Topical Bible: Herbs: Millet

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Topical Encyclopedia

Millet is a small-seeded grass that has been cultivated as a staple grain for thousands of years. In the context of the Bible, millet is mentioned as one of the ingredients used in the preparation of bread during times of scarcity or hardship. Its mention provides insight into the dietary practices and agricultural conditions of ancient Near Eastern societies.

Biblical Reference:

Millet is specifically mentioned in the book of Ezekiel, where the prophet is instructed by God to use it as part of a symbolic act. In Ezekiel 4:9 , God commands the prophet: "Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single vessel and make them into bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the number of days you lie on your side, 390 days." This passage highlights millet as one of the grains used to make bread during a period of symbolic siege, representing the impending hardships that Jerusalem would face.

Cultural and Historical Context:

Millet was a common grain in the ancient Near East, valued for its resilience and ability to grow in arid conditions. It was often used in combination with other grains to make bread, especially when more desirable grains like wheat were scarce. The inclusion of millet in Ezekiel's bread signifies a time of deprivation, as it was typically considered a less desirable grain compared to wheat or barley.

Symbolic Significance:

The use of millet in Ezekiel's bread can be seen as a representation of humility and survival. The mixture of various grains, including millet, symbolizes the dire circumstances and the need to rely on whatever resources were available. This act served as a prophetic sign to the people of Israel, warning them of the coming judgment and the need for repentance.

Agricultural Practices:

Millet's ability to thrive in less fertile soil and its short growing season made it an important crop for ancient farmers. It was often grown alongside other grains and legumes, contributing to a diverse agricultural system that could withstand periods of drought or poor harvests. The cultivation of millet reflects the adaptive strategies employed by ancient communities to ensure food security.

Dietary Role:

In biblical times, millet would have been ground into flour and used to make unleavened bread or porridge. Its nutritional profile, rich in carbohydrates and essential nutrients, made it a valuable food source, particularly during times of famine or siege. The consumption of millet-based bread, as described in Ezekiel, underscores the reliance on simple, nourishing foods during periods of crisis.

Overall, millet's mention in the Bible serves as a reminder of the resourcefulness and resilience required to endure difficult times, as well as the spiritual lessons conveyed through the prophetic actions of figures like Ezekiel.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Origin of the World, and the Nature of Affairs, and the ...
... make some body; as, though any one should wish to bind together millet into one ... From
these there arise trees and herbs, and all fruits of the earth; from these ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap x of the origin of.htm

If that which it Has Pleased us to Know is Within Reach...
... what the seeds of herbs or shrubs, either sweet to the nostrils, or disagreeable ...
be known or comprehended, say what wheat is,"spelt, barley, millet, the chick ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/59 if that which it.htm

Letter Lii. To Nepotian.
... in a country cottage, and who could scarcely get of common millet and household ... eat
bread nor drink water but imbibe thin decoctions of crushed herbs and beet ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lii to nepotian.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... a network of deep narrow fissures, from which the shrubs and wild herbs shoot forth ...
As for the millet and sesame, which in altitude are as great as trees, I ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... poetry by distance. A half-veiled woman, bearing a bundle of herbs upon
her head, is driving her goats before her. An irregular ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm