Biblical References:

The cucumber is mentioned in the Bible in the context of the Israelites' longing for the foods they enjoyed in Egypt. In Numbers 11:5 , the Israelites express their discontent with the manna provided by God during their wilderness journey, reminiscing about the variety of foods they had in Egypt: "We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic."

Cultural and Historical Context:

Cucumbers were a common food in ancient Egypt, known for their refreshing and hydrating qualities, especially in the hot climate of the region. They were likely cultivated in the fertile Nile Delta, where the rich soil and abundant water supply made it possible to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. The mention of cucumbers in the biblical text highlights the Israelites' nostalgia for the comforts and abundance of their life in Egypt, despite their bondage.

Symbolism and Theological Significance:

The reference to cucumbers in Numbers 11:5 serves as a symbol of the Israelites' struggle with contentment and faith. Despite being freed from slavery and witnessing God's miraculous provision, the Israelites yearned for the familiar comforts of their past. This longing reflects a broader theme in Scripture: the human tendency to focus on immediate desires and physical needs rather than trusting in God's provision and plan.

The Israelites' complaint about the lack of cucumbers and other foods can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual dissatisfaction and a lack of gratitude. It underscores the challenge of maintaining faith and trust in God, especially when faced with uncertainty and hardship. The narrative invites believers to reflect on their own lives, encouraging them to find contentment in God's provision and to trust in His faithfulness, even when circumstances are challenging.

Agricultural Practices:

In biblical times, cucumbers were likely grown in gardens or fields, requiring careful cultivation and irrigation. The plant is a creeping vine, and its fruit is typically elongated and green, similar to the cucumbers we are familiar with today. The cultivation of cucumbers would have been an important part of the agricultural practices in ancient Egypt and the surrounding regions, contributing to the diet and economy of the people.

Conclusion:

The mention of cucumbers in the Bible, though brief, provides insight into the daily life and struggles of the Israelites during their wilderness journey. It serves as a reminder of the importance of gratitude and trust in God's provision, encouraging believers to focus on spiritual nourishment and the eternal promises of God rather than temporary, earthly desires.Cucumber

A vegetable very plentiful in the East, especially in Egypt, Numbers 11:5, where they are esteemed delicacies, and form a great part of the food of the lower class of people, especially during the hot months. The Egyptian cucumber is similar in form to ours, but larger, being usually a foot in length. It is described by Hasselquist as greener, smoother, softer, sweeter, and more digestible than our cucumber.

(n.) A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus Cucumis, esp. Cucumis sativus, the unripe fruit of which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants or fruits of several other genera. See below.CUCUMBER

ku'-kum-ber (qishshu'im; sikuos): One of the articles of food for which Israel in the wilderness looked back with longing to Egypt (Numbers 11:5). Cucumbers are great favorites with all the people of Palestine. Two varieties occur, Cucumis sativus (Arabic, Khyar), originally a product of Northwest India, which is smooth-skinned, whitish and of delicate flavor, and requires much water in its cultivation, and Cucumis chate (Arabic, faqqus), which is long and slender but less juicy than the former. Probably the Biblical reference is to this latter as it is a plant much grown in Egypt where it is said to attain unusual excellence.

A "garden of cucumbers" or more literally a "place of cucumbers" (miqshdh), is mentioned in Isaiah 1:8; Baruch 6:70. "A lodge in a garden of cucumbers" (Isaiah 1:8) is the rough wooden booth erected by the owner from which he keeps guard over his ripening vegetables. It is commonly raised upon poles and, when abandoned for the season, it falls into decay and presents a dreary spectacle of tottering poles and dead leaves.

E. W. G. Masterman

7180. qishshuah -- a cucumber
... 7179, 7180. qishshuah. 7181 . a cucumber. Transliteration: qishshuah Phonetic
Spelling: (kish-shoo') Short Definition: cucumbers. ... cucumber. ...
/hebrew/7180.htm - 5k

4750. miqshah -- field of cucumbers
... field. Word Origin from the same as qishshuah Definition field of cucumbers
NASB Word Usage cucumber field (2). garden of cucumbers. ...
/hebrew/4750.htm - 6k

6498. paqquoth -- gourds
... gourd. From the same as peqa'; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its
seeds) -- gourd. see HEBREW peqa'. 6497, 6498. paqquoth. 6499 . ...
/hebrew/6498.htm - 6k

The Opinions of Valentinus, with those of his Disciples and Others ...
... and yet did not simply produce, so as to be apart from themselves) a fruit, everywhere
visible, eatable, and delicious, which fruit-language calls a Cucumber. ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xi the opinions of valentinus.htm

The Right to the Ordinary Safeguards of Good Health
... seeing that all raw fruits and vegetables were scalded before eating, and was
astonished to find that she was placidly and unconcernedly munching her cucumber. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 3 the right to.htm

Selections from the Work against Heresies by Irenaeus, Bishop of ...
... This Gourd and Superemptiness, being one, emitted, yet did not emit, the fruit,
visible, edible, and delicious, which is known to language as the Cucumber. ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/selections from the work against 2.htm

Of Circumcision and the Supercession of the Old Law.
... deserted and subverted by strange peoples, the daughter of Zion shall be derelict,
like a shed in a vineyard, and like a watchhouse in a cucumber-field, and as ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter iii of circumcision and the.htm

If You Give a Grape to Him when Hungry...
... If you give a grape to him when hungry, a must-cake, an onion, a thistle, [3547]
a cucumber, a fig, will he know that his hunger can be appeased by all these ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/23 if you give a.htm

Argument from the Destruction of Jerusalem and Desolation of Judea ...
... strangers devour their region in their sight: the daughter of Sion is derelict,
as a watch-tower in a vineyard, or as a shed in a cucumber garden,""ever ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter xiii argument from the destruction.htm

Disclosure of the Monstrous Tenets of the Manich??ans.
... a place where food cannot be purchased: the beggar will die of starvation, while
you, in your wisdom and benevolence, have more mercy on a cucumber than on a ...
/.../chapter 16 name of the 2.htm

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
... in the text. [6376] Pes. 110 b. Not to eat two (even numbers) of an egg,
a nut, or cucumber, &c. [6377] Eduy. viii. 7; Tanch. 60 a ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix v rabbinic theology and.htm

Cucumber (2 Occurrences)
... genera. See below. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CUCUMBER. ku ... leaves. EWG Masterman.
Multi-Version Concordance Cucumber (2 Occurrences). Isaiah ...
/c/cucumber.htm - 8k

Cucumber-garden (1 Occurrence)
Cucumber-garden. Cucumber, Cucumber-garden. Cucumbers . Multi-Version
Concordance Cucumber-garden (1 Occurrence). Isaiah ...
/c/cucumber-garden.htm - 6k

Gourd (4 Occurrences)
... (2.) Wild gourds (2 Kings 4:38-40), Hebrews pakkuoth, belong to the family
of the cucumber-like plants, some of which are poisonous. ...
/g/gourd.htm - 12k

Cucumbers (3 Occurrences)

/c/cucumbers.htm - 8k

Cuckow (2 Occurrences)

/c/cuckow.htm - 8k

Night-lodge (1 Occurrence)
... Night-lodge (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left, as a booth
in a vineyard, as a night-lodge in a cucumber-garden, as a besieged city. ...
/n/night-lodge.htm - 6k

Wild (147 Occurrences)
... means "to split" or "burst open," and on this ground these "wild gourds" have been
identified with the fruit of the squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium). ...
/w/wild.htm - 50k

Dilean (1 Occurrence)
... dil'-e-an (dil`an, "cucumber"): A town in the Shephelah of Judah named with
Migdal-gad and Mizpeh (Joshua 15:38, the English Revised Version "Dilan"), which ...
/d/dilean.htm - 6k

Bitter (203 Occurrences)
... the mild salads mentioned above, such, for example, as the colocynth (Citrullus
colocynthus) or the violently irritating squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium ...
/b/bitter.htm - 42k

Cottage (2 Occurrences)
... (2.) A lodging-place (rendered "lodge" in Isaiah 1:8); a slighter structure than
the "booth," as the cucumber patch is more temporary than a vineyard (Isaiah 24 ...
/c/cottage.htm - 8k

What does the Bible mean when it refers to a “Daughter of Zion”? | GotQuestions.org

Cucumber: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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