Bible Dictionary
DISTIL
To distil, in biblical usage, means to fall in drops like dew or rain. The word does not refer to the later technical process of distillation.
Definition
To distil, in the biblical English sense, means to fall or drip in drops, like dew or rain. It does not refer to the later technical process by which a liquid is purified or separated through distillation.
Biblical Usage
The word occurs in Deuteronomy 32:2 and Job 36:27, where it describes falling in drops like dew or rain.
Historical Background
The older sense derives through French from Latin words meaning “down” and “to drop.” The technical process called distillation was not known in ancient times according to the supplied material.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>dis-til': Only found twice in the English Bible (De 32:2; Job 36:27), in both cases in its original meaning of "to fall in drops," as dew or rain (derived through French from Latin de, "down," stillo, "to drop"). It does not occur in its later technical sense, for the process we call distilllation was not known in ancient times.</p>