Stacte
A pure, dripping resin used in the Holy Incense. Represents the overflow of prayer.
Botanical Facts
scienceSpice/Resin
נָטָף (Nataph)
Styrax officinalis
2 references
The Unforced Fragrance
Stacte was the first ingredient listed in the recipe for the Holy Incense that burned perpetually before the Lord:
Its name means "to drip" (Hebrew: Nataph). It was the purest resin because it flowed freely from the tree without tapping or cutting. This speaks to a prayer life that is not forced or extracted under pressure, but simply overflows.
The Drop of Rain
The same Hebrew word Nataph is used in the book of Job to describe the formation of rain:
"For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof." Just as God distills the rain from the clouds to refresh the earth, the Stacte in the incense represents the distillation of our heart's desires into the "small drops" of prayer. It is the essence of a life being poured out before God.
The Purest Myrrh
Ancient sources, including Pliny, considered Stacte to be the very best of myrrh—the liquid that exudes before any incision is made. It is "un-pushed" worship. While most spices require crushing or cutting to release their scent, Stacte gives itself up voluntarily. It is the picture of a heart that loves God so much it cannot help but overflow with praise.
Botanical Context
The Hebrew 'nataph' means 'to drip.' Stacte was likely the purest, freely-flowing resin from the Storax tree—unforced, untapped, simply the overflow of the tree's life.