Cup

CUP. This word is often taken in Scripture in a proper, and in a figurative sense. In the proper sense it signifies a common Cup, which People drink out of at Meals; or a Cup of Ceremony made use of at solemn and religious Meals,¹ as at the Passover, at which time the Father of the Family pronounces certain Blessings over the Cup, and after having tasted of it, makes all the company, and his whole Family, drink round of it².

The word Cup in the figurative sense of it, is taken generally for the Afflictions which God sends. To drink of the Cup, signifies to endure those Punishments which God has determined we shall suffer. Stand up, O Jerusalem, which Isai. li. 17.hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the Cup of his fury, says Isaiah. And the Ps. lxxv. 8.Psalmist, In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup, the dregs thereof all the wicked of the Earth shall wring them out, and drink them. In the same sense Men are said to be made drunk with Sorrow, with Afflictions, and the Wine of God’s Wrath; all which expressions are consequences of this first Metaphor of Cup. It is derived from the custom observed at entertainments, to drink round, and in the same Cup. Such persons as refused the Cup in their turn at Feasts, were not endured: Let him drink or be gone, was a kind of Proverb. When the Sons of Zebedee desired of our Saviour, that they might have the first places in his Kingdom, and be seated at his Table, one on his right hand, the other on his left; he answered them, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? &c.

The Cup of Blessing, is that which was blessed in Entertainments of ceremony, wherein the Company drunk round. Luke xxii. 20.Thus our Saviour in the last Supper, blessed the Cup, and gave it to all his 1 Cor. xi. 28.Apostles to drink. The Cup of Salvation mentioned in the Psalms, is a Cup of Ps. cxvi. 13.Thanksgiving, which while People drunk, they blessed the Lord, and were thankful to him for his Mercies. We see the continuation of this Practice in the third Book of Maccabees, wherein the Jews of Egypt, in the Festivals which they made for their deliverance, offered 3 Mac. vi. 27.Cups of Salvation.

Κώθωνα σωτήριον συστησά-μενοι.The Jews have still at this day Cups of Thanksgiving, which are blessed in their Marriage Ceremonies, and in Entertainments made at the Circumcision of their Children.³ Some Commentators believe, the Cup of Salvation to be nothing else but the Wine poured upon the Victims, sacrificed upon Thanksgivings, See Exod. xxix. 40. Numb. xv. 5. xxviii. 7. 14.according to the Law of Moses.

The Cup in the Stile of Scripture denotes likewise sometimes Portion. Dominus pars hæreditatis meæ & calicis mei; because at Meals every one had his Cup, which was filled with Wine as often as he wanted any: Or the Prophet speaks of those Cups which were drunk in the way of Ceremony, and by every one in his turn. God is mine Inheritance, and my Cup, I will have no share in the Inheritance, the Feasts, Sacrifices, Portions, Society of the Wicked; God alone is sufficient for me; he is my Portion and my Cup, I desire nothing further.

Joseph’s Cup mentioned in the Scripture, Gen. xliv. 5.which was concealed in Benjamin’s Sack, the younger Brother of this Patriarch, is the subject of many different conjectures, founded on the words of Joseph’s Officers. Is not this the cup in which my Lord drinketh? and whereby he divineth? Some question whether Joseph did indeed make use of this Cup in foretelling what was to come, whether his People believed so, or whether this was said by them, according to the common opinion of the Egyptians, who held Joseph for a great Magician, or whether they said so to intimidate Joseph’s Brethren, making them believe, that Joseph, whom as yet they knew not to be their Brother, was a Man very expert in the art of divining, and had discovered the Theft which they had committed, by vertue of this art.

All these several opinions have their defenders. It is certain, that the Antients had a sort of Divination by Cups. The eastern People say, that old King Giamschid, who is the Solomon of the Persians, and Alexander the Great, had Cups, by means whereof they knew all things natural, and sometimes even supernatural. The Antients⁴ speak of certain divining Cups full of Wine or other Liquors, which were poured out with Ceremony from the side where the handle was, and that from thence they drew presages of what was to come. Pliny⁵ speaks of Divinations with Water and Basons. The manner of divining by the Goblet was this, little Plates of Gold or Silver, or some precious Stones with certain Characters engraved upon them, were thrown into it; and after some Invocations, and superstitious Ceremonies, the Demon was consulted. He answered in several ways, sometimes by articulate sounds, sometimes he made the Characters in the Goblet appear upon the superficies of the water, and formed his answer by the order in which they stood. Sometimes he traced the Image of the per son, on whose account he was interrogated.

At other times a Ring was fastned to a thread, and held suspended over the Water in the Cup: The Ring by its different Percussions, shewed the several things which were enquired after. Sometimes likewise drops of melted Wax were cast into the Water, which was contained within the Goblet, these were artificially dispos’d, and formed answers to the Questions that were proposed.

We by no means pretend to prove from hence, that Joseph made use of his Cup in Divinations: He was certainly very skilful in the Science of foretelling things to come; but this knowledge was not acquired, it was no curious and diabolical art, but some supernatural faculty which God had communicated to him, whereby he procured that high consideration he was in throughout Egypt. It is not incredible that the Egyptians, and perhaps some of his own People, might think him to be truly a Magician, and might have spoken of him according to this prejudice, but it does not follow, that he made use of a Cup in divining.

The Hebrew Text of Genesis will bear another Construction. Is not this the cup wherein my lord drinks and searches for so carefully? or, Is not this the cup wherein my lord drinks, and by which he has tried you? He will try whether you are as acknowledging as you ought to be, for the particular favours he has shewn you. This Cup will serve to give a proof of their ingratitude and infidelity.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages