Biblical References and Context

Beans are mentioned in the Bible primarily in the context of food and sustenance. The most direct reference to beans is found in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of 2 Samuel. In 2 Samuel 17:28, during the time of Absalom's rebellion, Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai brought supplies to David and his people, including "wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and his people to eat." This passage highlights the role of beans as a staple food item, providing nourishment and sustenance during a time of need.

Cultural and Historical Significance

In ancient Israel, beans were a common part of the diet, valued for their nutritional content and ability to be stored for long periods. They were often consumed alongside other legumes such as lentils, which are also mentioned in the Bible. The inclusion of beans in the list of provisions for David and his men underscores their importance as a reliable food source in the agrarian society of ancient Israel.

Beans, like other legumes, were likely cultivated in family gardens and small farms. They were an essential part of the diet, providing protein and other nutrients, especially in a culture where meat was not consumed daily by the average person. The ability to dry and store beans made them a practical choice for sustenance, particularly during times of scarcity or travel.

Symbolism and Theological Insights

While beans themselves are not heavily laden with symbolic meaning in the biblical text, their presence in the narrative of 2 Samuel can be seen as a testament to God's provision. The act of providing food for David and his followers during a time of crisis can be interpreted as an example of divine care and support through the generosity of others. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of God's faithfulness in providing for His people, often using ordinary means and resources.

Furthermore, the communal sharing of food, including beans, reflects the biblical principle of hospitality and the importance of supporting one another in times of need. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, where believers are encouraged to care for one another and share their resources, as seen in passages like Hebrews 13:16, "And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Practical Applications

In contemporary Christian life, the mention of beans in the Bible can serve as a reminder of the importance of gratitude for God's provision, no matter how simple or humble it may seem. It also encourages believers to practice hospitality and generosity, sharing their resources with those in need, just as Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai did for David and his men.

Beans, as a symbol of sustenance, can also inspire Christians to reflect on the spiritual nourishment provided by God's Word. Just as beans were a vital part of the physical diet in biblical times, Scripture is essential for spiritual growth and sustenance in the life of a believer.Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Topicalbible.org

Ezekiel 4:9
Take you also to you wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make you bread thereof, according to the number of the days that you shall lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days shall you eat thereof.
Topicalbible.org

Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Topicalbible.org

Beans

(2 Samuel 17:28; Ezekiel 4:9) Beans are cultivated in Palestine, which produces many of the leguminous order of plants, such, as lentils, kidney-beans, vetches, etc.

Mentioned in 2 Samuel 17:28 as having been brought to David when flying from Absalom. They formed a constituent in the bread Ezekiel (4:9) was commanded to make, as they were in general much used as an article of diet. They are extensively cultivated in Egypt and Arabia and Syria. BEANS

benz (pol; Arabic ful): A very common product of Palestine; a valuable and very ancient article of diet. The Bible references are probably to the Faba vulgaris (N. D. Leguminosae) or horsebean. This is sown in the autumn; is in full flower-filling the air with sweet perfume-in the early spring; and is harvested just after the barley and wheat. 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-floors. Beans are threshed and winnowed like the cereals. Beans are eaten entire, with the pod, in the unripe state, but to a greater extent the hard beans are cooked with oil and meat.

In Ezekiel 4:9, beans are mentioned with other articles as an unusual source of bread and in 2 Samuel 17:28 David receives from certain staunch friends of his at Mahanaim a present, which included "beans, and lentils, and parched pulse."

E. W. G. Masterman

6321. pol -- beans
... beans. Transliteration: pol Phonetic Spelling: (pole) Short Definition: beans. Word
Origin of uncertain derivation Definition beans NASB Word Usage beans (2). ...
/hebrew/6321.htm - 5k

Of the Three Lentil Beans which the Steward Found.
... Prolegomena. Chapter XX. Of the three lentil beans which the Steward found.
During the week of a certain brother the steward passing ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xx of the three.htm

The "Sayings" of Pythagoras.
... [668] "Feed not on beans; (meaning,) accept not the government of a city, for with
beans they at that time were accustomed to ballot for their magistrates. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxii the sayings of pythagoras.htm

When a Man Sows, He Expects to Reap.
... A young man was employed by a large commission firm in New York City during the
late civil war, to negotiate with a certain party for a lot of damaged beans. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter iii when a man.htm

Of the Nature of Tithes.
... Thus the tithes of beans and pease whether sown in fields or gardens are great tithes,
and do not fall under the denomination of tithes of gardens, technically ...
/.../prideaux/directions to church-wardens/1 of the nature of.htm

The Battle of the Beanfield. 2 Samuel, xxiii, 11, 12.
... What a picture is here! A field of ripe beans, just ready for the harvest, and
then the leaves and pods all blood-stained or trampled down! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/v the battle of the.htm

Disclosure of the Monstrous Tenets of the Manich??ans.
... 39. Tell me then, first, where you get the doctrine that part of God, as you call
it, exists in corn, beans, cabbage, and flowers and fruits. ...
/.../chapter 16 name of the 2.htm

Pythagoras; his Cosmogony; Rules of his Sect; Discoverer of ...
... of Physiognomy; His Philosophy of Numbers; His System of the Transmigration of Souls;
Zaratas on Demons; Why Pythagoras Forbade the Eating of Beans; The Mode ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter ii pythagoras his cosmogony rules.htm

The Ethics of Elfland
... earth. I knew the magic beanstalk before I had tasted beans; I was sure
of the Man in the Moon before I was certain of the moon. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/iv the ethics of elfland.htm

The Boyhood of Jesus
... They like to sit on the ground outside, and do their work in the street; and the
sellers of dates and of figs, beans, barley, oranges, and other things, sit ...
/.../anonymous/the good shepherd/chapter iii the boyhood of.htm

L'envoy
... it Heaven to see the calm green fields Mapped out in beautiful sunlight at his feet:
Or walks enraptured where the fitful south Comes past the beans in blossom ...
/.../burgon/the last twelve verses of the gospel according to s mark /lenvoy.htm

Beans (2 Occurrences)
... They are extensively cultivated in Egypt and Arabia and Syria. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. BEANS. ...Beans are threshed and winnowed like the cereals. ...
/b/beans.htm - 8k

Pulse (3 Occurrences)
... (Dan. 1:12, 16), RV "herbs," vegetable food in general. Noah Webster's Dictionary.
1. (n.) Leguminous plants, or their seeds, as beans, peas, etc. ...
/p/pulse.htm - 8k

Lentils (4 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 17:28 brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley,
and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse ...
/l/lentils.htm - 9k

Lentiles (4 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 17:28 couch, and basin, and earthen vessel, and wheat, and barley, and
flour, and roasted 'corn', and beans, and lentiles, and roasted 'pulse', (YLT). ...
/l/lentiles.htm - 8k

Mealtime (1 Occurrence)
... 2. Vegetables: Lentils, several kinds of beans, and a profusion of vegetables,
wild and cultivated, were prepared and eaten in various ways. ...
/m/mealtime.htm - 24k

Meals (8 Occurrences)
... 2. Vegetables: Lentils, several kinds of beans, and a profusion of vegetables,
wild and cultivated, were prepared and eaten in various ways. ...
/m/meals.htm - 27k

Meal-time (1 Occurrence)
... 2. Vegetables: Lentils, several kinds of beans, and a profusion of vegetables,
wild and cultivated, were prepared and eaten in various ways. ...
/m/meal-time.htm - 24k

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

String (12 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) The tough fibrous substance that unites the valves of the pericap of leguminous
plants, and which is readily pulled off; as, the strings of beans. 10. ...
/s/string.htm - 11k

Corn (107 Occurrences)
... 18:27, Deuteronomy 28:51, Lamentations 2:12, is a general term representing all
the commodities we usually describe by the words corn, grain, seeds, peas, beans...
/c/corn.htm - 41k

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