Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

BREAD

A major part of the diet in the ancient Near East, from the earliest times. Heb. leḥem refers to food products made from grains such as wheat or barley. Grain is ground into meal and flour, water and other ingredients are added, and some means of cooking is used to produce gruel, porridge, leavened and unleavened bread, cakes or wafers. Barley is used for cakes and gruel, whereas wheat flour can be used for leavened bread.

Bread was a staple and provided daily nourishment (Sir. 29:21). Bread and water made up the whole meal of the poor and prisoners (2 Kgs. 6:22) and part of the meal for the wealthy. Bread occurs in lists of travel provisions (2 Sam. 16:1) and food supplies (1 Sam. 25:18).

Heb. leḥem may be used in a general sense as “food,” for people and animals (Ps. 147:9). Goats’ milk is “food” for the family and servants of the goatherd (Prov. 27:27). During the wilderness wanderings, the Israelites experienced the miraculous gift of manna which was called “bread from heaven” (Neh. 9:15) or “bread of angels” (Ps. 78:25). God’s blessing was essential so that food would grow (Ps. 65:9-13[MT 10-14]). People should pray for sufficient bread for each day (Prov. 30:8-9).

Bread was used for offerings and sacrifices. Offerings were called food for God (Lev. 21:6) although this is understood figuratively since God does not need food (Ps. 50:12-13). Unleavened bread was used for cereal offerings. While part or all of the bread might be burnt, sometimes part of it was eaten by the priests.

Bread can be used figuratively. If people had sorrow for nourishment they had “bread of tears” (Ps. 80:5[6]). “Bread of wickedness” (Prov. 4:17) refers to gaining nourishment by improper means. Eating “bread of idleness” means being lazy (Prov. 31:27). Lady Wisdom invites people to eat her bread (Prov. 9:5), which is didactic nourishment. Lady Folly invites people to eat “bread in secret,” referring to sexual indulgence (Prov. 9:17).

Gk. ártos can refer to leavened or unleavened bread. Bread is part of a meal (Mark 6:44) and is taken as provisions for journeys (v. 8). Believers should not be anxious about bread, because God will provide it for them (2 Cor. 9:10). They should pray for daily bread (Matt. 6:11).

The Jewish practice of saying grace before a meal includes taking a loaf of bread, giving thanks, breaking it, and distributing it (Matt. 14:19). To “break bread” could designate a common meal (Acts 2:46) or the Eucharist, which included bread as an element (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

Bread can refer to spiritual nourishment. Jesus is called the “bread of life” (John 6:35) and the “bread that came down from heaven” (v. 41). In Luke 14:15 a blessing is pronounced upon the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Bibliography. J. Behm, “ártos,” TDNT 1:477-78; W. Dommershausen and H.-J. Fabry, “leḥem,” TDOT 7:521-29.

Stephen Alan Reed

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

BREAD

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)