Jump to: ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Grain, a fundamental agricultural product in biblical times, holds significant economic, cultural, and spiritual importance throughout the Scriptures. It is often mentioned in the context of sustenance, offerings, and divine provision.Types of Grain: The Bible references several types of grain, including wheat, barley, millet, and spelt. Wheat and barley are the most frequently mentioned, serving as staple foods in ancient Israel. Barley was typically harvested first, followed by wheat, marking the progression of the agricultural year (Exodus 9:31-32). Agricultural Practices: Grain cultivation involved plowing, sowing, reaping, and threshing. The process of threshing, often done by oxen, separated the grain from the chaff (Deuteronomy 25:4). Winnowing followed, where the grain was tossed into the air to allow the wind to carry away the lighter chaff, leaving the heavier grain behind (Ruth 3:2). Economic Significance: Grain was a primary economic commodity, essential for trade and sustenance. It was stored in granaries and used as a medium of exchange. Joseph's management of grain during the Egyptian famine (Genesis 41:48-49) exemplifies its critical role in survival and economic stability. Religious and Cultural Importance: Grain offerings were a vital part of Israelite worship, symbolizing dedication and thanksgiving to God. The grain offering, or "minchah," was made of fine flour, oil, and frankincense, and was presented alongside burnt offerings (Leviticus 2:1-3). The Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, celebrated the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 34:22). Symbolism and Teachings: Grain often symbolizes God's provision and blessing. In the Lord's Prayer, the request for "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) underscores reliance on God's provision. Jesus used grain imagery in His parables, such as the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), to teach spiritual truths about the Kingdom of God. Prophetic and Eschatological References: Prophets used grain imagery to convey messages of judgment and restoration. Joel speaks of the devastation of grain as a sign of divine judgment (Joel 1:10-12), while Amos prophesies a future abundance of grain as a sign of restoration (Amos 9:13). In the New Testament, the harvest is a metaphor for the end times, where the righteous and the wicked are separated (Matthew 13:39). Key Verses: · "He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows." (Isaiah 30:23) · "The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil." (Joel 2:24) · "Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35) Grain, as depicted in the Bible, is more than a mere agricultural product; it is a symbol of God's provision, a staple of life, and a tool for teaching profound spiritual truths. ATS Bible Dictionary GrainSee CORN. Easton's Bible Dictionary Used, in Amos 9:9, of a small stone or kernel; in Matthew 13:31, of an individual seed of mustard; in John 12:24, 1 Corinthians 15:37, of wheat. The Hebrews sowed only wheat, barley, and spelt; rye and oats are not mentioned in Scripture. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (v. & n.) See Groan.2. (n.) A single small hard seed; a kernel, especially of those plants, like wheat, whose seeds are used for food. 3. (n.) The fruit of certain grasses which furnish the chief food of man, as corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc., or the plants themselves; -- used collectively. 4. (n.) Any small, hard particle, as of sand, sugar, salt, etc.; hence, any minute portion or particle; as, a grain of gunpowder, of pollen, of starch, of sense, of wit, etc. 5. (n.) The unit of the English system of weights; -- so called because considered equal to the average of grains taken from the middle of the ears of wheat. 7,000 grains constitute the pound avoirdupois, and 5,760 grains the pound troy. A grain is equal to .0648 gram. See Gram. 6. (n.) A reddish dye made from the coccus insect, or kermes; hence, a red color of any tint or hue, as crimson, scarlet, etc.; sometimes used by the poets as equivalent to Tyrian purple. 7. (n.) The composite particles of any substance; that arrangement of the particles of any body which determines its comparative roughness or hardness; texture; as, marble, sugar, sandstone, etc., of fine grain. 8. (n.) The direction, arrangement, or appearance of the fibers in wood, or of the strata in stone, slate, etc. 9. (n.) The fiber which forms the substance of wood or of any fibrous material. 10. (n.) The hair side of a piece of leather, or the marking on that side. 11. (n.) The remains of grain, etc., after brewing or distillation; hence, any residuum. Also called draff. 12. (n.) A rounded prominence on the back of a sepal, as in the common dock. See Grained, a., 4. 13. (a.) Temper; natural disposition; inclination. 14. (n.) A sort of spice, the grain of paradise. 15. (v. t.) To paint in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc. 16. (v. t.) To form (powder, sugar, etc.) into grains. 17. (v. t.) To take the hair off (skins); to soften and raise the grain of (leather, etc.). 18. (n.) To yield fruit. 19. (n.) To form grains, or to assume a granular form, as the result of crystallization; to granulate. 20. (n.) A branch of a tree; a stalk or stem of a plant. 21. (n.) A tine, prong, or fork. 22. (n.) One the branches of a valley or of a river. 23. (n.) An iron first speak or harpoon, having four or more barbed points. 24. (n.) A blade of a sword, knife, etc. 25. (n.) A thin piece of metal, used in a mold to steady a core. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia GRAINgran. PARCHED CORN (GRAIN) parcht. Greek 4621. sitos -- grain ... grain. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter Transliteration: sitos Phonetic Spelling: (see'-tos) Short Definition: wheat, grain Definition: wheat, grain ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4621.htm - 6k 2848. kokkos -- a grain 4719. stachus -- a head of grain 4619a. sition -- grain 4618a. siros -- a pit (for grain storage) 4618. siteutos -- a pit (for grain storage) 4619. sitistos -- grain 4620. sitometrion -- a measured portion of food 3459. mulon -- mill. 2915. krithe -- barley Strong's Hebrew 7383. riphah -- perhaps grainriphah or riphah. 7382, 7383. riphah or riphah. 7384 . perhaps grain. Transliteration: riphah or riphah Phonetic Spelling: (ree-faw') Short Definition: ... /hebrew/7383.htm - 6k 7668. sheber -- corn, grain 1715. dagan -- corn, grain (of cereals) 7054. qamah -- standing grain 7641. shibbol -- ear (of grain) 1250. bar -- grain, corn 7039. qali -- parched (grain) 7666. shabar -- to buy grain 374. ephah -- an ephah (a measure of grain) 5429. seah -- seah (a measure of flour or grain) Library The Growing Grain. Plucking Grain on the Sabbath. Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath. Fragment xxxi. Observe That, by Means of the Grain of Mustard Seed ... What Wonder is it Then, If, when I Draw in the Grain That... From St. Paul's Analogy of the Seed we Learn that the Body which ... The Devotion of Ruth Greeks Seek Jesus. He Foretells that He Shall Draw all Men unto ... The Testing of Joseph's Brothers In the Outer Court Thesaurus Grain (413 Occurrences)... 4. (n.) Any small, hard particle, as of sand, sugar, salt, etc.; hence, any minute portion or particle; as, a grain of gunpowder, of pollen, of starch, of sense ... /g/grain.htm - 39k Grain-cutting (19 Occurrences) Grain-floor (27 Occurrences) Grain-fields (3 Occurrences) Grain-cutters (2 Occurrences) Grain-crushing (3 Occurrences) Grain-stems (2 Occurrences) Grain-floors (1 Occurrence) Grain-crushers (2 Occurrences) Grain-cutter (1 Occurrence) Resources What is a grain offering? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning of chaff in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org Grain: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Grain (413 Occurrences)Matthew 3:12 Matthew 6:26 Matthew 7:3 Matthew 7:4 Matthew 7:5 Matthew 9:37 Matthew 9:38 Matthew 12:1 Matthew 13:8 Matthew 13:25 Matthew 13:26 Matthew 13:29 Matthew 13:30 Matthew 13:31 Matthew 13:39 Matthew 17:20 Matthew 24:41 Matthew 25:24 Matthew 25:26 Mark 2:23 Mark 4:7 Mark 4:8 Mark 4:28 Mark 4:29 Mark 4:31 Luke 3:17 Luke 6:1 Luke 6:41 Luke 6:42 Luke 10:2 Luke 12:18 Luke 12:24 Luke 13:19 Luke 16:7 Luke 17:6 Luke 17:35 Luke 19:21 Luke 19:22 Luke 22:31 John 4:36 John 4:37 John 4:38 John 12:24 Acts 7:12 Acts 27:38 1 Corinthians 9:9 1 Corinthians 9:11 1 Corinthians 15:37 Galatians 6:7 Galatians 6:9 1 Timothy 5:18 James 5:4 Revelation 6:6 Revelation 14:15 Revelation 14:16 Revelation 18:13 Revelation 18:21 Revelation 18:22 Genesis 8:22 Genesis 27:28 Genesis 27:37 Genesis 37:7 Genesis 41:5 Genesis 41:6 Genesis 41:7 Genesis 41:22 Genesis 41:23 Genesis 41:24 Genesis 41:26 Genesis 41:27 Genesis 41:29 Genesis 41:35 Genesis 41:49 Genesis 41:56 Genesis 41:57 Genesis 42:1 Genesis 42:2 Genesis 42:3 Genesis 42:5 Genesis 42:6 Genesis 42:19 Genesis 42:25 Genesis 42:26 Genesis 42:33 Genesis 42:35 Genesis 43:2 Genesis 44:2 Genesis 45:6 Genesis 45:23 Genesis 47:14 Genesis 47:16 Genesis 47:24 Exodus 11:5 Exodus 16:31 Exodus 22:6 Exodus 22:29 Exodus 29:41 Exodus 30:9 Exodus 34:22 Exodus 40:29 Subtopics Related Terms |