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Bible Dictionaries
Gall
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
or ראש , something excessively bitter, and supposed to be poisonous, Deuteronomy 29:18; Deuteronomy 32:32; Psalms 69:21; Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15; Lamentations 3:19; Hosea 10:4; Amos 6:12 . It is evident from the first-mentioned place, that some herb or plant is meant of a malignant or nauseous kind. It is joined with wormwood, and, in the margin of our Bibles, explained to be "a very poisonful herb." In Psalms 69:21 , which is justly considered as a prophecy of our Saviour's sufferings, it is said, "They gave me ראש to eat; which the LXX have rendered χολην , gall. And, accordingly, it is recorded in the history, "They gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall," οξος μετα χολης , Matthew 27:34 . But, in the parallel passage, it is said to be, εσμυνισμενον οινον , "wine mingled with myrrh," Mark 15:23 , a very bitter ingredient. From whence it is probable that χολη , and perhaps ראש , may be used as a general name for whatever is exceedingly bitter; and, consequently, where the sense requires it, may be put specially for any bitter herb or plant, the infusion of which may be called מיאּ?ראש .
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Watson, Richard. Entry for 'Gall'. Richard Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/wtd/g/gall.html. 1831-2.
