Lexical Summary aleuron: Flour Original Word: ἄλευρον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wheat flourFrom aleo (to grind); flour -- meal. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom aleó (to grind) Definition meal NASB Translation flour (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 224: ἄλευρονἄλευρον, , τό (ἀλεύω to grind), wheaten flour, meal: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21. Hesychius ἄλευρα κυρίως τά τοῦ σίτου ἄλφιτα δέ τῶν κριθῶν. (Herodotus, Xenophon, Plato, Josephus, others.) Topical Lexicon Everyday Context in First-Century Israel Flour was the indispensable staple of the ancient kitchen. Harvested wheat or barley was ground between millstones, yielding a powder that sustained families through breads, cakes, and thickened stews. Because it represented daily provision, “flour” readily became a metaphor for life itself; scarcity of it signaled judgment (1 Kings 17:12), while abundance expressed blessing (2 Kings 7:16). In the Septuagint, ἄλευρον frequently renders Hebrew סֹלֶת (“fine flour”), the required ingredient for many offerings—underscoring both its commonness and its consecration. Flour in Covenant Worship From the earliest sacrificial system, fine flour played a vital role in grain offerings (Leviticus 2). Mixed with oil and frankincense, but never with yeast, it symbolized purity and wholehearted devotion. Even drink offerings of wine or libations of oil were often accompanied by flour (Numbers 15:4-10). Thus, whenever the New Testament reader sees ἄλευρον, there is an Old Testament echo: God’s people presenting the fruit of their labor back to the Giver of every harvest. Three Measures: A Patriarchal Echo The “three measures” (Greek σάτα τρία) of flour in both occurrences (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21) recall Abraham’s hospitality to the heavenly visitors: “Quick, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread” (Genesis 18:6). Jewish listeners would immediately associate generous flour-usage with covenant fellowship. Jesus anchors His kingdom parable in this shared memory, turning a household scene into eschatological teaching. Use in Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened’” (Matthew 13:33). Here ἄλευρον depicts the world—or more precisely, the community of hearers—into which the Gospel is introduced. Several observations emerge: Comparative Uses of Leaven Imagery Paul warns, “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough” (1 Corinthians 5:6). Unlike Jesus’ positive usage, Paul addresses sin’s corrupting influence. The shared culinary backdrop underscores the need for discernment: flour can be permeated either by unrighteousness or by the Kingdom. Flour itself remains neutral; what is introduced determines the outcome. Typological Significance 1. Provision: Flour anticipates the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Just as flour is ground to nourish many, Christ’s body is given “for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Flour and Ministry Practice Today • Patience in Evangelism: Just as leaven needs time, so the Word works gradually; ministries should measure success by faithfulness and long-term fruit, not instant results. Historical Notes on Text Transmission Both passages retain the singular form ἀλεύρου in the best manuscripts (ℵ, B, L). The uniformity suggests early recognition of its theological weight; scribes preserved it unchanged, safeguarding the imagery of everyday flour charged with Kingdom meaning. Key Takeaways Ἄλευρον, though appearing only twice in the Greek New Testament, carries a rich tapestry: covenant hospitality, sacrificial worship, daily dependence, and the unstoppable advance of the Gospel. Understanding its background deepens appreciation for the One who still mixes His transforming grace into ordinary lives until “all of it was leavened.” Forms and Transliterations άλεσον άλευρα άλευρον αλευρου αλεύρου ἀλεύρου aleurou aleúrouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 13:33 N-GNSGRK: ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία NAS: pecks of flour until KJV: three measures of meal, till the whole INT: hid in of flour measures three Luke 13:21 N-GNS |
    |