Topical Bible: Fruits: The Produce of Corn

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the term "corn" often referred to grain in general, rather than the specific maize known as corn in modern North American English. The produce of corn, therefore, encompasses a variety of grains such as wheat, barley, and other cereal crops that were staples in the ancient Near Eastern diet. These grains held significant agricultural, economic, and symbolic importance in biblical narratives and teachings.

Agricultural Significance

The cultivation of grain was central to the agrarian society of ancient Israel. The land's fertility and the success of the harvest were seen as direct blessings from God. In Deuteronomy 28:8 , it is written, "The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in everything to which you put your hand, and He will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." This verse underscores the divine provision and favor associated with abundant grain harvests.

Economic Importance

Grain was a primary commodity in trade and sustenance. It was used as a form of currency and a measure of wealth. In the account of Joseph in Egypt, grain becomes a critical resource during the years of famine. Genesis 41:49 states, "Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped keeping track, for it was beyond measure." This narrative highlights the strategic importance of grain reserves in ensuring survival and prosperity.

Symbolic and Religious Aspects

Grain offerings were a significant part of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. Leviticus 2:1-2 describes the grain offering: "When anyone presents an offering of grain to the LORD, his offering shall consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it, and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests." These offerings symbolized dedication and thanksgiving to God, acknowledging His provision and sovereignty.

The produce of corn also features prominently in the biblical festivals. The Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, was a celebration of the wheat harvest and is described in Exodus 34:22 : "And you are to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year." This festival was a time of rejoicing and gratitude for the harvest, reflecting the community's dependence on God's continued blessing.

Metaphorical Usage

Grain imagery is frequently used in Scripture to convey spiritual truths. In the New Testament, Jesus uses the metaphor of grain to illustrate the principle of sacrifice and resurrection. In John 12:24 , He states, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." This metaphor emphasizes the transformative power of self-sacrifice and the promise of new life.

Conclusion

The produce of corn, as understood in the biblical context, is a multifaceted symbol of God's provision, human stewardship, and spiritual truth. Its presence in Scripture serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of physical sustenance and spiritual nourishment, both of which are gifts from the Creator.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 22:9
You shall not sow your vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of your seed which you have sown, and the fruit of your vineyard, be defiled.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 107:37
And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

We Ought not to Allow the Idea of Profit to Get Hold of Us. ...
... get the full price of the year's produce, but assigned ... Jesus in the Gospel speaks
of that corn-dealer who ... whose possessions brought him in rich fruits, but who ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi we ought not.htm

Concerning the Famine that Happened in Judea and Syria; and How ...
... the same quantity of fruits that it used to produce; and after this barrenness of
the soil, that change of food which the want of corn occasioned produced ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 concerning the famine.htm

Daily Bread.
... Other fruits of the earth are given to man in a ... he fed his brethren, was precisely
similar to the produce of your ... tell us that there is no trace of corn to be ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon lxii daily bread.htm

The Germination of the Earth.
... plains quivered [1549] with harvests, and the movement of the corn was like ... He invites
us to produce fruits in abundance, for fear lest our sterility should ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily v the germination of.htm

The First-Fruits of the Gentiles
... Does not familiarity with the gospel produce much the ... These are the first-fruits
of the Gentiles unto ... nation's culture rotted away, 'Except a corn of wheat ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the first-fruits of the gentiles.htm

Jericho Itself.
... need of a long commentary, and they produce one, but ... their sheaves, before the sheaf
[of first-fruits] was offered ... the too early ripeness of their corn in that ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 47 jericho itself.htm

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in ...
... Spirit, if he can trace its genuine fruits and efficacious ... the rain waters it, the
seeds produce vegetables, and ... grass to grow for cattle, and corn and herb ...
/.../practical discourses on regeneration/discourse vii of the necessity.htm

Due Measure must be Observed in Liberality, that it May not be ...
... in the one case because he wastes the fruits of another's ... of a heifer takes a year,
and the produce of a ... he warns them to see that supplies of corn are got ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvi due measure must.htm

Of the Renewed World.
... its fruitfulness, and bring forth most abundant fruits of its ... and sweet honey, and
white milk, and corn, which is ... land of the pious only will produce all these ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxiv of the renewed world.htm

The Resurrection Proved by Examples.
... and becomes a stalk of corn. And the nature of trees and fruit-trees,"is it not
that according to the appointment of God they produce their fruits in their ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiii the resurrection proved by.htm