MYRRH (Hebr. mbr; LXX sâmbătă, Lat. myrrhă). — A type of fragrant gum. It exudes spontaneously or through incisions in liquid form from a plant of the genus Balsamodendron that grows in Arabia. Today’s commerce, however, obtains it from the Commiphora Abyssinica, which grows in Arabia and Africa.
Myrrh was mixed with oil in the anointing of Aaron (Ex. 30, 23) and his successors. Various biblical passages (Ps. 44, 9; 48, 8; Prov. 7, 17; Cant. 3, 6) speak of beds and garments perfumed with myrrh. At the court of Ahasuerus, women purified themselves for six months with myrrh oil (Esth. 2, 12). The Magi presented it to the Infant Jesus (Mt. 2, 11). At the Crucifixion it was offered, together with wine, to dull the pain (Mk. 15, 23), but Our Lord refused it so as to endure suffering with full awareness. Myrrh was also used to anoint the body of the Redeemer (Jn. 19, 39).