Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  4000 Creation  »  4400 Vegetation and food  »  4404 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

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 pp Luke 13:21

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; Kings 7:1,16; 1 Chronicles 12:40

Fine flour more refined and more expensive than the common variety

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

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 29:1-3,22-25; Leviticus 7:12; Leviticus 8:25-28; Leviticus 23:15-17

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 18:31-32

Honey's sweetness and the sweetness of God's law:

Psalm 19:10; Psalm 119:103 Psalm 81:13-16; Songs 4:11; Songs 5:1; Isaiah 7:22; Jeremiah 41:8; Ezekiel 16:13

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 20:24

The spies confirm the goodness of the promised land:

Numbers 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 20:6,15

Prohibition against burning honey on the altar

Leviticus 2:11

Raisins

2 Samuel 16:1 See also Numbers 6:1-4; 1 Samuel 25:18; Samuel 30:11-12; 2 Samuel 6:19 pp 1 Chronicles 16:3; 1 Chronicles 12:40; Songs 2:5; Hosea 3:1

Lentils

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

Cheese

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

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

See also

4418  bread
4438  eating
4450  fruit
4474  manna
4476  meals
4478  meat
4480  milk
4532  vegetables
4612  birds
4642  fish
7402  offerings
8770  idolatry, in NT