Bread (Bible)

Term and Translation

The biblical word rendered "bread" refers to a food made by kneading grain flour into dough and baking it. It translates the Hebrew lechem in the Old Testament and the Greek artos in the New Testament. Both words can denote not only bread but food in general. The Revised Korean Version and the Korean Revised Version render the term as tteok, while the New Korean Standard Version and the Korean Common Translation mostly render it as ppang ("bread"). The biblical food is different from Korean rice cakes, which are also called tteok. The place name Bethlehem is commonly interpreted as "house of bread."

Background

In ancient Israel, bread made from wheat or barley was a staple food. Because it was usually baked flat and broken by hand to be shared, the expression "to break bread" also came to mean sharing a meal. Barley bread is understood to have been cheaper than wheat bread.

Occurrences in the Bible

• Unleavened bread: At the time of the Exodus, the Israelites ate bread baked hastily without leaven at the Passover (Exodus 12:8, 12:39).
• Manna: In the wilderness God rained down bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4). This is discussed in detail in the article Manna and Quail.
• Showbread: Twelve loaves were set out on the table in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:5-9). This is the showbread. David received and ate this bread while fleeing (1 Samuel 21:1-6), and Jesus cited this incident in a dispute over the Sabbath (Mark 2:25-26).
• Not by bread alone: Jesus quoted the words "man doth not live by bread only" (Deuteronomy 8:3) during the temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4).
• Feeding of the five thousand: Jesus fed the crowd with five barley loaves and two fish belonging to a boy (John 6:9).
• Bread of life: Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).
• The Last Supper and the early church: Jesus broke bread and said, "this is my body" (Matthew 26:26). The early church gathered "in breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus when he broke bread (Luke 24:30-31).

Significance Across Scripture

In the Old Testament, bread is tied to the confession that God provides for the sustenance of his people. The "daily bread" of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:11) is likewise artos in the original. The New Testament connects the manna in the wilderness with Jesus himself (John 6:31-35), and Paul links bread with the unity of the church: "For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Interpretations and Issues

• The bread of the Lord's Supper and the body of Christ: Churches understand the relationship between the two differently. The Catholic Church teaches that through consecration (the prayer that sets the elements apart as holy) the substance of the bread is changed into the body of Christ. Lutherans confess that the body of Christ is truly present together with the bread. The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterians, speaks of a spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit. Traditions descending from Huldrych Zwingli and many Baptist churches emphasize the memorial meaning. These views are discussed in more detail in the article Eucharistic controversies.
• Use of leaven: The Catholic Church uses unleavened bread, while the Orthodox Church uses leavened bread. Practice among Protestants varies from church to church.
• Differences in textual interpretation: Interpreters are divided over whether "breaking bread" in Acts 2:46 refers to the Lord's Supper or to ordinary meals. Views also differ on whether Jesus' bread-of-life discourse in John 6 refers to the Lord's Supper.
• Misunderstanding arising from translation: Taking the tteok of the Korean Revised Version to mean Korean rice cake is a misunderstanding caused by the choice of translation term.

In the Korean Church

Expressions from the Korean Revised Version such as "bread of life" and "the bread and the cup" are widely used in sermons and in liturgies for the Lord's Supper. In actual practice, many churches use ordinary bread, such as sandwich bread, cut into small pieces for communion.