Fitches, also known as black cumin, are mentioned in the Bible as a type of seed used in ancient agriculture. The term "fitches" is derived from the Hebrew word "קֶצַח" (qetsach), which refers to a small, aromatic seed. In the context of the Bible, fitches are noted for their culinary and medicinal properties, as well as their role in the agricultural practices of the ancient Near East.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 28:25-27 : "When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in rows, barley in its place, and spelt as its border? For his God instructs and teaches him properly. 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."

In this passage, the prophet Isaiah uses the sowing and harvesting of fitches (translated as "cumin" in the) as an illustration of God's wisdom in teaching the farmer the appropriate methods for cultivating different crops. The specific mention of cumin highlights its value and the care taken in its harvest, emphasizing the precision and knowledge required in agricultural practices.

2. Ezekiel 4:9 : "Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single vessel and make them into bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side."

While fitches are not directly mentioned in this verse, the inclusion of various grains and seeds in Ezekiel's diet reflects the diversity of crops cultivated in biblical times, among which fitches would have been a familiar component.

Cultural and Historical Context:

Fitches were a common crop in the ancient Near East, valued for their pungent flavor and medicinal properties. They were often used as a spice in cooking and were believed to aid in digestion and other ailments. The cultivation of fitches required specific knowledge and techniques, as indicated in Isaiah 28, where the method of threshing is carefully described.

In biblical times, agriculture was a central aspect of daily life and survival. The mention of fitches alongside other staple crops underscores their importance in the diet and economy of the people. The careful treatment of fitches during harvest, as described in Isaiah, reflects the broader biblical theme of God's provision and the wisdom imparted to humanity in stewarding the earth's resources.

Symbolic Significance:

In the Bible, agricultural metaphors are frequently used to convey spiritual truths. The process of sowing, growing, and harvesting crops like fitches can symbolize spiritual growth, the nurturing of faith, and the reaping of righteousness. The detailed instructions for handling fitches in Isaiah 28 serve as a reminder of the divine order and the importance of following God's guidance in all aspects of life.

Overall, fitches represent both a practical and symbolic element within the biblical narrative, illustrating the intersection of daily life, divine wisdom, and spiritual truth.(Isaiah 28:25, 27), the rendering of the Hebrew ketsah, "without doubt the Nigella sativa, a small annual of the order Ranunculacece, which grows wild in the Mediterranean countries, and is cultivated in Egypt and Syria for its seed." It is rendered in margin of the Revised Version "black cummin." The seeds are used as a condiment.

In Ezek. 4:9 this word is the rendering of the Hebrew kussemeth (incorrectly rendered "rye" in the Authorized Version of Exodus 9:32 and Isaiah 28:25, but "spelt" in the Revised Version). The reading "fitches" here is an error; it should be "spelt."

(n.) Plural of Fitch.FITCHES

fich'-iz (the English word "fitch" is the same as "vetch"):

(1) qetsach (Isaiah 28:25, 27; the Revised Version, margin has "black cummin" (Nigella sativa)). This is the "nutmeg flower," an annual herb (Natural Order, Ranunculaceae), the black seeds of which are sprinkled over some kinds of bread in Palestin. They were used as a condiment by the ancient Greeks and Romans. These seeds have a warm aromatic flavor and are carminative in their properties, assisting digestion. They, like all such plants which readily yield their seed, are still beaten out with rods. The contrast between the stouter staff for the "fitches" and the lighter rod for the cummin is all the more noticeable when the great similarity of the two seeds is noticed.

(2) kuccemim (pl.) (Ezekiel 4:9) the Revised Version (British and American) "spelt" (which see).

E. W. G. Masterman

3698. kussemeth -- spelt (a kind of wheat)
... fitches, rie. From kacam; spelt (from its bristliness as if just shorn) -- fitches,
rie. see HEBREW kacam. 3697, 3698. kussemeth. 3699 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3698.htm - 6k

7100. qetsach -- black cumin
... fitches. From an unused root apparently meaning to incise; fennelflower (from its
pungency) -- fitches. 7099, 7100. qetsach. 7101 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7100.htm - 5k

The Husbandman and his Operations
... 25. When lie hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches,
and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the husbandman and his operations.htm

Isaiah's Discourse
... When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and
scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/iv isaiahs discourse.htm

Fitches (3 Occurrences)
... The reading "fitches" here is an error; it should be "spelt.". Noah Webster's
Dictionary. (n.) Plural of Fitch. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FITCHES. ...
/f/fitches.htm - 9k

Cummin (3 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the
fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the ...
/c/cummin.htm - 9k

Sledge (3 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument,
neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are ...
/s/sledge.htm - 7k

Rolled (38 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:27 For the fitches are not crushed with a sharp instrument, and a
cart-wheel is not rolled over the cummin; but the grain of the fitches is hammered ...
/r/rolled.htm - 18k

Fitly (4 Occurrences)

/f/fitly.htm - 9k

Levelled (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:25 When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the
fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley ...
/l/levelled.htm - 8k

Lentiles (4 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 4:9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles,
and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread ...
/l/lentiles.htm - 8k

Threshing (57 Occurrences)
... threshing. Fitches and cummin were beaten off with a rod. The distinction
between beating and threshing is made in Isaiah 28:27. ...
/t/threshing.htm - 28k

Rie (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 28:25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the
fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the ...
/r/rie.htm - 7k

Corn (107 Occurrences)
... Standard Revised Version almost invariably substitutes "grain" for "corn." The latter
may be taken to include (1) barley, (2) wheat, (3) fitches (vetches), (4 ...
/c/corn.htm - 41k

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