Bread

Bread the basic component of the diet

Matthew 6:11 KJV 1900

Give us this day our daily bread.

See also Ge 14:18; Ge 18:3–6 Abraham entertains the three angels; Ge 25:34; Ge 27:17; Ge 45:23; Dt 8:7–9; Dt 23:4; Jdg 8:5–6 Gideon asks for bread for his troops; Jdg 19:19; Ru 2:14; 1 Sa 2:36; 1 Sa 17:17; 1 Sa 21:2–3; 1 Sa 25:7–11 Nabal refuses bread to David’s men; 1 Ki 13:7–22; 1 Ki 17:10–16 The widow at Zarephath feeds Elijah and is rewarded; 1 Ki 19:5–6; Job 23:12; Ps 104:14–15; Pr 30:8; Is 33:16; Is 51:14; Is 55:2; Je 37:21 Jeremiah’s rations in prison; Je 42:14; La 5:6; Eze 4:9; Dt 8:3; Mt 4:3–4 the temptation of Jesus Christ; Mk 6:8; 2 Co 9:10

A diet consisting solely of bread was indicative of deprivation

1 Kings 22:27 KJV 1900

And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

See also Pr 6:26; La 1:11; La 2:12; La 4:4

Kinds of bread

Unleavened bread

Exodus 12:39 KJV 1900

And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

See also Ex 12:8; Ex 12:14–20; Ex 13:3–7

Manna

Exodus 16:31–35 KJV 1900

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. And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

See also Ex 16:4–8; Ex 16:11–12; Ex 16:14–19; Ne 9:15; Ps 78:23–25; Ps 105:40

Gifts of bread

Genesis 45:23 KJV 1900

And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

See also 1 Sa 10:3–4; 1 Sa 16:20; 1 Sa 25:18; 2 Sa 6:19; 2 Sa 16:1–2; 1 Ki 14:3; 2 Ki 4:42

Offerings of bread

Leviticus 7:11–14 KJV 1900

And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the Lord. If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the Lord, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.

See also Ex 29:2; Ex 29:32–34; Le 2:11; Le 8:31–32; Le 23:20; Nu 6:17–20; Jdg 6:19–21

The bread of the Presence

Leviticus 24:5–8 KJV 1900

And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

The table for the bread of the Presence:

Ex 25:23–30; Ex 35:10–13; Ex 39:33–36; Ex 40:22–23; Nu 4:4–8

1 Sa 21:1–6 David and his men eat the consecrated bread; 1 Ch 9:31–32; 1 Ch 23:29; 2 Ch 2:4; 2 Ch 13:11; Ne 10:32–33; Mt 12:1–8 Jesus Christ and his disciples in the cornfields on the Sabbath; Heb 9:1–2

Jesus Christ as the bread of life

John 6:25–35 KJV 1900

And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

See also Jn 6:41–59

Miracles of multiplication of bread

Matthew 14:13–21 KJV 1900

When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

See also Mt 15:32–38

The breaking of bread as a symbol of the death of Jesus Christ

Matthew 26:26–29 KJV 1900

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

See also Lk 24:28–35; Ac 2:42; Ac 2:46; Ac 20:6–7; Ac 20:11; Ac 27:35; 1 Co 10:16–17