Many times we skip over words or phrases because we don’t know what is meant and there is no explanation because to those writing, reading or listening; it was commonly understood without a need for explanation.
Here are a few insights into foods of Middle Eastern culture as related to scripture.
In Genesis 25:29-34 we read of Esau giving his birthright for a mess of pottage.
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
We have here the bargain made between Jacob and Esau about the birthright, which was Esau’s by birth, but Jacob’s by promise. It was for a spiritual privilege; and we see Jacob’s desire of the birth-right and he saw his opportunity when his brother desired what he had.
What exactly is pottage?
nā·zîḏ נָזִ֑יד
Genesis 25:29 HEB:וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו NAS: When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came KJV: And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came INT: had cooked Jacob stew came Esau
Pottage is a very common dish in the Middle East and the people call it
kool!
It is much like gruel or hummus and is made of various kinds of grains, which have been beaten in a paste. The red pottage is made of kurakan and other grains, and it was for this that Esau sold his birthright!
Other common uses of the term were for example: When land was sold for an insignificant sum, other people would comment, the man sold his land for pottage. If parents gave their daughter in marriage to man of lower standing in the community people may say, they have given her for pottage. If an intelligent individual acted in a manner less than what was expected of him, it may be said of him: He has fallen into the pottage-pot.
Wheat and Tares
“While Men Slept, the Enemy Sowed Tares”
Matthew 13:25.
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Original Word: חִנְטָא Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: chinta’ Phonetic Spelling: (khint-taw’) Definition: wheat
2 Samuel 17:28 HEB:וּכְלִ֣י יוֹצֵ֔ר וְחִטִּ֥ים וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְקֶ֣מַח NAS: basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, KJV: vessels, and wheat, and barley, INT: pottery and earthen wheat barley flour
The tare or darnel grows plentifully all over the Middle East, and is a huge problem to farmers. The grain is small and is lies along the upper part of the stalk, which stands perfectly erect.
The taste of the grain is bitter and if mixed with wheat in bread causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic.
An emetic is a medicine or potion that makes you vomit, which you might be given if you’ve taken poison or some other harmful substance.
It is a poison and must be carefully winnowed and picked out of the wheat or the flour is not fit for food. The tares can hardly be distinguished from the wheat until the heads appear at harvest time, — even the farmer cannot tell them apart.
As harvest approaches the wheat grows heavy and bends over more and more, but the tares or darnel are so light-headed they stand very straight. This is the opposite of wheat which bows over gracefully, indicative of the humility of the believer in the presence of the Lord; whereas the tares stand up with heads held high in a posture of pride and arrogance. Tares are bitter and cause dizziness and are poisonous so this is a clear picture showing the traits of those who are not true believers.
Darnel (9 Occurrences) … (n.) Any grass of the genus Lolium, esp. the Lolium temulentum (bearded darnel),
the grains of which have been reputed poisonous. …Darnel
At harvest time the farmer cuts the heads off the tares and puts them in a pile until he has harvested the wheat; then the tares are burned. Notice the order, the tares are gathered first!
Bread lechem לֶ֣חֶם
Strongs# 3899
lechem: bread, food
Original Word: לֶחֶם Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: lechem Phonetic Spelling: (lekh’-em) Definition: bread, food
John 6:35 I am the bread of life
.lechem ha-chayim לֶחֶם הַחַיִּים the Bread of Life
Messiah often referred to Himself as the Bread of Life and these words were full of meaning to the crowds who were listening to Him.
In those days, bread was the staple of their diet being their main food. Back then it was not unusual for someone to stop and pick up a bit of bread that had fallen in the road, they would touch their forehead with it as a token of respect, and carefully place it in a small crack of a wall or a nearby rock, so that it would not be trodden on by other feet walking by. Local bread is normally a round, flat cake, about a quarter of an inch to an inch thick.
Leavened bread wasn’t common among country folk. Women cook the fresh bread for each meal and the oven is often just a small, slightly convex sheet of iron; placed on three stones with a fire underneath.
A very thin, large piece of unleavened dough is placed on the oven and when it’s cooked, it is similar to a huge pancake or tortilla.
Sarah baked her bread on hot stones on the hearth in her tent, having built a fire in a hole in the floor of her tent and filled the hole with small stones, then the bread was placed on the hot pebbles.
What is a Parched Pulse?
In Hebrew the word for parched is
קָלִי qali
qâlîy kaw-lee
or קָלִיא qâlîy
from H7033 קָלָה
roasted ears of grain:—parched corn
2Samuel 17:28
The word pulse is found inDaniel 1:12, 16.
haz·zê·rō·‘îm
Daniel 1:12 HEB: לָ֜נוּ מִן־ הַזֵּרֹעִ֛ים וְנֹאכְלָ֖ה וּמַ֥יִם
This is found in abundance in the Middle east and is very popular. Pulse looks something like very large peas and when the whole plant has been roasted, it’s sold in small bunches on the street.
Filled with concentrated nutrients, it enables Bedouin travellers to go for a several days’ journey with only a handful of pulse for food.
When King David fled from Absalom to Mahanaim, the people gave him as a present,
“parched corn, beans, lentils, and parched pulse”
2 Samuel 17:28.
2 Samuel 17:28 HEB:וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְקֶ֣מַח וְקָלִ֑י וּפ֥וֹל וַעֲדָשִׁ֖ים NAS: flour, parched [grain], beans, KJV: and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, INT: barley flour parched beans lentils
7039 qali: parched (grain)
Original Word: קָלִי Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: qali Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-lee’) Definition: parched (grain)
Word Origin
from qalah Definition
parched (grain) NASB Translation
parched (2), roasted grain (4).
Daniel 1:12 says, “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.”.
הַזֵּרֹעִ֛ים pulses hazzeroim
Daniel 1:12 HEB:לָ֜נוּ מִן־ הַזֵּרֹעִ֛ים וְנֹאכְלָ֖ה וּמַ֥יִם NAS: some vegetables to eat KJV: and let them give us pulse to eat,
Ruth gleaning for parching?
“Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?”
Ruth 2:5.
This could easily be seen even today by the country people of Bethlehem.
The greetings are the same between the owner and his servants, “The Lord be with you” is merely the “Allah m’akum,” heard every day, and the reply, “The Lord bless thee.”
Some of the workers had a tendency to be rude towards defenseless women, this is why Boaz commanded them to treat Ruth with respect. The reapers came from all parts of the country, and largely from the lower class and because they were far from home they threw off all restraint and often behaved badly.
The meals too, are very much the same today; the dipping of the morsel in vinegar, and the parched corn. This parched corn is not like corn or maize in the west, it is more like wheat or barley. They pluck a small bunch with the stalks attached, and tie them into small bundles, the corn heads are held in a blazing fire until the chaff is burned away. After roasting, the kernels are rubbed out in the hand and eaten. This was a very popular food and the gathering of this corn for parching was never considered stealing.
Parched corn is often referred to in scripture. It was not unusual to see people pluck off some corn, rub the heads in their hands, and eat the grains unroasted, as they passed by the wheat fields, just as the apostles did.
Original Word: קָלִי Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: qali Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-lee’) Definition: parched (grain)
Ruth 2:14 HEB:וַיִּצְבָּט־ לָ֣הּ קָלִ֔י וַתֹּ֥אכַל וַתִּשְׂבַּ֖ע NAS: and he served her roasted grain, and she ate KJV: and he reached her parched [corn], and she did eat,
2 Samuel 17:28 HEB:וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְקֶ֣מַח וְקָלִ֑י וּפ֥וֹל וַעֲדָשִׁ֖ים NAS: flour, parched [grain], beans, KJV: and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, INT: barley flour parched beans lentils
7039 qali: parched (grain)
Original Word: קָלִי Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: qali Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-lee’) Definition: parched (grain)
Leviticus 23:14 HEB:וְלֶחֶם֩ וְקָלִ֨י וְכַרְמֶ֜ל לֹ֣א NAS: nor roasted grain nor KJV: neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, INT: bread roasted new neither
lentils וַעֲדָשִׁ֖ים
2 Samuel 17:28 HEB:וְקָלִ֑י וּפ֥וֹל וַעֲדָשִׁ֖ים וְקָלִֽי׃ NAS: [grain], beans, lentils, parched KJV: [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched INT: parched beans lentils parched
5742 adashah: a lentil
Original Word: עָדָשׁ Part of Speech: Noun Feminine Transliteration: adashah Phonetic Spelling: (aw-dawsh’) Definition: a lentil
In the summer the owners often sleep on threshing floors, just as Boaz was doing when Ruth came to him. It was understood that a woman should not sleep on these floors, and to do so would give the same bad impression which Boaz was concerned about, yet it was not unusual for the whole family to camp on the threshing-floor to protect the crop until the harvest was over.
Boaz knew Ruths character and that she was guided in her actions by her mother-in-law, who taught her that she had a right to Boaz for her husband, and that the law of God said she could not marry anyone else. Boaz says to Ruth,
“When thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink, .. . At meal time . . . eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar . . . and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat.”
A common sight in Israel is that water is always available in large jars. Local people are mostly satisfied with bread, a few olives or an onion. At harvest time they eat a better meal. This consisted of tomatoes, cut up with oil to dip and moisten their bread morsel in, or leban, which is a sour, clabbered milk.
Clabber is a type of soured milk. It is produced by allowing unpasteurized milk to turn sour (ferment) at a specific humidity and temperature. Over time, the milk thickens or curdles into a yogurt -like consistency with a strong, sour flavor. We would call it kefir or yogurt.
Folks sit on the ground around a common bowl and dip in. During barley harvest the wheat is still in the milk, and “
freaky”
(meaning rubbed wheat),
is made extensively.
This freaky
is the parched corn of the scriptures, and in Hebrew:
qali קָלִיא Strongs # 7039
The green wheat is cut and mixed with a pile of dry barley straw, which when set on fire, is hot enough to roast the green wheat. The ears of wheat are then rubbed together in their hands to winnow out the dross.
Even today some reapers still make parched corn a part of their meal. It has for centuries been a very common sight to see travelers stopping along the road, to cut a handful of wheat from someone’s field, and making a little parched corn for a meal, or even just rubbing out the green ears in the hand to eat the soft kernels.
Deuteronomy 23:25: “When thou comest to the standing corn of thy neighbor, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand, but thou mayest not move a sickle in thy neighbor’s standing corn.”
“Messiah went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.”
It was a common practice and not a crime; the Pharisees were simply finding something to complain about His disciples.
Olive
2132 zayith: olive tree, olive
Original Word: זַיִת Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: zayith Phonetic Spelling: (zay’-yith) Definition: olive tree, olive
Olives
זיתים
“They Shall Still Bring Forth Fruit in Old Age;
They Shall Be Fat and Flourishing”
Psalm 92:14.
The olive tree, mentioned some 40 times in the Old Testament, is one of the very first trees named in the Bible.
An olive leaf was brought to Noah’s ark in Genesis 8:11.
The olive is the most common cultivated tree in Israel, producing abundant fruit and oil. One tree often gives from 10 to 15 gallons of oil.
Olives and bread constitute a large part of the food and Olive oil was and is today used very much for lighting. In the tabernacle service, besides being used for light, it was also one of the ingredients of the“Holy anointing oil” as noted in Exodus 25:6; 30:24.
shemen: fat, oil
Original Word: שֶׁמֶן Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: shemen Phonetic Spelling: (sheh’-men) Definition: fat, oil
Exodus 27:20 HEB:וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ NAS: you clear oil of beaten KJV: thee pure oil olive INT: bring about oil olives clear
Olive oil was used in treating wounds, Luke 10:34. It was used for the head,Psalm 23:5, as an act of courtesy inLuke 7:46; as well as to anoint priests, kings, and prophets for service.
Leviticus 8:12; I Samuel 16:13; I Kings 19:16.
Many references inLeviticusshow how much use was made of oil in connection with offerings.
Leviticus 8:2 HEB:הַבְּגָדִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת ׀ NAS: and the anointing oil and the bull KJV: and the anointing oil, and a bullock INT: for and the garments oil and the anointing and the bull
The olive tree has small white flowers in May,Job 15:33..
The fruit is gathered by beatingDeuteronomy 24:20.
Or shaking the treeIsaiah 17:6.
An olive tree grows slowly, very often lives to a very, very great age, and bears fruit till the last, even when the trunk is nothing but a shell. Some of the olive trees in Gethsemane are believed to be approx.. 2000 years old.
“The righteous shall still bring forth fruit in old age.”
Hyssop בְאֵז֣וֹב zufa
Psalm 51:7
ezob: hyssop
Original Word: אֵזוֹב Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: ezob Phonetic Spelling: (ay-zobe’) Definition: hyssop
Purge me with hyssop
(with zufa as in the original)
and I shall be clean wash me And I shall be whiter than snow.
Zufa: Aromatic herbs and spices contain essential oils and are recognized by their considerable antimicrobial activity. One of the natural mouthwashes in traditional Iranian medicine is Zufa.
Zufa or Hyssop is a famous medicinal herb that is also a member of the mint plantfamily. It is closely related to plants like rosemary.Its smell is very pleasant, and taste is spicy with astringency and a bitter end [3]. About its habitat,Zoufa has grown in ancient Rome [5], Jerusalem and Cairo and Iran
Hyssop is used as a spice and also for its medicinal oil. But to the prophets it represented meekness and modesty.
They contrasted the hyssop with the cedars of Lebanon, the symbol of exaltation and pride. 2Kings 14:9
Hyssop is a very effectual purge for internal cleansing and zufa is also a potent bleach for external cleansing.
So now when we read the Psalm, Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me with zufa and I shall be whiter then snow; we will have a clearer picture that
we are to be cleansed both inside and out.
The Blood of the sacrificial lamb was applied to the doorposts and the lintel with Hyssop before the Passover.
Spiritually let us apply the Blood of Messiah with hyssop/ zufa.
Now we know
what is kool
and freaky!
Everything in the Word of God has a deeper meaning than just surface reading and we are encouraged to dig deeper for that treasure, those pearls of great price.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם,
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Many times we skip over words or phrases because we don’t know what is meant and there is no explanation because to those writing, reading or listening; it was commonly understood without a need for explanation.
Sarah baked her bread on hot stones on the hearth in her tent, having built a fire in a hole in the floor of her tent and filled the hole with small stones, then the bread was placed on the hot pebbles.
