Food

Scripture contains references to varied foodstuffs, which comprised the diet of the people of the Near East in biblical times.

God made provision for food in creation

Genesis 1:29–30

Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth — everything that has the breath of life in it — I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Flour

Flour the main ingredient in bread

Genesis 18:6 See also Exodus 29:2; Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 28:24; Matthew 13:33 parallel Luke 13:21

So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”

Flour figured largely in the staple diet

1 Kings 17:12–16 See also 2 Samuel 17:27–29; 1 Kings 4:22–23; 2 Kings 4:41, 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16; 1 Chronicles 12:40

But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread— only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’” So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.

Fine flour more refined and more expensive than the common variety

Ezekiel 16:13 See also Ezekiel 16:19; Revelation 18:11–13

So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.

Flour in grain offerings

Leviticus 2:1–10 See also Leviticus 6:14–23, Leviticus 14:8–11; Numbers 5:11–15, Numbers 6:13–15, Numbers 15:1–4, Numbers 28:9, Numbers 29:7–11; 1 Chronicles 23:29; Ezekiel 46:14

Flour in other offerings

Leviticus 5:11 See also Exodus 29:1–3, Exodus 29:22–25; Leviticus 7:12, Leviticus 8:25–28, Leviticus 23:15–17

But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.

Honey

Honey a sweet delicacy

Genesis 43:11 See also Exodus 16:31; Deuteronomy 32:13; Judges 14:8–9; 1 Samuel 14:25–26; 2 Samuel 17:27–29; 1 Kings 14:1–3; 2 Kings 18:31–32PSA 2 Kings 19:10, Psalm 119:103 Psalm 81:13–16; Song of Solomon 4:11, Song of Solomon 5:1; Isaiah 7:22; Jeremiah 41:8; Ezekiel 16:13

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man — a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

The promised land described as flowing with milk and honey

Exodus 3:7–8 See also Exodus 3:17, Exodus 13:5, Exodus 33:3; Leviticus 20:24NUM Leviticus 13:27, Numbers 14:8 Numbers 16:12–14; Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 11:8–9, Deuteronomy 26:9, Deuteronomy 31:20; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6, Ezekiel 20:15

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey— the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Prohibition against burning honey on the altar

Leviticus 2:11

No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as a food offering to the LORD.

Raisins

2 Samuel 16:1 See also Numbers 6:1–4; 1 Samuel 25:18, 1 Samuel 30:11–12; 2 Samuel 6:19 parallel 1 Chronicles 16:3; 1 Chronicles 12:40; Song of Solomon 2:5; Hosea 3:1

When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

Lentils

Genesis 25:29–34 See also 2 Samuel 17:27–29, 2 Samuel 23:11–12; Ezekiel 4:1–10

One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.) “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?” “Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Cheese

1 Samuel 17:17–18 See also 2 Samuel 17:27–29; Job 10:8–11

One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

Believers should not eat food offered to idols

Acts 15:19–20 See also Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:1–13; Revelation 2:14

It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.