And their father Israel said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
Ver. 11. If it must be so now, &c.] Perplexity is blind and untractable. Let the mind but settle, and it will soon yield to a reasonable motion, if seasonable, especially, as this of Judah was: for, besides the weightiness of his words, necessity now spake for him, that most powerful orator.
Take of the best fruits.] De laudatissimis rebus, saith Juulus. Of the verse or melody, saith the original; a that is, of the most praiseworthy fruits; such as deserve to be commended in verse, and sung of, to the praise of God the giver.
A little balm, and a little honey.] Great men regard not the worth of the gift, but the will of the giver. If I had had more, I would have given more, said that Greek to Augustus, b and it was accepted. The poor Persian that met Artaxerxes with a handful of water, out of the river Cyprus, went away well rewarded. So did the gardener that presented the Duke of Burgundy with a rape root; which, when the master of his house observed, he presented his lord with a brave small saddle horse, looking for like liberality, but was disappointed.
a Ex carmine, vel melodia, vel modulatione, vel denique Psalmo. - Isa. lxv. 8.
b Eι πλεον ειχον, πλεον εδιδουν. - Aelian.