mustard; Murray, in his Apparatus Medicaminum, enters into a long history of the excellent quality of the young shoots; but remarks, that when mature, they cannot be eaten with impuni ty. Linnéus, in his Materia Medica, refers to the same circumstances. Its being edible, may be inferred from the Greek term lackanon, which occurs Matt. xiii. 32, and Mark iv. 32.

'Mustard seed is applied externally, as a stimulant, in the form of a sinapism; and the foliage of phytolacca dodecandra was used as an outward application to cancerous tumors.

'Of the acrid qualities of phytolacca dodecandra there can be no doubt; so that there appears a very strong analogy between the effects and properties of the general sinapis and phytolacca; besides which, I have ascertained the existence of a fourth ultimate chemical element, Nitrogen, in the seed of a species of phytolacca. Nitrogen was said only to exist in plants belonging to the natural orders cruciate and fungi, in the former of which the common mustard, sinapis nigra, is placed.'

Mr. Frost then proceeds to sum up his argument, showing that the phytolacca dodecandra is the tree mentioned in the gospels, from the following circumstances:

'Because it is one of the largest trees indigenous to the country where the observation was made;-because it has the smallest seed of any tree in that country;-because it is both used as a culinary, vegetable, and medicinal stimulant, which common mustard is also; -because a species of the same genus is well known in the United States, by the term wild mustard;-because the ultimate chemical elements of the seed sinapis nigra and phytolacca dodecandra are the same.'

In conclusion, the author adds the generic characters of the two vegetables, by which they are seen, botanically, to be very distinct families.

Our thanks are due to this scientific gentleman, on account of the attention he has bestowed on the investigation of this subject, for the purpose of elucidating the sacred writings; the study of which he states to be the most interesting employment of the human mind. We take the liberty, however, to suggest, that his 'Remarks' would be rendered much more satisfactory and contributive to the object which he had in view by a proper authentication of the various statements he has made relative to the phytolacca dodecandra, from the writings of accredited Eastern travellers. The absence of this must be strongly felt by every intelligent reader of his work.

CHAPTER IV.

DOUBTFUL PLANTS AND TREES.

THE BAY TREE.

THIS tree is mentioned only in Ps. xxxvi. 35, 36:-'I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.' But the original word azrech, merely signifies a native tree-a tree growing in its native soil, not having suffered by transplantation, and therefore spreading itself luxuriantly.

THE PINE TREE.

THIS tree appears in three passages of our Bible; but the manner in which it is introduced affords us no means of ascertaining whether this is a correct rendering of the original word. The first passage is Neh. viii. 15, where it is stated that pine branches were to be used in constructing the booths at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Hebrew words literally signify trees of fatness, and so seem to mean the resinous or gummy kind of trees, whose juices superabound and exude.

In Isa. xli. 19, and ch. lx. 13, the word is thedher, and the tree is so called, says Parkhurst, from the sprightliness or elasticity of its wood. Luther thought it was the elm: there is nothing, however, to operate against retaining the pine, which is found in Syria.

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THE SHITTAH TREE.

THIS tree is only mentioned in Isaiah xli. 19; but the wood which it furnished is spoken of in several passages in the Old Testament. The difficulty of identifying the shittah tree, has been felt by all interpreters, as is evident in the retention of the Hebrew name by many of them, and the diversified renderings of others.

Dr. Shaw, Mr. Parkhurst, and Mr. Taylor, take the shittah to be the same as the acanthus, or the acacia vera; a tree about the size of the mulberry tree, producing yellow flowers, and pods like lupines. It also yields the gum Arabic. The bark of this tree is of a greyish black; its wood is of a pale yellow color; its leaves resemble those of a lentil, and many hang together on the same side of a branch. The branches are full of thorns, which are often in pairs, and its foliage is extremely scanty.

The ark of the covenant (Exod. xxv. 10), the table of the shewbread (ver. 23) the bars and pillars of the tabernacle (ch. xxvi. 26, 32, 37), the altar of burnt-offering (ch. xxvii. 1; ch. xxxviii. 1), and the altar of incense (ch. xxx. 1), were all made of shittim wood, which the LXX., apparently unable to identify, have rendered, 'incorruptible wood.'

THE ALMUG TREE.

ALMUG trees are mentioned in 1 Kings x. 11, 12, as being among the costly things brought from Ophir by the navy of Hiram, to king Solomon.

To detail the various opinions maintained by the learned, as to the particular tree intended by the almug or algum, would answer little purpose, though it would occupy considerable space. We will, however, transcribe the entire passage relative to it, from Josephus, as his statement may be considered, in such a case, of some importance. 'About the same time, there were brought to the king, from the Aurea Chersonesus, a country so called, precious stones, and pine trees; and these trees he made use of for supporting the temple and the palace, as also for the materials of musical instruments, the harps, and the psalteries that the Levites might make use of in their hymns to God. The wood which was brought to him at this time, was larger and finer than any that had ever been brought before; but let no one imagine that these pine trees were like those which are now so named, and which take their denomination from the merchants, who so call them, that they may procure them to be admired by those that purchase them; for those we speak of, were, to the sight, like the wood of the fig tree, but were whiter and more shining. Now, we have said thus much, that nobody may be ignorant of the difference between these sorts of wood, nor unacquainted with the nature of the genuine pine tree; and we thought it both a seasonable and humane thing when we mentioned it, and the uses the king made of it, to explain this difference so far as we have done.'

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