Cumin is an aromatic spice mentioned in the Bible, known for its culinary and medicinal uses. It is derived from the seeds of the Cuminum cyminum plant, which belongs to the Apiaceae family. This spice has been cultivated in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region for thousands of years and was highly valued in ancient times.

Biblical References:

Cumin is specifically mentioned in the Bible in the context of agricultural practices and religious teachings. In Isaiah 28:25-27 , the prophet Isaiah uses cumin as an example to illustrate God's wisdom in teaching the farmer the proper way to cultivate crops:

"When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in rows, barley in plots, and spelt as their border? For his God instructs and teaches him the right way. For caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin; but caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod." (Isaiah 28:25-27)

This passage highlights the careful and knowledgeable approach required in agriculture, using cumin as an example of a crop that requires specific methods for harvesting.

In the New Testament, cumin is mentioned by Jesus in a rebuke of the Pharisees for their misplaced priorities. In Matthew 23:23 , Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for their meticulous tithing of spices while neglecting more important matters of the law:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matthew 23:23)

Here, cumin is used to illustrate the Pharisees' focus on minor ritualistic details at the expense of fundamental ethical principles.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient times, cumin was a common spice used in cooking and medicine. It was prized for its distinctive flavor and was often used to season food. Cumin's medicinal properties were also recognized, as it was believed to aid digestion and treat various ailments.

The cultivation and use of cumin in biblical times reflect the agricultural practices and dietary customs of the ancient Near East. Farmers were knowledgeable about the specific requirements for growing and harvesting different crops, as indicated in Isaiah's metaphorical teaching.

Symbolic Significance:

Cumin, as mentioned in the Bible, serves as a symbol of the meticulous observance of religious rituals and the potential for such practices to overshadow more significant spiritual and moral obligations. Jesus' reference to cumin in Matthew 23:23 underscores the importance of balancing religious observance with the core values of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

In summary, cumin in the Bible is not only a reference to a common spice but also a tool for teaching deeper spiritual truths. Its mention in both the Old and New Testaments provides insight into the agricultural life of ancient Israel and serves as a metaphor for the priorities of faith and practice.(n.) A dwarf umbelliferous plant, somewhat resembling fennel (Cuminum Cyminum), cultivated for its seeds, which have a bitterish, warm taste, with an aromatic flavor, and are used like those of anise and caraway.2951. kuminon -- cummin
... cummin. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: kuminon Phonetic Spelling:
(koo'-min-on) Short Definition: cumin Definition: cumin, a plant used as a spice ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2951.htm - 6k7100. qetsach -- black cumin
... 7099, 7100. qetsach. 7101 . black cumin. Transliteration: qetsach Phonetic
Spelling: (keh'-tsakh) Short Definition: dill. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7100.htm - 5k

Christ and Nicodemus.
... In the time of the Savior the two fundamental rules were to pay tithes of everything,
even to mint and cumin, and to keep rigidly every ceremonial required to ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/christ and nicodemus.htm

Letter iii. A Letter of Severus to Holy Paul the Bishop. ...
... He knows nothing, however, of pepper or of laser, [234] but he is quite at home
with cumin, and is especially clever in plying the noisy mortar with sweetly ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /letter iii a letter of.htm

! is that Foul Smell...
... But the same gods have given to you both cumin, cress, turnips, onions, parsley,
esculent thistles, radishes, gourds, rue, mint, basil, flea-bane, and chives ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/16 what say you o.htm

If that which it Has Pleased us to Know is Within Reach...
... if you think that anything can be known or comprehended, say what wheat is,"spelt,
barley, millet, the chick-pea, bean, lentil, melon, cumin, scallion, leek ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/59 if that which it.htm

Whether Treachery, Fraud, Falsehood, Perjury, Restlessness ...
... is said to be "sparing"; if nothing, he is "tightfisted": if he gives with great
reluctance, he is said to be {kyminopristes} [skinflint], a cumin-seller, as ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether treachery fraud falsehood perjury.htm

The Land and the People.
... them with their finger; who shut the kingdom of heaven against men, and will not
enter themselves; who tithe the mint and the anise and the cumin, and leave ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 17 the land and.htm

Cumin (3 Occurrences)
...Cumin (3 Occurrences). ... For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone
the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. ...
/c/cumin.htm - 7k

Dill (3 Occurrences)
... hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the
weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. ...
/d/dill.htm - 8k

Threshed (7 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/t/threshed.htm - 8k

Cummin (3 Occurrences)
... Tristram, Natural History. Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) Same as Cumin.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CUMMIN. kum'-in (kammon ...
/c/cummin.htm - 9k

Cart (12 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/c/cart.htm - 15k

Wheel (20 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/w/wheel.htm - 18k

Instrument (45 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/i/instrument.htm - 22k

Stick (47 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/s/stick.htm - 23k

Beaten (73 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a
cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and ...
/b/beaten.htm - 31k

Neglect (19 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:23 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the
tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier ...
/n/neglect.htm - 12k

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