85. Bread the Principal Food

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Genesis 43:3131And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. (Genesis 43:31). He washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
Orientals in general are great eaters of bread. It has been computed that three persons in four live entirely upon it, or else upon such compositions as are made of barley or wheat flour. No doubt the term “bread” was often used to denote food in general; but this was because bread was more generally used than any other article of diet. When Joseph’s brethren had cast him into the pit, “they sat down to eat bread” (Gen. 37:2525And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. (Genesis 37:25)). When Moses was in Midian he was invited to “eat bread” (Ex. 2:2020And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. (Exodus 2:20)). The witch of En-dor “set a morsel of broad” before Saul and his servants (1 Sam. 28:22-2522Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way. 23But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. 24And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: 25And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night. (1 Samuel 28:22‑25)).