Food in the Bible

38 passages of the Berean Standard Bible, line by line, from Nave’s Topical Bible.

What people ate

Goats’ milk for the householdProv 27:27
The verses
Prov 27:27You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you— food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.
Curds, milk, fat of lambs and choice wheatDeut 32:14
The verses
Deut 32:14with curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, with rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat. From the juice of the finest grapes you drank the wine.
Ten portions of cheese for an army commander1 Sam 17:17–18
The verses
1 Sam 17:17–18One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
Wheat, barley, beans, lentils, honey and cheese for David’s men2 Sam 17:28–29
The verses
2 Sam 17:28–29They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as 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.”
Abraham serves bread, a tender calf, curds and milkGen 18:5–8
The verses
Gen 18:5–8And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.” Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
Ruth dips bread in vinegar sauce and eats roasted grainRuth 2:14
The verses
Ruth 2:14At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here; have some bread and dip it into the vinegar sauce.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left over.
Bread, a date cake and a raisin cake for everyone2 Sam 6:19
The verses
2 Sam 6:19Then he distributed to every man and woman among the multitude of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. And all the people departed, each for his own home.
Abigail brings loaves, wine, sheep, raisins and fig cakes1 Sam 25:18
The verses
1 Sam 25:18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
Ziba brings David bread, raisins and summer fruit2 Sam 16:1–2
The verses
2 Sam 16:1–2When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
A starving Egyptian revives with fig cake and raisins1 Sam 30:11–12
The verses
1 Sam 30:11–12Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.
Fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic in EgyptNum 11:5
The verses
Num 11:5We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.
Bread and lentil stewGen 25:34
The verses
Gen 25:34Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Manna tasted like wafers made with honeyExod 16:31
The verses
Exod 16:31Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
Roasted grain of the land; then the manna ceasedJosh 5:11–12
The verses
Josh 5:11–12The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.
Bread of wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and speltEzek 4:9
The verses
Ezek 4:9But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side.
Daniel asks for only vegetables and waterDan 1:12
The verses
Dan 1:12“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Ravens bring Elijah bread and meat morning and evening1 Kgs 17:6
The verses
1 Kgs 17:6The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honeyMatt 3:4
The verses
Matt 3:4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
Better a dish of vegetables with love than a fattened oxProv 15:17
The verses
Prov 15:17Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.
A son asks for bread or a fishMatt 7:9–10
The verses
Matt 7:9–10Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Fish and bread on a charcoal fire by the lakeJohn 21:9
The verses
John 21:9When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.
The risen Jesus eats a piece of broiled fishLuke 24:42
The verses
Luke 24:42So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish,

At the table

Rebekah makes a tasty dish of two young goatsGen 27:9
The verses
Gen 27:9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father—the kind he loves.
Women worked as cooks and bakers1 Sam 8:13, Prov 31:15
The verses
1 Sam 8:13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
Prov 31:15She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.
Egyptians would not eat with HebrewsGen 43:32
The verses
Gen 43:32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
Thanks given before breaking breadMark 8:6, Luke 24:30, Acts 27:35
The verses
Mark 8:6And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
Luke 24:30While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
Acts 27:35After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
A hymn sung after the Last SupperMatt 26:30
The verses
Matt 26:30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Forbidden as food

Land animals: only those with split hooves that chew the cudLev 11:3–4
The verses
Lev 11:3–4You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
Water creatures: only those with fins and scalesLev 11:9–10
The verses
Lev 11:9–10Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales.
Eagles, vultures and other listed birds are not to be eatenLev 11:13
The verses
Lev 11:13Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
Locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers may be eatenLev 11:21–22
The verses
Lev 11:21–22However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper.
Blood is drained and covered with dirtLev 17:13–14
The verses
Lev 17:13–14And if any Israelite or foreigner living among them hunts down a wild animal or bird that may be eaten, he must drain its blood and cover it with dirt. For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I have told the Israelites, ‘You must not eat the blood of any living thing, because the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.’
No meat of an animal mauled in the fieldExod 22:31
The verses
Exod 22:31You are to be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.
Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milkExod 23:19, Deut 14:21
The verses
Exod 23:19Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Deut 14:21You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Sources

From Nave’s Topical Bible (Orville J. Nave, 1896; public domain): subjects chosen, lines shortened and put into modern words, lines of interpretation left out; each verse checked.

Berean Standard Bible · Public domain