Lexical Summary krithé: barley Original Word: κριθή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance barley. Of uncertain derivation; barley -- barley. HELPS Word-studies 2915 krithḗ – barley, the grain eaten by the common person, i.e. "poor man's bread" as opposed to using the more expensive grain (wheat). Barley was used "principally as food for horses" (Zod, Dict). (Rev 6:6) – Unlike annual crops, olives and grapes take years to recover once devastated. The destruction of the oil and wine emphatically then conveys ongoing famine. [A quart of wheat was the usual amount of food a working man ate per day.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition barley NASB Translation barley (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2915: κριθήκριθή, κριθῆς, ἡ (in Greek writings (from Homer down) only in plural αἱ κριθαί), the Sept. for שְׂעֹרָה, barley: Revelation 6:6 κριθῆς R G, κριθῶν L T Tr WH. Topical Lexicon Agricultural and Economic Background Barley was the earliest grain to ripen in the Mediterranean climate and therefore provided food when wheat was still maturing. Because it tolerated poorer soils and required a shorter growing season, it became the staple of the poor, daily fodder for livestock, and the preferred grain for soldiers on long marches. In Scripture, barley’s lower market value is implicit in the price ratio in Revelation 6:6, where the voice sets one measure of wheat at a denarius but three measures of barley at the same price, exposing the severity of the coming scarcity. Cultic and Liturgical Role Barley marked Israel’s liturgical calendar. The first day after the Sabbath within the Feast of Unleavened Bread the sheaf of “the firstfruits of your harvest” (Leviticus 23:10-11) was waved before the LORD; that initial sheaf was barley, not wheat, because barley ripened at Passover. Its presentation consecrated the entire harvest and anticipated the greater wheat harvest fifty days later at Pentecost. Thus barley embodied both gratitude for present provision and faith in future abundance. Covenant and Redemption Motifs Barley appears in narratives that showcase covenant faithfulness. In Ruth, Naomi’s empty hands in Moab turn to abundance in Bethlehem’s barley fields. Boaz’s deliberate provision to Ruth (Ruth 2:14-17) advances the lineage that culminates in David and ultimately the Messiah. Barley therefore becomes a tangible token of hesed—steadfast love expressed in material care. Its low cost and humble status reinforce the biblical theme that the LORD redeems and honors the lowly. Christological Foreshadowings The only miracle recorded in all four Gospels—the feeding of the five thousand—uses “five barley loaves” (John 6:9). Barley bread, considered inferior, becomes the vehicle of a messianic sign that reveals Jesus as the Bread of Life. The detail is not incidental: the Son of God multiplies the food of the poor, declaring that eternal satisfaction is offered freely to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Prophetic and Eschatological Significance Revelation 6:6 places barley at the center of the third seal. The horseman does not unleash outright famine but an engineered hyper-inflation where life’s necessities become crushingly expensive while luxury goods (“do not harm the oil and wine”) remain protected. Barley’s inclusion points to a global economic distortion in which even the cheapest staples are priced beyond reach. The passage warns that judgment can arrive through manipulated markets as surely as through sword or plague. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Compassionate Outreach: Barley’s association with the poor reminds the church that gospel ministry must include tangible provision. Key References Leviticus 23:10-11; Numbers 5:15; Ruth 1–3; 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 147:14; Ezekiel 4:9; John 6:9, 13; Revelation 6:6 Forms and Transliterations κριθαί κριθάς κριθή κριθήν κριθής κριθων κριθών κριθῶν krithon krithôn krithōn krithō̂nLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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