Topical Bible: Bread: Ordinary, Called Common Bread

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Topical Encyclopedia

Bread, a staple food in ancient and modern times, holds significant cultural and spiritual symbolism throughout the Bible. In the context of the Scriptures, "ordinary" or "common bread" refers to the basic sustenance consumed daily by the people, distinct from the consecrated or special bread used in religious rituals.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, bread is often mentioned as a fundamental part of the diet. Genesis 3:19 states, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground." This verse highlights the necessity of labor for sustenance, with bread symbolizing the fruits of one's toil. Bread was typically made from barley or wheat, and its preparation was a daily task for many households.

The concept of "common bread" is further illustrated in 1 Samuel 21:4, where David, fleeing from Saul, requests bread from the priest Ahimelech. The priest responds, "There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread, provided the young men have kept themselves from women." Here, the distinction between ordinary bread and the consecrated bread of the Presence is clear, emphasizing the sacredness of the latter.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, bread continues to serve as a symbol of daily provision and sustenance. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11), underscoring the reliance on God for everyday needs. This request for "daily bread" reflects the ordinary, common bread that sustains life.

The feeding of the five thousand, as recorded in John 6, also highlights the role of common bread. Jesus uses five barley loaves, a type of ordinary bread, to perform a miracle, feeding a multitude and demonstrating His divine provision. This event not only underscores the physical sustenance provided by bread but also points to Jesus as the "bread of life" (John 6:35), offering spiritual nourishment.

Cultural and Spiritual Significance

Bread, as a symbol of life and sustenance, is deeply embedded in the cultural and spiritual fabric of biblical times. It represents God's provision and care for His people. The distinction between ordinary and consecrated bread serves to highlight the sacredness of certain religious practices while affirming the importance of daily sustenance.

In the broader biblical narrative, bread is a reminder of God's faithfulness and the sustenance He provides, both physically and spiritually. The consumption of ordinary bread is a daily act that connects believers to the divine provision and the shared human experience of reliance on God's bounty.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 21:4
And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Lord's Supper.
... in the memoirs composed by them, which are called gospels, have ... have considered the
circumstance accidental; as unleavened bread was in ordinary use among ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter iii the lords supper.htm

In common with the Roman Church, the Greek Church has seven ...
... not once; the Sacrament is received standing, not kneeling; and the bread is ordinary
leavened bread ... The bread of the Eucharist is called the Gift ...
//christianbookshelf.org/brownlie/hymns of the holy eastern church/iii.htm

Eucharistic Doctrine.
... the ointment retains still its substance, and yet is not called a mere ... substance,
yet are not said to be only bread and wine common and ordinary, but also ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/chapter vii eucharistic doctrine.htm

Forms of Prayer. --The Lord's Prayer; Its Occasion and Import. ...
... The disciple of Christ, ever called to struggle against evil. ... By a comparison drawn
from the ordinary relations of life, he ... "If a son shall ask bread of any of ...
/.../section 139 forms of prayer the.htm

Knox's Book of Common Order.
... Then he taketh bread and giveth ... as Christ himself hath ordained so must they be
ministered, and by such as by ordinary vocation are thereunto called.". ...
/.../johnston/presbyterian worship/chapter iii knoxs book of.htm

Book vii. On the Useful or the Ordinary
... On the Useful or the Ordinary. The bread is Christ or conversation of the Lord;
in the gospel: I am the living bread. ... That is Christ who called forth the dead. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/book vii on the useful.htm

God Undoubtedly Converts, Without the External Preaching of the ...
... word by mortal men," to be called "the ordinary means ... nation of those who have been
outwardly called should believe ... be unwilling to taste of the bread which was ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/article xviii god undoubtedly converts.htm

Daily Bread
... too prodigious to have been wrought by the ordinary slow processes ... whose great aim
is, not to get his bread and butter ... a place as a man can be called to stand in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/merriam/the chief end of man/v daily bread.htm

The Great Crisis in Popular Feeling - the Last Discourses in the ...
... Similar blessings were to visit the vine; ordinary trees would ... life which was connected
with it: the Bread that I ... [3461] Canon Westcott has called attention to ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxii the great crisis.htm

The Fourth Miracle in John's Gospel
... such enormous numbers, that no natural or ordinary provision for ... yet; they had not
thought where their bread was to ... seems to have been what is called"as if ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the fourth miracle in johns.htm