In biblical times, the mill was an essential tool for daily life, used primarily for grinding grain into flour. The process of milling was labor-intensive and often associated with servitude and hardship, particularly for captives and slaves. The Bible provides several references to mills and the grinding process, highlighting its significance in ancient society and its symbolic representation of subjugation and toil.

Mill in Daily Life

The mill typically consisted of two stones: a larger, stationary base stone and a smaller, movable upper stone. Grain was placed between these stones and ground into flour by rotating the upper stone. This task was usually performed by women or servants, as seen in Exodus 11:5, which mentions "the slave girl who is at her hand mill." The daily grind of the millstone was a common sound in ancient households, signifying sustenance and survival.

Mills and Captivity

The association of mills with captivity is poignantly illustrated in the account of Samson. After being captured by the Philistines, Samson was blinded and forced to grind grain in prison (Judges 16:21). This act of grinding at the mill was a symbol of his humiliation and subjugation, as it was a task typically reserved for the lowest of servants or captives. The image of Samson at the mill underscores the loss of his strength and freedom, serving as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of disobedience to God.

Symbolism of the Mill

The mill also serves as a symbol of judgment and destruction in biblical literature. In Revelation 18:21, the fall of Babylon is depicted with the imagery of a millstone: "Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.'" This vivid imagery conveys the total and irreversible nature of divine judgment.

Captives and Forced Labor

The use of captives for forced labor, including grinding at the mill, was a common practice in ancient times. Isaiah 47:2 speaks of the humiliation of Babylon, instructing, "Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil, strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, wade through the streams." This passage highlights the degradation and forced labor imposed upon captives, reflecting the broader theme of divine retribution and the reversal of fortunes.

Cultural and Theological Implications

The mill and its association with captives in the Bible reflect the broader cultural and theological themes of servitude, judgment, and redemption. The imagery of grinding at the mill serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the hope of deliverance through God's intervention. The millstone, as a tool of both sustenance and subjugation, encapsulates the dual nature of human existence in a fallen world, where labor can be both a blessing and a curse.

In summary, the mill in biblical times was more than just a tool for grinding grain; it was a symbol of daily life, servitude, and divine judgment. Its association with captives underscores the harsh realities of ancient society and the profound spiritual lessons conveyed through Scripture.Judges 16:21
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
Nave's Topical Index

Lamentations 5:13
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
Nave's Topical Index

On Daniel. I. Preface by the Most Holy Hippolytus, (Bishop) of ...
... Along with the other captives, he is carried off a prisoner to Babylon ... of iron, and
carried him to Babylon; and there he remained grinding at the mill until the ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel i preface by.htm

A Caution to Stir up to Watch against Sin
... bends them to its will, Holds them, as Samson grinded at the mill, 'Twill blind ... has
from their stations hurl'd: Holds them in chains, as captives, in despite ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a caution to stir up.htm

Before Caiaphas
... dead taken from prison and judgment, the Preacher of liberty to the captives bound,
and ... Mill tells us that religion cannot be said to have made a bad choice in ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 53-65 before caiaphas.htm

The visit and Homage of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt
... Had not the prophet himself heard, in the lament of the captives to Babylon ... with
the greatest ability and learning (as against Strauss) by Dr. Mill (On the ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii the visit and.htm

Come from the Four Winds, O Breath!
... its channel, but he knows how to utilize it; he makes it turn his mill-wheel. ... Spirit
of God be upon me, that I may preach deliverance to the captives; else men ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/come from the four winds.htm

Letter vi. In My Last Two Letters I have Given the State of the ...
... of this doctrine to the proposals and publications of Kennicot, Mill, Bentley, and ...
way can this be better effected than when the frightened captives are made ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/letter vi in my last.htm

The Allegories of Sarah and Hagar
... saved by law is like a blind horse going round and round a mill, and never ... And sometimes
the people under the covenant of grace may seem to be captives and bond ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the allegories of sarah and.htm

Travailing for Souls
... It was so at the time of the restoration of the captives from Babylon, and it was ...
We say, "No sweat no sweet," "no pains no gains," "No mill no meal." If there ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/travailing for souls.htm

Protest and Agony. (I, iv. 10, 19, vi. 11, xi. 18-xii. 6, xv. 10 ...
... Of Shemaiah, who wrote of the captives in Babylon letters of a tenor opposite to ...
and streams, for the home-candle and the sound of the house-mill, for children ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 protest and agony i.htm

The Alleged Discrepancy in the Gospels in Regard to the Genealogy ...
... by the law of Levirate marriages, and his view is advocated by Mill (On the ... if for
instance it was a condition of priesthood that only captives should be made ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the alleged discrepancy in.htm

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