In biblical times, the loaf of bread was a staple food item, symbolizing sustenance and provision. Bread, often in the form of a loaf, is frequently mentioned throughout the Bible, serving both practical and symbolic purposes.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, bread was a central part of the diet in ancient Israel. The process of making bread involved grinding grain into flour, mixing it with water, and baking it, often in the form of a loaf. The Israelites were instructed to use unleavened bread during the Passover, as seen in Exodus 12:8, which states, "They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs."

The offering of loaves was also a significant aspect of worship. Leviticus 24:5-9 describes the "showbread" or "bread of the Presence," which consisted of twelve loaves placed on the table in the Tabernacle as a perpetual offering before the Lord. This bread symbolized God's covenant with the twelve tribes of Israel and His continual provision for His people.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the loaf of bread takes on additional symbolic meaning, particularly in the teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ. One of the most notable miracles involving loaves is the feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd. Matthew 14:19 recounts, "And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people."

The loaf of bread is also central to the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper or Communion. During this meal, Jesus broke a loaf of bread and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is My body" (Matthew 26:26). This act established the loaf as a symbol of Christ's body, broken for the salvation of humanity.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

Throughout Scripture, the loaf of bread symbolizes God's provision and the sustenance He provides both physically and spiritually. In John 6:35, Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst." Here, the loaf represents Jesus Himself, the spiritual nourishment and eternal life He offers to believers.

The breaking of the loaf during Communion serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice and the unity of believers in His body. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, "Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf."

In summary, the loaf of bread in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol of God's provision, Christ's sacrifice, and the unity of believers. It serves as a reminder of the physical and spiritual sustenance provided by God and the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ.1. (n.) Any thick lump, mass, or cake; especially, a large regularly shaped or molded mass, as of bread, sugar, or cake.

2. (v. i.) To spend time in idleness; to lounge or loiter about.

3. (v. t.) To spend in idleness; -- with away; as, to loaf time away.

LOAF

lof.

See BREAD.

740. artos -- bread, a loaf
... bread, a loaf. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: artos Phonetic Spelling:
(ar'-tos) Short Definition: bread, a loaf, food Definition: bread, a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/740.htm - 7k3603. kikkar -- a round, a round district, a round loaf, a round ...
... kikkar. 3604 . a round, a round district, a round loaf, a round weight, a talent
(a measure of weight or money). ... loaf, morsel, piece, plain, talent. ...
/hebrew/3603.htm - 6k

6742. tselul -- a cake, round loaf
... 6741, 6742. tselul or tselil. 6743 . a cake, round loaf. Transliteration: tselul
or tselil Phonetic Spelling: (tsel-ool') Short Definition: loaf. ...
/hebrew/6742.htm - 6k

3899. lechem -- bread, food
... something (1). showbread, eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. From lacham;
food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain ...
/hebrew/3899.htm - 6k

4682. matstsah -- unleavened bread or cake
... for sweetness; properly, sweetness; concretely, sweet (ie Not soured or bittered
with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the ...
/hebrew/4682.htm - 6k

But one Loaf Mk 8:14
... MARK Hymn 94 But one loaf Mk 8:14. John Newton 8,6,8,6. But one loaf [11] Mk 8:14.
When the disciples crossed the lake. With but one loaf on board; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/olney hymns/hymn 94 but one loaf.htm

How St Clare, by Order of the Pope, Blessed the Bread which was on ...
... OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHAPTER XXXIII HOW ST CLARE, BY ORDER OF THE POPE, BLESSED
THE BREAD WHICH WAS ON THE TABLE, AND HOW ON EACH LOAF APPEARED THE SIGN ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter xxxiii how st clare.htm

A Battle Without a Sword
... A round loaf of barley (the commonest kind of bread) was dreamed of as rolling down
from a height and upsetting 'the tent.' The use of the definite article ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a battle without a sword.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xi. 5, "Which of You Shall have a ...
... For "there abide these three, faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these is
charity." [3347] In those loaves it is not said that any one loaf was greater ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lv on the words.htm

But this New Cloudy Political Cowardice Has Rendered Useless the ...
... Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern
statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf is better than a whole loaf. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 3 but this new.htm

The Holy Things are not to be Sent into Other Dioceses at the ...
... It is known that the Greeks only consecrate a square piece of the little loaf intended
for communion, which is first cut out with the so-called holy spear. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon xiv the holy things.htm

Waiting the Father's Word.
... But Jesus was keener than the tempter was cunning. "Get a loaf out of this stone.
Don't go hungry. ... Jesus could have made a loaf out of the stone. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks about jesus/waiting the fathers word.htm

The "Sayings" of Pythagoras.
... For it lies within your reach both to nourish the body, and make the soul better.
[667] "Don't take a bite out of an uncut loaf;" (meaning,) diminish not thy ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxii the sayings of pythagoras.htm

Acts XX
... (7) "And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
the loaf, Paul discoursed to them, about to depart on the next day, and ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xx.htm

Meditation viii. Institution of the Holy Eucharist.
... An oval plate stood there, with three fine white azymous loaves, placed on a piece
of linen, by the side of the half loaf which Jesus had set aside during the ...
/.../meditation viii institution of the.htm

Loaf (14 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To spend time in idleness; to lounge or loiter about. 3. (vt) To spend in
idleness; -- with away; as, to loaf time away. Int. ...LOAF. lof. See BREAD. ...
/l/loaf.htm - 11k

Cake (25 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A small mass of dough baked; especially, a thin
loaf from unleavened dough; as, an oatmeal cake; johnnycake. ...
/c/cake.htm - 17k

Loaves (54 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Plural of Loaf. 2. (n.) pl. of Loaf.
Multi-Version Concordance Loaves (54 Occurrences). Matthew ...
/l/loaves.htm - 23k

Partake (19 Occurrences)
... (Root in KJV DBY WBS YLT). 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one loaf of bread,
we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread. ...
/p/partake.htm - 12k

Scorpion (6 Occurrences)
... scorpions," and again in Luke 11:12 He says, "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he
give him a scorpion?" Note that we have here three doublets, the loaf and the ...
/s/scorpion.htm - 13k

Pentecost (3 Occurrences)
... Exodus 34:22 Numbers 28:26 Deuteronomy 16:10). The size of each loaf was
fixed by law. It must contain the tenth of an ephah, about ...
/p/pentecost.htm - 21k

Share (138 Occurrences)
... (WEY RSV NIV). 1 Corinthians 10:17 Since there is one loaf, we who are many
are one body; we, all of us, share in that one loaf. (WEY). ...
/s/share.htm - 37k

Present (577 Occurrences)
... gift. (See NAS). Matthew 7:9 Or what man is of you, of whom, if his son may
ask a loaf -- a stone will he present to him? (YLT). Matthew ...
/p/present.htm - 38k

Loads (12 Occurrences)

/l/loads.htm - 10k

Bread (433 Occurrences)
... (3) Often the thin, glutinous loaf, puffed out with air ... 5. Forms of Baked Bread:
(1) The large pone or thick, light loaf of the West is unknown in the East. ...
/b/bread.htm - 58k

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