In the context of the Bible, the term "bean" is mentioned specifically in the Old Testament. Beans are part of the legume family and have been a staple in Middle Eastern diets for millennia. They are known for their nutritional value, providing protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.

Biblical Reference:

The primary reference to beans in the Bible is found in the book of 2 Samuel. In 2 Samuel 17:28, beans are listed among the provisions brought to David and his people when they were in the wilderness: "They brought beds, basins, and pottery items. They also brought wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, 'The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.'"

This passage highlights the role of beans as a source of sustenance and nourishment during a time of need. The inclusion of beans among other essential food items underscores their importance in the diet of the Israelites.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, agriculture was a central part of daily life, and legumes like beans were commonly cultivated. They were valued not only for their nutritional benefits but also for their ability to enrich the soil through nitrogen fixation, which is beneficial for crop rotation and soil fertility.

Beans, along with other legumes such as lentils, were often used in stews and soups, providing a hearty and filling meal. The simplicity and availability of beans made them a common food for both the wealthy and the poor, reflecting the egalitarian nature of God's provision for His people.

Symbolic and Theological Significance:

While beans themselves do not carry a specific symbolic meaning in the biblical text, their mention in the context of provision and sustenance can be seen as a reflection of God's care and provision for His people. The inclusion of beans in the list of supplies brought to David emphasizes the practical and immediate needs of the community, which were met through the generosity and support of others.

In a broader theological sense, the provision of food, including beans, can be seen as a testament to God's faithfulness and His concern for the physical well-being of His followers. This aligns with the biblical theme of God as a provider, who meets the needs of His people in times of scarcity and abundance alike.

Conclusion:

The mention of beans in the Bible, though brief, provides insight into the dietary practices and agricultural life of ancient Israel. It also serves as a reminder of the practical ways in which God provides for His people, using the resources of the earth to sustain and nourish them.1. (n.) A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs.

2. (n.) The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or less resembling true beans.

BEAN

be'-an.

See BAEAN.

6321. pol -- beans
... beans (2). beans. From an unused root meaning to be thick; a bean (as plump) --
beans. 6320, 6321. pol. 6322 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6321.htm - 5k

Pythagoras; his Cosmogony; Rules of his Sect; Discoverer of ...
... and concretion of all things, when the earth was still undergoing its process of
solidification, [62] and that of putrefaction had set in, the bean was produced ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter ii pythagoras his cosmogony rules.htm

A Man Reaps More than He Sows.
... to reap than to sow. I have heard of a certain kind of bean that reproduces
itself a thousand fold. One thistle-down which blew ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter v a man reaps.htm

Clement of Alexandria.
... Bath, behaviour in, 279. right use of, 282. Bean, prohibited by Pythagoras, 385,
402. Beatitudes, true teaching of, 413, 441. Beauty, true and false, 271. ...
/.../clement/who is the rich man that shall be saved/clement of alexandria.htm

Parasitism.
... We have not far to seek. Within the body of the Hermit-crab a minute organism may
frequently be discovered resembling, when magnified, a miniature kidney-bean. ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/parasitism.htm

Causes and Circumstances of Dreams what Best Contributes to ...
... produce the required purity; while we find an instance of the opinion when the
disciples of Pythagoras, in order to attain the same end, reject the bean as an ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xlviii causes and circumstances of.htm

Further Exposure of Transmigration, Its Inextricable Embarrassment ...
... Moreover, ??thalides and Hermotimus had included the bean amongst the common esculents
at meals, while Pythagoras taught his disciples not even to pass through ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxxi further exposure of transmigration.htm

The Battle of the Beanfield. 2 Samuel, xxiii, 11, 12.
... "There are not many members now." "There is no one to work." So it might have been
said in the bean-field; the people were gone, all gone but Shammah. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/v the battle of the.htm

In the Lanes
... With rose and crimson crown; The water violet stately,. And the frosted bog-bean
white. The whole wide world was a marvel,. A garden of strange delight! ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen and others second series/in the lanes.htm

Elucidations.
... He explains the prohibition of the bean, by Pythagoras, on the very ground, that
it occasioned sterility in women according to Theophrastus. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the stromata or miscellanies/elucidations 3.htm

Second Great Group of Parables.
... himself did not deem his services worthy of enough food to sustain life; so that
he would gladly have eaten the husks or pods of the carob bean, which are very ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xcii second great group of 4.htm

Bean
... 2. (n.) The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or less resembling
true beans. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BEAN. be'-an. See BAEAN. ...
/b/bean.htm - 6k

Beans (2 Occurrences)
... The bundles of black bean stalks, plucked up by the roots and piled up beside the
newly winnowed barley, form a characteristic feature on many village threshing ...
/b/beans.htm - 8k

Beams (28 Occurrences)

/b/beams.htm - 14k

Vegetable (3 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) A plant used or cultivated for food for man or domestic animals, as the
cabbage, turnip, potato, bean, dandelion, etc.; also, the edible part of such a ...
/v/vegetable.htm - 8k

Vine (76 Occurrences)
... the ground, or climbs by winding round a fixed object, or by seizing anything with
its tendrils, or claspers; a creeper; as, the hop vine; the bean vine; the ...
/v/vine.htm - 46k

Lentils (4 Occurrences)
... 17:28; 2 Samuel 23:11; Ezekiel 4:9; the King James Version Lentiles): These are
undoubtedly identical with the Arabic `adas, a small, reddish bean, the product ...
/l/lentils.htm - 9k

Lentiles (4 Occurrences)
... It is the Ervum lens of Linnaeus, a leguminous plant which produces a fruit resembling
a bean. Multi-Version Concordance Lentiles (4 Occurrences). ...
/l/lentiles.htm - 8k

Gibeah (52 Occurrences)
... marg.). It has been identified with the modern Tell el-Ful (ie, "hill of the
bean"), about 3 miles north of Jerusalem. Gibeah of Judah. ...
/g/gibeah.htm - 30k

Gerah (1 Occurrence)
... A bean, probably of the carob tree, the smallest weight, and also the smallest piece
of money, among the Hebrews, equal to the twentieth part of a shekel ...
/g/gerah.htm - 7k

Pot (46 Occurrences)
... to any of a great variety of uses, as for boiling meat or vegetables, for holding
liquids, for plants, etc.; as, a quart pot; a flower pot; a bean pot. ...
/p/pot.htm - 25k

Bean: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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