Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Description:Raisins are dried grapes, commonly used in ancient times as a food source and offering. They are mentioned in the Bible as a staple in the diet of the Israelites and other ancient Near Eastern cultures. Raisins were valued for their sweetness, nutritional content, and long shelf life, making them a practical food for travel and sustenance.
Biblical References:1.
1 Samuel 25:18 · In the account of Abigail, the wife of Nabal, preparing provisions for David and his men, raisins are listed among the supplies: "Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys."
2.
1 Samuel 30:12 · When David and his men found an Egyptian servant who had been left for dead, they revived him with food, including raisins: "They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins to eat, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights."
3.
2 Samuel 6:19 · Raisins were part of the celebratory provisions distributed by King David to the people of Israel: "Then he distributed to every man and woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then all the people departed, each to his own home."
4.
1 Chronicles 12:40 · Raisins are mentioned as part of the provisions brought to David when he was in Hebron: "Also their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel."
5.
Song of Solomon 2:5 · Raisins are symbolically associated with love and sustenance: "Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love."
Cultural and Historical Context:In the ancient Near East, raisins were a common food item due to their ease of production and preservation. Grapes were sun-dried to produce raisins, which could then be stored and consumed throughout the year. They were often used in trade and as offerings, reflecting their value in society.
Raisins were also used in religious and cultural rituals. Their inclusion in offerings and celebrations, as seen in the biblical accounts, highlights their significance in both daily life and special occasions.
Symbolism and Theological Significance:Raisins, as a symbol of sustenance and provision, reflect God's care and provision for His people. Their use in celebrations and offerings underscores themes of gratitude and abundance. In the Song of Solomon, raisins are associated with love and desire, illustrating the richness and sweetness of romantic love.
The biblical references to raisins serve as a reminder of the practical and symbolic roles that food played in the lives of the Israelites, pointing to the broader themes of God's provision and the joy found in His blessings.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A grape, or a bunch of grapes.
2. (n.) A grape dried in the sun or by artificial heat.
Strong's Hebrew
809. ashishah -- araisin cake... 808, 809. ashishah. 810 . a
raisin cake. Transliteration: ashishah Phonetic
Spelling: (ash-ee-shaw') Short Definition: cakes. Word
...6025. enab -- a grape
... grapes. Word Origin from an unused word Definition a grape NASB Word Usage
grape (1), grapes (17),raisin* (1). ripe grape, wine....
Library
Actions to be Judged of from their Motive, not from Externals....
... varied with a number of courses, and well sprinkled with pepper, and sups in the
same style towards night; and drinks honey-vinegar, mead,raisin-wine, and the...
The Struggle for the Life of Others
... of the mammal, the chorus of the insect, the serenade of the lover; that nearly
all the foods of the world are Love-foods"the date and theraisin, the banana...
Thesaurus
Raisin (5 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Raisin (5 Occurrences).
... Everyone will wail. You will mourn
for the
raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth, utterly stricken. (WEB ASV NAS RSV).
...Raisin-cakes (7 Occurrences)
Raisin-cakes. Raisincakes,Raisin-cakes. Raising . Int. Standard Bible
EncyclopediaRAISIN-CAKES. ra'-z'-n-kaks: the Revised...
Raisin-cake (2 Occurrences)
Raisin-cake.Raisin,Raisin-cake. Raisincakes . Multi-Version
ConcordanceRaisin-cake (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 6:19...
Fig-cakes (2 Occurrences)
... and took two hundred loaves, and two skin-bottles of wine, and five sheep ready
dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundredraisin-cakes, and two...
Raisincakes
... Int. Standard Bible EncyclopediaRAISIN-CAKES. ra'-z'-n-kaks: the Revised
Version (British and American) gives this rendering for...
Raising (29 Occurrences)
Raiseth (33 Occurrences)
Cakes (65 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 30:12 and gave him a piece of fig-cake and tworaisin-cakes, and he ate,
and his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any...
Kir-hareseth (3 Occurrences)
... (ASV BBE JPS NAS). Isaiah 16:7 Therefore shall Moab wail for Moab, every one shall
wail: for theraisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn, utterly stricken....
Resources
Who was Lo-ammi in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Lo-ruhamah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgRaisin: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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