Topical Bible: Bread: How Prepared: Honey

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In biblical times, bread was a staple food and held significant cultural and religious importance. The preparation of bread often included various ingredients to enhance its flavor and nutritional value. One such ingredient mentioned in the Bible is honey, which was used to sweeten and enrich the bread.

Biblical References:

Honey is referenced in the Bible as a symbol of abundance and divine provision. In the context of bread, honey is mentioned in Ezekiel 16:13, where it is part of a description of the blessings and prosperity bestowed upon Jerusalem: "So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. So you became exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty" . This passage highlights honey as a luxurious addition to the diet, signifying wealth and divine favor.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, honey was a natural sweetener and was highly valued. It was often derived from wild bees and was considered a delicacy. The Promised Land itself was described as "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8), indicating the richness and fertility of the land. The use of honey in bread would have been a way to incorporate this symbol of abundance into daily sustenance.

Preparation and Symbolism:

The preparation of bread with honey would involve mixing the honey into the dough, allowing it to infuse the bread with its sweetness. This practice not only enhanced the flavor but also served as a reminder of God's provision and blessings. In a spiritual sense, honey in bread can be seen as a metaphor for the sweetness of God's word and His promises, as suggested in Psalm 119:103: "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey in my mouth!" .

Religious Significance:

While honey was a valued ingredient, it is noteworthy that it was not used in offerings made by fire to the Lord. Leviticus 2:11 states, "No grain offering that you present to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as an offering made by fire to the LORD" . This restriction highlights the distinct roles of different ingredients in worship and daily life, with honey being reserved for personal enjoyment and sustenance rather than sacrificial offerings.

In summary, the use of honey in bread during biblical times reflects both the practical and symbolic aspects of this cherished ingredient. It served as a reminder of God's abundant blessings and the sweetness of His provision, enriching the daily bread of His people.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 16:31
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Bread and Gravel
... the manna of old did, like wafers made of honey. Only perverted appetites loathe
this light bread and prefer the ... will finally sit at the table prepared in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/bread and gravel.htm

"Honey in the Mouth!"
... we have now so long enjoyed it, that the honey of grace ... he has gone up into glory,
and has prepared a people ... Possibly you may help to bake some bread with it. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/honey in the mouth.htm

A People Prepared for the Lord
... the River Jordan, and whose meat is locusts and wild honey.". ... it; and this should
make men prepared to receive ... in his father's house, "There is bread enough and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/a people prepared for the.htm

Book vii. On the Useful or the Ordinary
... The same in Solomon: finding honey, eat as much as ... their hearts are like an oven
for baking bread. ... righteousness; in the gospel: and they prepared their lamps. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/book vii on the useful.htm

Letter vii. --For 335. Easter-Day iv Pharmuthi, iii Kal. April; xx ...
... mouth shall be filled with gravel [4167] .' And, Honey droppeth from ... her wine in
the goblets, and prepared her table ... she saith, Come, eat of my bread, and drink ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter vii for 335 easter-day iv.htm

The Gospel Feast
... hath mingled her wine (that is, Christ has prepared His Supper ... Come, eat of My Bread
and drink of the Wine which ... I have eaten My honeycomb with My honey, I have ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon xii the gospel feast.htm

Jews and Gentiles in "The Land"
... the other side of Jordan, "because it was not a land flowing with milk and honey.". ...
Milk drawn from a cow by heathen hands, bread and oil prepared by them ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 2 jews and gentiles.htm

The Beach and the Sea
... time we come to them, will be 'full of honey.'. ... with the toilsome night, the feast
prepared, have been ... shall satisfy all their desires with the 'bread of heaven ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/the beach and the sea.htm

They Indeed who Say that Baptism is not to be Repeated...
... and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every ... go after my lovers, that give
me my bread," etc., not ... thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 19 25 they.htm

John Chapter vi. 15-44
... my Father, receive the kingdom which is prepared for you ... expect, I believe, again
to eat bread, again to ... and a land flowing with milk and honey, temporal peace ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xxv john chapter vi.htm